Rattlesnake rattle - required equipment or accessory?

**JeffD** · Jul-26-2012, 8:12am

This whole thread has gone the way of Fear Factor.

**Mike Snyder** · Jul-26-2012, 8:36am

Altoona, Kansas- The Nut Hut- Features fries of several varieties.
By the way, fleabay rattles are REALLY disappointing right now. anybody got a nice spare or two to trade? I've got a Wegen Trimus 350 that's not getting much use.

**brunello97** · Jul-26-2012, 9:27am

Originally Posted by greg_tsam

BTW, someone tell the Japanese guys at Takashi NYC that Bull's have balls, steers used to have balls but COWS never had balls.

Genetically engineered?

It's New York, Greg, you have to cut them a little slack.

They pretend to have barbecue restaurants there as well. I'm always complimentary just to be polite.

Mick

**greg_tsam** · Jul-26-2012, 1:23pm

Yea, I saw the $40 plate of Ribs. OMG.

**Bauzl** · Jul-29-2012, 7:08am

Beware mandolinists. Be careful with what you put into your precious instruments! Some mandos might take it bad like this one: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnLbplhEgvE8&v=nLb plhEgvE8&gl=US

On the other hand I am sure that there should be such a snake's tailpiece under Ben's mando tailpiece ;-)

**OKMike** · Jul-30-2012, 11:49pm

I've got one in my mando, killed by my great grandfather years ago
on his place in PA. That's enough mojo for me.

**greg_tsam** · Jul-31-2012, 2:21am

I'd prefer to find my own rattle but they don't live near me. Second choice was to trade for one from one of my fellow Cafe members but I didn't have much luck and gave up quick. Surely someone on here has one or two to trade but I digress. I searched ebay and found the selection limited and got sniped out of the auction I bid on, Lastly, I'm going to try buying from an online supplier that is family owned business that collected them. They seem like nice people and I get to put my own mojo into these thar' rattles.

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**D C Blood** · Jul-31-2012, 4:53am

"And what I also don't quite understand is how you get all of this into a fiddle, through those narrow F-holes?"

Betram: It's a job for the luthier...either the top or back must be removed and replaced...

**Mandolin Mick** · Jul-31-2012, 6:09am

I bought one from Ebay years ago; a nice one. I have a Rattlesnake mandolin so it's pretty much a requirement ...

**John Gardinsky** · Jul-31-2012, 9:19pm

I've never played my current mandolin without a rattle in it and have no plans to do otherwise anytime soon.

**Mike Bunting** · Jul-31-2012, 9:46pm

Originally Posted by John Gardinsky

I've never played my current mandolin without a rattle in it and have no plans to do otherwise anytime soon.

Ditto.

**greg_tsam** · Aug-01-2012, 12:24am

Thing is if I get it in there, how will I ever get it out if I don't like it? Guess I'll deal with that when it comes.

**Mandolin Mick** · Aug-01-2012, 9:30am

The same way you get a pick out if it falls in the F holes ... turn it upside down and maneuver the rattle out!

**Markus** · Aug-01-2012, 10:21am

Greg, get a little hemostat from a fishing tackle place. Retrieves stuff from inside mandolins, I also find it very useful for string changes with the BL tailpiece.

**greg_tsam** · Aug-01-2012, 12:23pm

A hemostat? I actually bought one of those for placing plants at the bottome of my 75g fish tank but the handles are 12" long. I never thought about that for the string changes. I either bend the loops very carefully or use a toothpick or a metal pick. The BL tailpiece looks really cool but it's not so cool when you have to change strings.

**Markus** · Aug-01-2012, 12:38pm

The little ones for Bluegills are great (short, thin, slight hook at tip). Just hold string under tailpiece 'window', latch lightly onto string, loop onto post. Still surgery, but far easier.

Resides next to my cutter, has been used to get picks out of F holes, install pickup ... seems to find a lot of uses.