Find Out Which of These Flatpicks Will Bring Your Tone To 11! 

I'm a Primetone user now. I like that I can have a thin 1mm, a thick 2mm and a mix of thicknesses in-between in a couple of different shapes. Lets me get a mixture of tones from the guitar.

I'm team Blue-chip, love the longevity of the pick and the tone is far superior than the toneslab.

I honestly could hear the ToneSlab hitting the strings more than the BlueChip, so for me, I think I'm going to go with the BlueChip. Thanks guys!

I’ve been using the same bluechip pick for four years. It’s one of the rare hyped gear things that isn’t snake oil.

Y'all sounded good with all three picks. The differences were subtle, but I thought the Blue Chip sounded the best. You were pulling a lot of tone out of the guitar and mandolin with the Blue Chips.

Great pick demo!!

Very informative. I learned a lot here. 👍

I have 4 different Blue Chips and have settled on the TP40 and 48 as my favorites. Never go back to standard picks. They glide across the strings and seem to show zero signs of wear. They also grip extremely well. I never drop them.

Nothing but blue chip for me.

This video came at a great time haha. I've seriously been considering getting a ToneSlab pick to use along with my Blue Chip. Thanks for the review!

One of the best things about the blue chip for me is it doesn’t get slick and slippery even you play for extended periods… it’s magical

Getting a variety of, or a few quality picks is worth the investment imho. Great topic for a video. Liked and subscribed. Thanks guys!

To me, the ToneSlab and the BlueChip sounded very similar. So, as a novice player, I would go with the less maintenance of the BlueChip. Thanks for posting this!

I prefer the Blue Chip pick. As you guys stated, real TS is just too much maintenance. I do like the Tone Slab picks but they do require some maintenance, not as much as TS, but I hear a little too much pick clack when I play mine. The Blue Chip, to my ear, just sounds more balanced and doesn’t wear down much. Thank you John and Jeremy for another fun video!

I have a TAD 1R I have used for 10 years and I love it, no wear at all. I also have a TAD 60 Ilike for heavy picking. George in Montana

I just got a CT 55 for my Mandolin and it is worth every penny. Thank you so much for the recommendation guys.

Tortoise shell was outlawed in 1977 from the international CITES agreement. The Tone Slab 1.3mm which measures .053" is actually a 1.35 mm. A 1.4mm measures exactly .055" such as the CT55 and the TAD-3R-55. The Tone Slab 1.3mm in pointed or rounded corners naturally sounds brighter than the B.C. 55 either the pointed corners (CT55) or the rounded corners (TAD-3R-55) mostly due to the fact that the material is thinner (.053" vs .055"). For my ear, the B.C. has a more natural (non plastic) organic tone more pleasing to listen to..The Tone Slab also has more of the annoying pick attack hitting the strings sound than the B.C. A better comparison for tone would have been to have B.C. make a TAD53 (.053" thick) and a TAD-3R-53 (.053" thick) which I believe would have the similar clarity and brightness to the 1.3mm Tone Slabs but with the B.C. material (Vespel) more natural organic sounding tone with minimal pick attack sound.

I preferred the sound of the ToneSlab Been using Wegan for years. Two different ones. One 3-pointer for guitar and a more rounded 3-pointer for mandolin. Both 1.4mm. So many people are unaware of the necessary trial and error process of finding the right pick for you. Picking the pick! And I'm in no way finished yet!

Blue Chip for me. I’ve had one for several years now and it never wears out…..and it’s the only one I’ve been able to hang onto while playing.

The material and beveled edges on the Blue Chip pick produces a wonderful acoustic tone that I haven't found with any other pick.

Just got a blue chip and it’s great. Wasn’t expecting it to be so good. Actually hoping it was no big deal but it is better.

I have 2 blue chip and the FS tone slab I play an Eastman E20 TC and Martin 000-28 EC and for me the tone slab produces the best tones on both my guitars. I haven’t had the tone slab long enough to have wear . The blue chips I have had over 15 years so they hold up very good .

I have both the BlueChip and ToneSlab. I prefer to using Blue Chip with some guitars and the ToneSlab with some guitars. I do prefer PrimeTone grip pick on mandolin. It does subdue my mandolins just enough that I prefer it. I have one pick that sounds perfect on one of my guitars and I have no idea what it is. I've worn the details off of it. I've spent some money trying to find one that will match it. It just sounds perfect with one of instruments. You can taylor you pick to your guitar. Different guitars need different picks. At least that is my penny. Thanks for sharing! Sounds great and I definitely agree with you.

