It Can't Be THAT Good--Can It?

Product Review:  Blue Chip Picks

 

The standard "teardrop" shape I purchased

OK.  There's a lot of hype out there about a lot of things, and the actual products rarely live up to the exaggerated claims made in an attempt to sell them.  Most pick manufacturers claim their product will 1) sound better  2) be smoother off the strings and 3) last longer than a "traditional pick"...and you are lucky if even one of these is true.  However, the manufacturer of Blue Chip Picks has done the seemingly impossible and delivered on all three.

I was initially hesitant to spend the premium price ($35 plus shipping!) for these picks, but kept hearing from all my friends how unbelievable they were, so I ponied up the cash for a standard "teardrop" guitar pic and a "tri-tip" mandolin pick.  Wow!  They actually live up to the hype!  The tone they deliver is silky smooth, rounded and deeply resonant with minimal pick noise.  They are polished to a smooth finish and really slide off the strings making them super-fast.  Best of all, they are nearly indestructible.  I've been playing the TP every day for over a year and it looks just like the day I got it!  No discernible wear of any kind other than some very faint surface scratches.  Even the engraved logo is sharp and clear.  I used to buy a dozen Dunlop pics every few months, but haven't bought ANY picks in over a year (so maybe the $35 price tag is actually cheaper in the long run!).

That isn't to say that the product is perfect--nothing is.  I've already mentioned the steep price tag.  Also, the super smooth finish can be slippery and hard to hold onto--especially in hot, sweaty jam sessions (although, the engraved logo does have sharp corners and doubles as a gripping surface).  Finally, the medium brown color, which evokes the look of tortoise shell, is nearly impossible to see when dropped in the grass or a dirt parking lot, making the choice of this pick for casual festival / parking lot picking dubious at best.

Overall, this is a great product and I recommend it to anyone looking to "trade up" to a premium pick.  And to answer the question in the title..."Yes!  Yes it can!"

John P. Bayerl