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Hi Folks, I thought I would do my bit for international trading, by ordering some guitar picks.........$6.99.  Great I thought.....went to check out......shipping costs $34  .....had to lie down in a darkened room for 30 minutes!!  I was thinking of buying Red Bear or Blue Chip? But why is there such a drastic shipping charge? Joe G. 
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I've noticed on eBay that some sellers will price their items in different ways, to see which way gets the best result.
Sometimes its a low price, but the shipping is jacked up, sometimes its a higheer price with free shipping.... but the price ends up being the same.
I think some sellers have caught on to the fact that many people don't pay attention to shipping costs, and so it is an area that's wide open for overcharging.
And it COULD even be a typo. If it's on eBay, you could email them and ask why the shipping is so much. I've seen several scams in which the vendor routinely overcharges, and if the customer doesn't complain... hey! More money! If the customer DOES complain, they just say "Oh, that's a typo" or "Sorry, I made a mistake when I counted out your change"
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I got caught one not paying attention and it cost me 23 bucks plus 45 for shipping. I've now smartened up. Partly thyroid meds.
'Two years I couldn't read more than a paragraph, got the meds and the fog lifted. Amazing.
And I got warm again (a bit), but still want to be a snow bird. The wife got about 6k in bonus for just 5 weeks around Christmas, and a huge boost in salary. They are trying to make sure she doesn't retire, however the money goes to retirement savings lol. I hope to last until she does leave. At least they fired off 2 more weeks of vacation, but she claims no time to take any before April!! Yikes.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Hi Pat, I should have said  ..........international trade was because I registered with #Musician's Friend' USA. I thought it would straightforward trading with them! Have a better New Year Pat. Regards, Joe G  .
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I love Amazon but one of their vendors burned me on S&H. They had listed 4 Gig Thumb Drives for US$2.95 each as Deal Of The Day so I ordered 10. The shipping charge was $9.50 which proved to be FOR EACH! The total package weighed about 4 ounces in one puffy envelope. I complained to the vendor and they wouldn't make any adjustment so Amazon stepped in, refunded ALL S&H then dropped that vendor. They were getting rich on S&H.
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Don I buy from amazon all the time only twice had problems which were soon sorted out by very efficient cs. Surely Amazon have guitar picks Joe ?
I've noticed a heck of a lot of private sellers & traders have rediculous shipping costs.
I was looking on ebay for some card stock for my wife ( she enjoys making her own greeting cards ) Saw a good deal for 100 cards & envelopes mixed sizes. £3.99
Lovely !
Postage £4.99
Extra charge to the highlands of Scotland. Grrrrrrr
A couple of third party traders have tried that whem I placed an order with Amazon. I got straight onto cs who were not at all happy with that practise.
After one item failed to arrive in time through amazon prime I got an apology of two extra years prime membership.
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On the plus side of the equation, I recently ordered a Toshiba 32" TV/Monitor and Amazon was temporarily out of stock so they subbed a 40" at no additional charge. That kind of CS is above and beyond and puts them at the head of the pack and abreast (can I say that on here?) of PG Music. They also gave me a free trial of Amazon Prime so I am enjoying free 2-day shipping and I watched one of hundreds of free streaming movies last night. Robin Williams in "Awakening", great story.
Now I need a way to download the movies to a thumb drive so I can transfer and view them on my Dynavox during the day. I feel that's "fair use". Any ideas? Pat? Mac? Matt?
Last edited by Don Gaynor; 01/10/13 11:01 AM.
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*laugh* I'm sitting here recalling the time when I was working with an old cat who would have me stop at a music store on the way to the gig and he would purchase 3 medium picks only, for a quarter (US 25 cents).
This was back when a local telephone call from a payphone was ten cents.
One evening I picked the cat up to drive to the gig, and, as usual, he wanted to stop and get those 3 new picks.
I pulled up to the curb, he hopped out of the car, and in almost no time at all he was back.
"Man! They wanted 25 cents for ONE #$%&(!@ PICK!" he said.
"I told 'em, no thanks, I'll just use this here quarter for a pick, and when the gig's over, I'll still have my quarter."
And that is what he did.
From that night on.
Actually sounded better, too.
