...gotta rattle all the time...

[barney 59]

I was inspecting the insides of a old guitar today and came up with a rattlesnake rattle. It's not the 1st time.
So..who keeps a rattlesnake rattle in their instrument and why? Who doesn't and why not?

[Rod_Neep]

It seems something of a tradition with some folks.

Here in England we have no rattlesnakes, so it never became a tradition.

[allenhopkins]

Recent thread on the subject, with Mike E's link to two more...

Actually, the original idea was to keep the entire snake in there -- early anti-theft device. After the deaths of several prominent early mandolinists, the practice was modified to "rattle only."

I'm planning to keep live tarantulas in mine.

Oh, and for Rod: Benjamin Franklin proposed that America export rattlesnakes to England, in exchange for the convicts that the Crown was sending to the American colonies. Here's a link to his essay.

[Bud Barnwell]

They are believed to keep moisture out and control humidity. Also it's kind of cool to say you have one in there especially if you've got a good tall tale about how you killed it. Here in West Texas we have hundreds of them but no humidity.

[Meadowview]

I sure would like to have the rattlers off this one-------------

[MikeEdgerton]

They are believed to keep moisture out and control humidity...

That's another one to add to the list. I've never heard that. Keep mice out, keep cobwebs out. Those I can actually see someone believing but moisture and humidity control? I have one in my mandolin more as a nod to tradition. I will say that playing Wheelhoss got easier after I put the rattle in there, but then again, I do tend to fib a bit.

[man dough nollij]

I have a penguin tail in mine...

[MikeEdgerton]

I have a penguin tail in mine...

Of course you do.

[billkilpatrick]

I have a penguin tail in mine...

i've got batman's toenail clippings ...

[Ivan Kelsall]

WOW !!! - that's the biggest Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that i've ever seen. A long deceased aquaintance of mine,used to be the 'Curator of Reptiles' at Manchester University,where they have a wonderful reptile house with more than one prize speciman in it. At one time they had a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that was over 12 feet long & that looked big,but not as big as the on in the pic.on here - that's a monster !,
Saska

[D C Blood]

Ok...the way I understand this is that it stems from the time when the fiddle was known by the ultra-religious colonists as "The Devil's Box"...Folks started putting rattles in them as a way to scare off "Ole Scratch" when he showed up. Tradition apparently began in the deep Appalachians where the religious strictness (and rattlesnakes) were in good supply...

[billkilpatrick]

Ok...the way I understand this is that it stems from the time when the fiddle was known by the ultra-religious colonists as "The Devil's Box"...Folks started putting rattles in them as a way to scare off "Ole Scratch" when he showed up. Tradition apparently began in the deep Appalachians where the religious strictness (and rattlesnakes) were in good supply...

"ole scratch" ... never heard that before ...

what you say makes sense. perforce, it would have to be an american tradition - rattlers being new world snakes - but i wonder if rattles or noise makers of any kind were used by religious sects in the u.k. prior to immigration to drive out "ole hobb".

once read a book review about how much the colonization of america depended on these close-knit, deeply religious, gritty british "outcasts" and how many early american figures came from these groups - northern ireland in particular: davy crockett, andrew jackson ...

the attached should read "'don't tread on me' ... i'm in the band!"

- bill*

[B. T. Walker]

I read that so many rattlesnakes have been killed when they rattle that they are becoming few and far between in some areas. Instead, a new danger rears its venomous head. Many rattlesnakes that survive are rattle-less and are breeding rattle-less rattlesnakes. The variety found on Santa Catalina naturally has no rattle, but these new ones are natural selection at work. Will mandolin players mutate to a rattle-less state as well?

[Denny Gies]

I have one in my mandilin and put it there after hearing an old timer talk about using the rattles to keep fiddles in tune. He was from Tennessee and learned to play the banjo from Uncle Dave Macon. I like DC's comments about the devil; seems to fit well into the Appalacian traditions. Whatever the origin, it is a lot of fun.

[kestrel]

I went to the cross-roads, at midnight, to get the Devil to teach me ta play this here mandolin real good. He tol' me I had to put a rattlesnake rattle in there. It didn' help my playin' none, but it sure makes a purty soun' when I shake it some.

[GRW3]

I read that so many rattlesnakes have been killed when they rattle that they are becoming few and far between in some areas. Instead, a new danger rears its venomous head. Many rattlesnakes that survive are rattle-less and are breeding rattle-less rattlesnakes. The variety found on Santa Catalina naturally has no rattle, but these new ones are natural selection at work. Will mandolin players mutate to a rattle-less state as well?

Ya, Brian I heard that too but not that they were rattle-less, just that they do not rattle to warn. Maybe they were the 'dyslexic' - strike then rattle - ones.

[MikeEdgerton]

I read that so many rattlesnakes have been killed when they rattle that they are becoming few and far between in some areas. Instead, a new danger rears its venomous head. Many rattlesnakes that survive are rattle-less and are breeding rattle-less rattlesnakes. The variety found on Santa Catalina naturally has no rattle, but these new ones are natural selection at work. Will mandolin players mutate to a rattle-less state as well?

What a snake without a rattle still be a rattlesnake? Hmmm.

[Bud Barnwell]

Ya, Brian I heard that too but not that they were rattle-less, just that they do not rattle to warn. Maybe they were the 'dyslexic' - strike then rattle - ones.

I think I heard the same. In some areas they are dwindling down. Around here they're are still strong

[Randi Gormley]

I was reading this to my husband and he said, 'aren't some mandolins called snake heads?' -- I had to explain to him that it didn't have anything to do with rattles in the body!

[Jim]

No shortage of Rattlers in my area, usually just put the rattles on a hat band or necklace. As for rattleless rattle snakes the local legend is that they're cross breeding with Bull snakes. I don't know if that's possible it's just what some people say.

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't think that's possible, don't Bull Snakes feed on Rattlesnakes or is that something my dad told me so I wouldn't be afraid of the bull snakes?

[Jim]

I don't think that's possible, don't Bull Snakes feed on Rattlesnakes or is that something my dad told me so I wouldn't be afraid of the bull snakes?

Pretty sure that is true.

[MikeEdgerton]

Pretty sure that is true.

Well, it says they eat small snakes, they appear to be of a totally different mind-set than a rattlesnake so I'm going guess that cross-breeding rattlers with bulls might be a myth.

Bull Snakes

[kirkwhitehead]

All the rattlers here in the panhandle have no problem with the tail. They will let ya know just where to swing that shovel.


kirk

[JeffD]

They add mojo!