I just bought today prior this episode a few picks from The Acoustic Shoppe online LOL. As still a beginner I went for the BlueChip TD35 and the Primetone 510P (both standard teardrops). I find picks very fun to experiment with since you can get very noticeable different tones without having to change strings or the whole guitar. After the program definitely I'll be considering trying a ToneSlab : )

I like buffalo horn picks. I hsve one old tortise pick left. It is one of my favorites ,but nuances of sound changes with all of the varying factors involved. Bridge and saddle material,bridge pins and guage,and materials used in strings. Set up and action. Tone woods ,and even torrifaction. I have found out what works for me by trial and error.

I've got both...each has their place according to the tone you want and the instrument you are playing. For me...the Blue Chip is the winner for my instruments.

Hi I probably missed it but what model guitar was featured in this video, great content as always and I’m trying to figure out how many tone slabs I’m putting on my order.

I really like my Blue Chip pick. I like the Red Bear but have to get used to the stiffness. It is very different in tone and feel. Have you tried Charmed Life Picks? Very very similar to Blue Chip with a couple slightly different pick shapes. I really like them too. Right there with BC. I try to stick to .90-1.20 mm thickness. I'm not a virtuoso, lol. Plunk plunk plunk....

I've been using a Blue Chip CT 55 for years now. At a venue another guitar player used it and asked me about it, he felt it was of a superior quality. I offered him the pick and ordered a new one ASAP. I have now the TAD60 and the CT55, somehow still prefer the latter. With the shipping they're expensive, but worth every penny! I keep an eye on them and somehow never lose them! (unlike other picks 😀)

Thank You 😎🎸🎶☮️

I'm Team TS. FS13 is my new go-to pick for flatpicking.

I have V-Picks (clangy on the strings) Primetone (I like they go thinner for faster strumming) Bluechip TP35 (Great for picking or slower strums, but I find it’s not for heavy handed strumming) My go to lately has been Dunlop Flex Orange (It’s that cross between Tortex and nylon, sounds good to me, but I always struggle strumming with thick picks so that’s why I tend to like the dunlops

Pick sound basically comes down to physics: stiffness, sharp vs rounded edge, etc. The stiffer and rounder the pick, the more fundamental of the string you're going to hear and less of the pick sound. I've always been a player who wants as much individual note clarity as possible. This comes down to the quality of the guitar, the string model and gauge (mediums emphasize fundamentals more than lighter gauge), the pick, where on the strings one picks, and the angle of attack. Honestly, if you have a crap guitar and are just an amateur strummer, a $40 pick isn't worth your investment unless you really plan on using it to replace all the other picks you'd ever buy (and are careful not to ever lose it!). If you want to try a stiff pick on the cheap, try the Dunlop Prime Tone. HISTORY: I've been playing a Blue Chip for a few years now (TD45; just happened to be what was available; I'd really like to try more models and thicknesses). Prior to that, I used standard picks, mostly Dunlop Tortex, and always the rounded edge. WHAT'S GOOD: As mentioned: more fundamental, less pick sound. And zero wear and tear (maybe over a LONG period of time). Not mentioned: these grip MUCH better than a cheap pick when sweaty. As long as the pick and fingers are clean and free of oil, they won't slip out of your hand if you get sweaty. WHAT'S BAD: the shit brown color. Good luck finding it if you drop one. If these had any kind of bright color, they'd be much easier to spot. The only time I generally don't want a stiff pick is playing my 12-string, where I usually want to hear more overtones and more pick sound.

Blue chip for mandolin all the way!

I've never seriously considered coughing up $45ish for a pick, but y'all have me really thinking about it. For whatever it's worth, .053" = 1.3462mm. I think that's close enough to 1.3, considering how small 0.0462mm is.

Hi brother, iin 50 years of buying or making picks, there is an empty cocoa can full of everything imaginable. For the last eight or so years my only pick choices to buy are Blue Chip and turtle shell .

Dunlop primetone and ultex.

yeah, the price tag seems extravagant BUT consider the lifespan AND the QUALITY of the sound along with performance level compared to plastic or casein.

Coming back to pick playing after a few years. I'm up for the blue chip. I used to play a .8 Jim Dunlop, the grey ones. What blue chip would correspond in terms of flex ? Not many music stores where I live...