Flash forward to a different time and place when, from a Guitar Magazine article I found out that Billy Gibbons uses coins for picks...
--Mac
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For about $70 you can purchase a die for making your own guitar picks. Not that $70 is cheap!
Or just use scissors and cut them from credit and gift cards.
On a semi-related note, I was looking at inexpensive Chinese violins a while back, and the shipping almost as expensive as the instruments themselves. So I started looking at the used equipment for sale at places like Guitar Center.
I was surprised to see many violins, violas and cellos with necks broken. (And they still didn't have that great of a discount on them!)
I finally spoke to someone who had a music shop about it. Was the wood unseasoned, or were these poorly built?
The shop owner explained that in order to package something properly for UPS shipment, it had to be able to withstand a drop of 6 feet. For violins, the meant adding an extra six inches or so, which brought the shipping rate much higher. So instead of packaging things properly, it's more cost effective to ship an individual instrument cheaply with insufficient packaging and break a few in the process.
Go figure.
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
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Speaking of guitar picks, I found a great way to stop losing them, … start paying $7.50 each for them. I bought 4 of them about 12-15 years ago and I still have 3. (Ok, … I lost one). They’re better than tortoise shell and you can’t wear them out. You can lose them, but you probably won’t. I use the TF-140, (140mm). http://www.wegenpicks.com/I actually bought them here. http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/wegen-guitar-picks.htmlAnd for the record, I’m not affiliated, bla, bla, bla.
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Hi Bob, I also use Wegen picks for flat picking on guitar......( got them a couple of years ago from Wegen direct)  .....Dunlop Tortex for Banjo. I was thinking of trying Red Bear, or Blue Chip for guitar, but they are expensive enough, without extra-high shipping costs from USA! Your opinion Bob? Regards, Joe G.
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Joe,
I haven't tried those and I've never heard anyone mention them, so I can't give an opinion on them.
They may be great picks. Wish I could give you some feedback.
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I should get some. What a deal. Mine would last longer, I don't have a guitar.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Quote:
"I told 'em, no thanks, I'll just use this here quarter for a pick...
Now that's a terrific business opportunity if I've ever seen one. Set up a business where the customer orders 3 picks for $6.99, charge them $34 for shipping, and then send them 3 quarters. If they want special custom-made picks, take a bunch of pennies out to the railroad tracks like some did as children, smash them, and offer them three for $40.99 with free shipping. 
JBlatz
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Quote:
*"I told 'em, no thanks, I'll just use this here quarter for a pick, and when the gig's over, I'll still have my quarter."
And that is what he did.
From that night on.
--Mac
Is it true that he could only play quarter notes
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Quote:
Hi Bob, I also use Wegen picks for flat picking on guitar......( got them a couple of years ago from Wegen direct) .....Dunlop Tortex for Banjo.
I was thinking of trying Red Bear, or Blue Chip for guitar, but they are expensive enough, without extra-high shipping costs from USA! Your opinion Bob? Regards, Joe G.
Don't have experience with the Wegen... yet, seems like I'm about to, thanks Bob! ... But have been a user and lover of Dunlop Tortex since they were introduced. Seems like they suddenly got harder to find in music stores of late, though. Beginning to be concerned they might have stopped production or something, its not like a whole lotta players seem to like them. I love 'em. But I love 'em for the SOUND, seems a lot of players are more interested in other apparent features like perceived ease of playing or the likes.
--Mac
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Mac,
The Dunlop Tortex are pretty good picks, but they pale in comparison to the Wegen.
If you want to try one, PM me your mailing address and I’ll send you one. If you like it, it's yours to keep. If you don’t like it, just mail it back to me.
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Thanks for the kind offer, but since you've hung onto 'em so long, I couldn't take you up on that. I'll just find some one day and give 'em a try on your respected recommendation.
I heared you play, man.
--Mac
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Hi Mac, Yep! I also love the Wegens......take up Bob's kind offer before he changes his mind! They have a great TONE on acoustic....and on my Strat......fast & easy. On Banjo I use them for a lot of the Ragtime & single string work.........but I'm still persevering.....trying to get a good "roll"......I usually end up going back to the Dunlop for performing! Regards, Joe G.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
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- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
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What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
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Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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