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CarmieJo
Jan-23-2005, 9:10pm
I have the Gibson A-style inexpensive mandolin that is only available at the Gibson Showcase. The strings sometimes buzz when I play. When I was in our local shop I picked up a Michael Kelly that has the little rubbery dampers on the strings between the bridge and tailpiece. The guys at the shop say they can't get them except on the MK mandos. I've checked on the web but haven't found anything like them. Does anyone know where you can buy these? What are they really called? If you have used them do they work? Do they affect the sound? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Rroyd
Jan-23-2005, 9:18pm
Their function is to eliminate any vibrations of the strings between the bridge and tailpiece, and you can weave a short piece of leather shoe lace or something similar through the strings and achieve the same results.

diamond ace
Jan-23-2005, 9:42pm
They are called Gromets and you can buy a bag of about 30 of them at radio shack for 3 or 4 dollars. They come in lots of sizes and you will need to go through them and get the smallest ones.

dave42
Jan-23-2005, 9:47pm
They are little wire grommets. The Radio Shacks around me don't sell them small enough. I found a small privately owned hardware store that carried small ones. Something like 15 cents each. Lowes didn't even sell them small enough, so look around. My Washburn cheap-o mando suffered from a lot of ring from the strings between the bridge and tailpiece. Not anymore! Hope this helps.
Dave

mandroid
Jan-23-2005, 10:06pm
last thing the strings touch in the tailpiece should dampen them, a strip of leather under them and a bit of felt (or velcro pile stickyback) on the cover both glued in place, for simplicity with future stringchanges.

pipecleaner woven thru the strings is a simple cheap option too.

flairbzzt
Jan-23-2005, 10:18pm
Check out Greg Boyd's website. He's got them.

Rob Griffin
Jan-23-2005, 10:59pm
I found grommets small enough at a commercial electronics supply store. They were very inexpensive.

Chris "Bucket" Thomas
Jan-24-2005, 10:27am
Radio Shack are not exact fit but will work. I also ordered fro Greg Boyd.

Chris

mad dawg
Jan-24-2005, 11:18am
Perhaps easier to use is Weber's "Wood Nymph" device, although it is more expensive. It works in the same manner as grommets, but it attaches on top of and behind all 8 strings at the same time, and doesn't go flying across the room when a string breaks. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

mad dawg
Jan-24-2005, 4:50pm
Great idea Jacob.

Steven Stone
Jan-24-2005, 5:17pm
I used to use Velcro, but I found it doesn't do as good a job of damping strings as natural rubber grommets.

That's why I started making "Steve's Silencers"http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif

Dave Schimming
Jan-25-2005, 1:13pm
Jacob-thanks for the heads up on the Velcro idea. Changed my strings last night and used the Velcro underneath the strings on the tailpiece and on the tailpiece cover. Really quieted down a high pitched "ringy" string noise I was having with my Washburn.

Skittle
Jan-26-2005, 8:34pm
While the grommets and velcro and leather may do the trick, I had gotten a small half moon size piece of rubber from a bicycle intertube, and put under the tailpiece and it killed any overtones........period. I know that the grommets may be inexpensive, but if a string breaks you will have to have another one handy to put back in if your giggin, and they aren't that attractive. But the ways are unlimited I guess.

dave42
Jan-30-2005, 10:40pm
Rroyd's comments paid off today.
I have a 2 month old Weber Hyalite. Those strings between the tailpiece and bridge were very quiet when new, but have been getting to have a light ringing quality lately. Seems the felt under the tailpiece has a short effectiveness life.

So, just minutes before I was to record today, I found the 4-5" piece I cut off the end of the new leather strap I have, and cut 2" narrow strips, and theaded one through the strings. Worked like a dream, and the recording sounded great.

I'm wondering how often you folks need to replace the felt/velcro pieces to retain the effectiveness?
Dave

GTison
Jan-31-2005, 8:47am
I use steve's silencers. ... cheap easy ... bought some spares... behind the bridge. I may try some velcro behind the nut I can hear them ring a little there too. But most times if you are playing w/ a banjo or something I can't tell reallly. steve's are nice

Steven Stone
Jan-31-2005, 4:25pm
[I use steve's silencers. ... cheap easy ... bought some spares... behind the bridge. I may try some velcro behind the nut I can hear them ring a little there too. But most times if you are playing w/ a banjo or something I can't tell reallly. steve's are nice]

Thaks for the kind words. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

You can also use the silencers behind the nut. I do that, and Tim O'Brien told me he puts them behind the nut when he records.