Wish I had the ears to tell the difference 30 years of artillery ears the bugles still ring keep up the great work

I own both toneslab and blue chip picks. I like both, but the toneslab has a sticker feel that is easier to hold on to

I’m using Gravity Gold standard and Wegan Bluegrass for dreadnaughts- dark and bright

I tried em all and stick with the Blue Chip. Pro tip: Have your phone number printed on it. Mine has been returned twice because of this.

If ToneSlab or Acoustic Shoppe happens to read this. I have like 4 different BlueChips. Love them. I couldn't take not trying a ToneSlab. I bought a tweener, same shape and size as my TP1R BlueChip. There is a little difference between the tone of the two. I was having a little issue with my attack on the strings with the TS. I noticed looking at them both close that the BC had more bevel angle than the TS. So I worked one of the three corners down and tried to match the BC bevel. After I did It worked so much better for me and still sounded great. So, maybe they need to think about putting more bevel on their picks. I have a Thile 55, which has a little different bevel also I think. So I guess it depends on what pick your used to playing. Just a thought, and info for others. When I starting filing I was surprised to find it was a little tougher than I expected it to be.

I use Primetone due to the price. Sent Bluechip back. Thought Primetone was very similar for fraction of the cost. I also like the texture so it doesn’t slip as much. What are your thoughts considering the price

I've played Blue Chip (TAD 40), Charmed Life (casein), Primetone, Dunlop Tortex, Gravity (nylon), and Wegen (Trimus 250) picks. I actually prefer the Wegen picks. Their textured dimples provide a great grip and the beveling retains the low tones but brightens up the trebles. Blue Chip's are great picks, but to me, they take away some of the overtones. Not such a sacrifice for bluegrass, but a detriment if you want the richness of the overtones. An interesting note is the material that Blue Chip uses is also used in the aerospace industry. I will say that picks do make a difference in the tone you get while playing. It's a good thing to experiment and discover which sound you prefer. Also, what's good for bluegrass may not be good for jazz or folk or contemporary music styles. Heck, what's good for your Taylor may not work for your Martin or Gibson either.

In my opinion just as important as the guitar. I own both but prefer my blue chip. Tone slab is great but a tad bright. But my main guitar is a maple back and sides.

Have you tried the I-Tone pick from Shawn Lane? It has a real nice feel against the strings. I think I hear a bit more pick noise vs. the blue chip but it doesn't come out in a recording so maybe it is all in my mind, hahaha. Still using the BC but this is a nice backup pick

After a couple of years on primetones I settled on Dunlop tortex flex.88. Big white triangles. Best I've found for me so far. I used to use the big purple tortex 1.14 triangles and put on my own bevels with sandpaper, but I've become a fan of the Flex 88s. I'd need a steep payrise to justify these things.

Charmed Life Picks offers Vespel, Casein, and a few other materials.

I enjoyed this "Top Pick" topic.

I have a few gift cards from my local music shop. By rights I should cash one or two in and get a Blue Chip CT55. I am a hobby mando picker, but it might sound better than the cheap plastic Dunlop I use now, huh??

I bought both the Blue Chip and the Tone Slab from Chapman's right after I saw the video. I had known about Blue Chips but always balked at the price. However, I realized that I spend thousands on pedals, amps, guitars, etc, chasing tone, and that $40 is pretty cheap by comparison. Now the verdict... well its a work in progress. At first I was underwhelmed by both picks, and still preferred my go to pick which is a 2.8mm DawMan Shredline pick. At about $5, they are a bargain and have great tone. Unfortunately, I don't see them available on their website and the owner hasn't responded to my inquiries. The other picks I like are Wegen picks, both the 3.5 Gypsy and the Bluegrass pick, both considerably cheaper than these premium picks are. After I played them a little more, I definitely prefer the Tone Slab over the Blue Chip for bluegrass. It has a brighter maybe more fuller tone. Not quite as bright as my Dawman, but pretty close. I need to play it more to see which I might prefer. I thought the Blue Chip was less bright, with maybe a bit warmer tone. I'm thinking I might like it more for playing blues, sort of like people who prefer Humbuckers over single coils for a fatter tone. I also haven't tried either one for electric guitar and look forward to that, also. Anyway, great video and thanks for the picks!

Primetone, Ultex if I can't find the first. I play Bluegrass but I don't like thick picks. .73 or .88 for me.

Funny. I file the tip off my Dunlop Gator Grips - thought it was just me.

