Blue Chip KS60 review

Jazzaferri

I just got it today. First impressions comparing to our blue chip picks on the DuPont MDC Maple short scale D hole
Which can be a pretty bright bell like sound if not careful. When played right this guitar is like a really good piano in the clarity of individual notes within a chord.

Single string


Sounds a lot like playing a tri point 80 tip played with about a 20-30 degree angle (by eye across the strings not angled dow). in single string work but with less pick noise and a slightly crisper attack. My down angle is the same for all single string work, tip just comes to rest if picking on upstroke and just misses and circling back for repeated down strokes.

I can get an identical sound on my tri point tipped custom 60s but I have to be very careful with pick angle, which is about 20-30 degrees. The KS is close to parallel with the strings maybe 5-10 degrees and more forgiving.

Picking hard, it gives a really nice snap without the edginess of the tri point tips.

Rhythm

I love the sound I get on rhythm. Nice full....well articulated sound, not too edgy and not too swooshy.

It has a similar sound to using the rounded edge of a blue chip 60 thickness but with a little crisper more defined sound.

Not sharp and crisp like the tri point tip 60 and I don't have words yet to describe the difference from the 80 tri point tips. Way nicer rhythm sound less swooshy and mushy on the attack than the rounded side of my 80 series picks.

More to Follow in a few days.

overall I am very happy with this one. Best pick I have tried yet.

rgrice

Thanks! I may have to get one for Christmas!

VeedonFleece

Great review @Jazzaferri! Thanks to your continued promotion of these picks I made the plunge a week or so ago and ordered a BlueChip TD60. It arrived today and is absolutely stunning (never thought I would say that about a pick :-j )! I have to agree with you about the piano-like tone. I have just been sitting here playing vanilla major barre chords and grinning to myself!

Jazzaferri

Glad you are enjoying it. The only connection I have with Blue Chip is that both Matthew (owner) and I are motor heads.

When I called him a few years ago to discuss making some custom picks for me we ended up talking for over an hour about his Camaro restoration he was doing. His main business is a general machine shop. Blue chip started out as a sideline.

rgrice

I've gotten so used to 3.5 thickness, not sure I can adjust.

Jazzaferri

On my Dunn playing single string the tone is rounder and a little less crisp sounding. Much easier to get a good sound chording. Can't say I prefer one over the other just different on single string.

As I learn the finer points of using this pick, the angle to the strings is more critical than the sharper point. On my DuPont the single string is way fatter sound now. A few degrees either way and it changes A lot in sound. But when it's right it's noticeably fatter and more defined than using the round edge.

Buco

Hey Jay, got the KS60.
Sweet, sweet pick.
Took me a while to plunk down the $ again for a single pick but again in the case of Blue Chip I wasn't sorry.
Thanks for testing it first, you encouraged me to go for it.

I'll probably add more of my thoughts here after I spend time with it, but for me there's one simple rule of thumb nowadays which is if I don't get an itch to go back to my SR60 after a few minutes it means it's a keeper.

Jazzaferri

I've been toying with the idea of having BC make me one similar to the KS 60 but with the beveled tip half way between the KS 60 and the Tri Point. I was thinking it might be as fat as the KS but with a little crisper attack like the TP.

Still thinking on it so any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on the KS @Buco

Buco

Could it be that this slightly narrower tip is making me play a little more precise?

This pick definitely has some mojo going, very forceful sounding.
While SR60 has snap as if you're drawing and releasing (archery) bow, KS version is like...hmmm I don't have a good analogy at the moment but suffice to say it kicks ass.

Jazzaferri

@Buco I find that with the KS the angle that works best is almost parallel maybe only a few degrees and if one is off a bit the attack gets flabby on single string work. It took me about 10 hours to nail the angle precisely.

I put the medium gauge 12 - 5? LaBella silk gypsy's on my DuPont Maple yesterday. They take some of the edgy highs off. Now I am really hearing the differences between the tri point tip the KS and the SR. TriPoint has a crisp attack but is a bit thin in execution. The SR. has a flabby attack and is not quite as full in execution as the KS but noticeably fuller than the TP. Of all three to my ears the KS takes it on this guitar string combo hands down.

I have started reshaping a tri-point tip pick to a radius about midway between the ZtP and the KS. It will take a bit cause the hand finishing takes forever at this point. I will report further if I get something worth reporting on with the experiment.