.jpg)
BlueChip Picks is a small company based in the Knoxville, TN area. They manufacture what has become the pick by which all others are judged in the world of bluegrass and many other genres of music.
These picks are the result of the hard work and planning of Matthew Goins, along with Allen Goins, Brian Phillips, Tyler Morris and Shain Hansard. From design to testing, this five-man super crew has created picks that are simply outstanding.
Why are they so good? It’s a combination of variables. BlueChip Picks are a perfect storm of the raw material used (more on that later), the custom bevel, and the longevity of the product.
“We have spent many long days and nights brainstorming and testing ways to make these great picks out of an amazingly expensive material and still sell them affordably, creating the best shapes, and perfecting the finish and bevel.” says Matt Goings. “To help solve those problems, we create our picks on industrial grade CNC machines in our professional machine shop. These machines and their operators work daily with extraordinarily close tolerances, and we must hold our picks to the same standard.”
The picks are produced from a very high-grade, composite material specially formulated for great playing qualities. These one-of-a-kind picks cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The patented material has great tone and speed, and their self-lubricating properties make them extremely fast.
Many of today’s greatest players are calling BlueChip Picks the greatest guitar, mandolin, and banjo/resonator thumb picks in the world.
"I can safely say that Mr. Goins makes the most balanced, empowering pick known to me,” says three-time Grammy award winner Chris Thile. “It almost literally sticks to your fingers...drives through the string consistently on both up and down strokes, and faithfully transmits what you and your mandolin have to offer tonally.”
Interestingly, BlueChip Picks are brown, not blue. Why? The picks are named after the machine shop, Blue Chip Machining, in which they are produced. Because of the material used they will remain brown.
In addition to the very popular flat picks, the company’s latest development, the banjo thumb pick, is also available. This thumb pick uses the same unique, patented material as the popular flat picks, paired with a laser cut, stainless steel band. BlueChip thumb picks provide banjo and resonator guitar players the same great characteristics that flat pickers have been enjoying and raving about.
"I use BlueChip's JD thumb picks for banjo and fingerpicking guitar,” says 14-time Grammy award winner Ron Block of Alison Kraus and Union Station. “They fit well, sit tightly, sound great, and they last a long, long time. I truly appreciate the BlueChip thumb picks."
Quality rarely comes cheap, and BlueChip Picks are no exception. Prices range from approximately $35 for a Chris Thile or Kenny Smith signature pick to $75 for a super thick jazz pick. Banjo and resonator thumb picks are about $40 each. BlueChip Picks offer custom engraving on their picks. A nice touch at about $5 per pick.
“The cost of the picks relates to the cost of the material and labor used to create them,” says Goins. “We use an extremely expensive, highly proprietary composite material that must be milled with precision that accounts for the bulk of the cost of each pick. The creation of a pick from this exceptional stock is also very labor intensive. Picks are CNC machined, then beveled and polished by hand before being laser etched.”
For most people spending $35 on a guitar or mandolin pick is a bit of a shock compared to other picks offered to consumers. However, players on all skill levels are stocking up on them. Just as a great capo or superior set of strings will improve your sound, so does a BlueChip pick.
With 25+ years of experience in the acoustic music industry as The Chapmans, our goal is to provide you with the best customer experience possible so we can be your music store for life. Voted NAMM Top 100 Dealer for 7 years in a row (2015-2021) & Top 3 Emerging Dealer in 2017, 2018 & 2019.
The Acoustic Shoppe stocks a variety of BlueChip Picks. For more information, give us a call at 417-720-1223, shoot us an email at info@theacousticshoppe.com, check out our online inventory HERE, or stop by our showroom at 1913 E Seminole St. in Springfield, Missouri.