I really like my yellow Tone Slab, also have a couple of Blue Chips which I also like. I prefer the feel and sound. Of the Tone Slab so what do you guys use to polish and maintain your TS picks?

I got a BlueChip when I bought my Boucher and have been amazed by both. Besides the fact that they will last longer than 40 $1 chips, the tone and feel is great. As far as the cost is concerned, my thinking is I could pay $6001 for a guitar and pick, or I could pay $6040 dollars for a guitar and pick.

We all want high definition tone, do you ever think like taking movies from 1080p to 8K that in all that high definition we loose the magic of what made movies and music? I can only imagine back in the day when a band recorded with one mic vs today an arsenal of mics, did the one mic band care about picks, strings? Drum heads? Etc….

What do you buff the pick with to get the scratches off? I really thought that ToneSlab sounded great.

Also casein is amazing to. But you have realize that not all casein is created equal so good luck.

What about the D'Addario casein pick in comparison to these?

I’m really surprised that no one is mentioning Clayton picks in these comments. In my experience the 1.26 white triangles, 1.20 Ultem triangles and 1.26 Black Raven triangles(which I think now are no longer in production)are superior in tone compared to the Dunlop Tortex Flex 1.14 triangle that Carl Miner uses and at $35 for a 72-pack are bargain. They remind me of Toneslabs in that they have more sizzle than a Bluechip and I also prefer them to Dunlop Primetone.

The thing that I like abut the Blue chip is does not move around in my fingers, wants to stay where I put it!

Pretty fancy editing during the sound check. Dude.

I'm considering a TS after seeing this, but I measured my CT-55 at 1.4mm. Is that what you're using on mando, Jem? They're out of the 1.3mm at the store, in any case!

I Love my BCP TAD100-1R & CT55 I lost my BCP TAD100 T_T I finally found it under Aquarium Canister Filter a year later :) Say Hi to Jerry Rosa :)

My favorite is what’s wrong with 40$? Oh probably spent it all on that 7000$ Bourgeois. Lol. No kidding the 1.2 toneslab I think gives you everything like the warmth of a Bluechip but still gives the attack to. I love the tick attack cause you only hear that on a really good responsive guitar.

Boy, I like the sound of that dreadnaught. What model is that?

And just me personally ! After picking all my life ,,, I bet there's probably 300 picks in my house ! One thing , no one mentioned ,,,, every song ,,, every mood or every setting does not call for the same pick ! If I'm at a outdoor session , playing Bluegrass , I want a textured sorta thin , but stiff pick , but if I'm at a Funeral , or Wedding , or Church , i'll go with a thicker , softer material to get that muffled , soft , lonesome sound ! I Play a lot ,,, and different settings require different sounds ,,, so I'll just throw a half dozen down for the whole set ! Picks to a Guitar player are sorta like , Nails to a Carpenter ,,,, One nail for framing aint gonna get it to do the trim work !

Something about that bluechip tone … I’m drawn to it . Maybe I’ll invest one day

I make my picks from the toenails of Chuck Norris, superior tone.

I love blue chips but I do kill them in like 4 months TD 40 speed bevel, even after like 2 months that tip is getting a little rounded. I like the primetones too, but I kill those in a few days... So the blue chips might actually be cheaper for me in the long run

$45 bucks....at least you can make 4 easy payments on them on your site, ha ha. I get it's only 45 bucks, and they are indeed better, but for the worlds smallest piece of plastic, we can all agree there's some silly marketing and price gouging. Nice work Dunlop for offering a reasonable price option...

What’s the no brand dread you’re playing?

toneslab all the way.

I like my Charmed Life picks.

If you really want to hear the difference between these picks you will have to get yourself a McIntosh tube amplifier ($10k) and I'll have to source you some quality vacuum tubes, a PS Audio preamp (for $8k); a Mark Levinson turntable (10k) with a Graham Phantom tone arm ($7k), which matches nicely with this turntable; a Clearaudio Stradivaria cartridge ($4k); a pair of German Physiks loudspeakers ($20k +). And don't skimp on speaker wire, your audio is only as good as it's weakest link... you'll need Mercury liquid metal squirrel-cage coaxial speaker cable ($50/ft) and some interconnects - I recommend the Cardis Beyond Clear ($4k). Oh, sorry... but I forgot you will need a separate electrical line and filter for the cleanest electrical signal that won't degrade or limit your whole system! I'll have my team come and assess your audio room, by doing an acoustic audio sweep, to make sure there are no sonic abnormalities (every room has them). Ha, Ha, Ha... I used to sell high-end audio in Cambridge - it's a never ending search for the best. What headphones were you using to critique these picks? Can I sell you some Stax electrostatic headphones ($6k) - they have been considered the standard for decades.

