This is our JD Crowe thumb pick in a size large. This pick was designed by JD Crowe and constructed to his very exacting specifications. The BCT-JDL is the exact pick that JD uses. The pick bears JD's initials on the inside between the rivets. It is constructed using a custom designed stainless steel band and a 50/1000 of an inch(1.25mm) thick BlueChip pick. These picks are laser etched, professionally machined, and hand beveled to create the best thumb pick available.
Size compares to a standard large thumb pick of any brand.
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Posted by Dave on 31st Aug 2015
Although a little long for what I'm used to in a guitar thumb pick, the tone and fit are perfect.
Posted by Norm on 26th Aug 2015
Well this is the best thumb pick I have tried. It fits well and does not turn when I'm playing.
Posted by Codie Sloan on 28th Jul 2015
I have had many of my friends recommend this thumb pick to me, and I finally bought one. This thumb pick has significantly improved my playing. It's helped my speed, cleanliness, tone, and precision. It was an immediate difference. The only thing I had to do was slightly tighten up the band to fit my thumb better. Thanks BlueChip for a great pick!
Posted by Michael Ritter on 13th Jun 2015
I live in west Knoxville and these chips are made across town. Within one day the USPS had delivered the pick to my local post office (according to their tracking) and I was anxious and excited to try this thing out. However, the next day my pick took a trip to Nashville, and then two different cities in Maryland before once again arriving back in east Tennessee, LOL. I love, love the pick - you can wear it all day with no pain, no twisting, no catching the strings...well worth the price. But just be patient with the post office because they are not too good with geography and delivering things that are very close by and easy.
Posted by Dr Bill Scarpa on 28th May 2015
I am a fingerpicking style guitar player. I play either with no picks at all or only a thumb pick. When I tried the JDL I was amazed at the comfort and high quality of sound it produced.
Jens Kruger of the Kruger Brothers (banjo player ) saw my pick and asked if he could try it !!...He liked it so much that I ended up GIVING it to him !! Bo Hoo I was out a $40 dollar thumb pick !! . I was luckily able to get a second at the Merlefest exhibitor tent and was honored to have shared a great product with a great fellow picker .
'Dr Bill' Scarpa
North Wilkesboro,NC
Posted by Joel Mabus on 14th Apr 2015
I bought the BCT-JDL for use on guitar. I sometimes fingerpick with thumbpick and bare fingers, especially when doing the Kentucky style (aka Travis) picking. My plastic pick of choice has been the Dunlop (either white or Ivory) after cutting down and rounding off the tip.
Many years ago I worked at Elderly Instruments as a clerk. In those days (1970s) lap steel guitars were not at all popular, and widows of the players would routinely bring in the guitars in the cases for sale, which would then be resold for under 100 bucks usually. In the case would be old picks which we would toss out during cleaning. I noticed that more often than not the thumbpicks would be filed down and polished. Little stubby things. Later on, I tried that with fresh picks that fit my large thumb, and found that the tone was greatly improved.
Unfortunately, getting a good fit is tough. The Dunlop large was tight but comfortable. But it would still turn my thumb cold and blue if I didn't take it off between songs. And when a pick was broken in just right, it would eventually break at the "hinge" point.
But at 85 cents a pop and about 10 minutes of filing and polishing, you can have a lot of thumbpicks for $40.
However, as a professional musician, having the right tool for the job is important to me. (And I can write off the expense for taxes) Having learned of Blue Chip picks from friends whose judgment I cannot dismiss, I ordered both a flatpick and a thumbpick to try out. I bought the "banjo" version of the JDL because it was about the same thickness as the Dunlop, and the JDL because the pictures made it look a little more like the shape of the tip I like.
Well, my first impression was dubious. It took a little gentle pressure here and there to get a good fit. It stays in place without the circulation cutoff. That is the first criteria. Then I played a good 3 hours with it on a few different guitars, and found no objections, except that I kept wishing the tip was a bit rounder. I knew that if I modified the shape, it was literally "the point of no return." But after a day, that is what I did. Using the advice on the Blue Chip website, and my own experience in shaping and polishing picks, I shortened and rounded the tip ever so slightly and got the sound I wanted. I reshaped my TAD1R a little too -- see my review of that.
I would wish that Blue Chip would offer a tip just a tad wider and rounder than the JD Crow. (They could call it the "JD Mabus" as Dwight is my middle name HA!)
I've played a few gigs with it, and have had no problems. It is very comfortable, and stands up to vigorous playing without twisting off my thumb or getting caught in a string.
Posted by Phil on 29th Dec 2014
Bought for a friend. This is my third purchase.
Posted by Mike on 24th Dec 2014
I'm just a hobby guitar / banjo player, folky stuff, but recently getting more interested in Bluegrass music having been to a few festivals. I thought I would try out one of these JDL thumbpicks when ordering a Bluechip pick. I've got various thumbpicks so have some comparison, well when I put this on, it fitted perfect, was comfortable, stayed in place, and just felt easy playing.
It might be in the mind, but for me (I'm in my 60s), I'm very pleased I got this new thumbpick (even though I've got a tin full of other ones). I think this will be the one that gets pulled outa the tin from now on.
Posted by Dino Y on 22nd Dec 2014
Great fit and playability. So superior to other choices. Cant say enough good things.
Posted by Mike T on 1st Dec 2014
I've used Golden Gate thumbpicks for years but they inevitably end up 'squared-off'. Time will tell whether the BCT-JDL will resist that fate for significantly longer (I expect that it will) but I can say that it is extremely comfortable and required no time at all to get used to.
I wasn't sure about the sizing since I have rather small fingers but the L was exactly right, as it turned out.
The price is high, but if it, in fact, lasts for a long time without wearing down then I will be a 100% satisfied customer!