This may be to late to get an answer. Is there a difference in the type of pick you prefer between the guitar and the mandolin?

They’d cut picture frames, mirrors, whatever for tortoise shell picks OR get them from China and pretend they were recycled. Blue Chip made tortoise shell obsolete. I have a bunch of tortoise and BC and I play primetone most of the time. Anxious to try the TS.

Ok,,, Here's a different Look at the question ! I Been Picking for 45+ yrs ,, every string instrument in Bluegrass ! And I'm a big advocate for American Made , which " Blue Chips are made in Tenn. ! But just for conversation & with Inflation,, a descent D'Addario Pick will cost you $1.00 ? ,,, That's 1 dollar ! Or a Blue Chip will cost $45.00 ? Does that Blue chip make you Play at Least 450 % Better ? Faster, Clearer , Longer ? And isn't that the bottom Line ? Can your Listener's hear and Know , what kind of pick your Using , whether it's a dollar or $45.00 ? And are they Listening to the Pick or performer ? Is Joe Bonamassa lesser of a Performer , Does the Advertisement for that Showing say ,,, Coming Live Friday night ,,, Joe Bonamassa and his guitar shredding " Blue Chip" Pick ? Or Have we Gone sooo far out of reality , trying to Keep up and be " The Jones' " That we've Lost sight in the Race ? And we'll advertise and brag and spend trying our absolute hardest to get that " 1937 HISTORIC MARTIN D-28" sound and then , throw that in the toilet for the " Newest, Most expensive , space age , CNC milled, Proprietary,,,,,,, BS" ! It's sorta Like a " Yeti " Cooler Costing $ 649.00 or a " Igloo" Cooler costing $ 64.00 ,,,and their selling point is , it will keep Ice for 4 weeks " ? Soooo unless you live 400 miles into The Sahara Desert ,, Do I need a Blue Chip , Guitar Pick , to keep my Drink Cold ? And if I do ,,, Should I start selling , Capo's for $ 3800.00 & Strings for $4150.00 , Because " IF" you really really listen ,,, Is it Live or is it Memorex ?

Soooo with the discussion of Picks ,,, Let me ask this question ! If a Acoustic Guitar is made with AAA+ Rosewood,, AA Anarondack spruce top , Bracing from Sitka Spruce, 4" sound hole , Mahogany Neck , Ebony Fret board and Bridge , 1" 11/16th nut width , Bone Nut and saddle ,,, and the Craftmanship and joints are flawless ,,, Why is one $1000.00 and one is $ 10,000.00 ? Is it simply that $.50 cent Label on the Headstock ?

I prefer the Blue Chip. I don’t like hearing a pick hit the string. With the blue chip I never hear that. I just hear the tone of the string.

I reach for the Blue Chip and Primetone over the Toneslabs. I bought them all because I’m a lunatic.

Bluechip for me.

You guys are scaring me! I used to pay less than a dollar for a cup coffee (now $5) and $3 for a beer (now $10). Because the specialty coffee and microbrew industries created these new upscale niches - even the cheap drinks are expensive now! We have been conditioned to spend a lot more for things that were considered cheap. Well, I think I'll just have a water, thank you.... oh that will be $5 sir.

I like the Blue Chip first, Toneslab second, Duralin third

How much are the Tone Slab picks?

I’m a bluechip man

What do use to buff a chip?

Is there no limit to the gullibility of people 🙃

"Botique"!

I Hate your videos!! I'll see you this week to get my new pick. You're Welcome

I once cut a pick shape out of a red solo cup to play a guitar with 5 rusty strings and no high E string at a bon fire. So I may be the wrong person to ask about bougie picks. Lol.

What kind of dread is that?

Really guys? A 20 minute review of TWO PICKS????!!!!!!????? 😂 If you two talked a whole bunch less you would get a lot more work done. JK. I love all your videos. Even the extremely long-winded ones. 😊

Team TS as in tortoise shell!

I’m thinking the only way I could keep from losing a $40 pick is to drop it down the sound hole and dump it out every practice session. Labor intensive.

Blue Chip is still best.

And Brian May uses an old British silver sixpence coin !!!!!

Buying $40 guitar picks is the reason nothing works out for you, in a nutshell.