Source for string damping gaskets?

[Santiago]

I tried searching but I couldn't find the oneline sources for the little rubber gaskets you put between the strings behind the bridge. Anyone?

[NickAlberty]

Small piece of leather weaved in strings. Don't waste money buying those things. You can also wedge a piece of leather under the tailpiece to "quiet" things a bit. Problem solved.

[eadg145]

Ace Hardware stocks them. You can buy QTY 1, even.

[mandroid]

Do you hear a continued ringing after you cut your chop chords short?

may not really be a problem, to fix , if not..

Threshold of tailpiece with a strip of leather at the lip will do,
maybe add a piece of felt under the lid..

Grommets, disapear, fly away when a string breaks,
interlacing a piece of leather , as suggested,
will be retained, in the same situation.

[GRW3]

They are called grommets. They look like donuts but have a deep groove around the circumference. The strings set in the groove. If you have a hobby shop the sells radio control supplies, you can ask for servo grommets.

I had the problem with an Eastman. I used a piece of yarn and that worked fine. When I lowered the action to suit my taste the ringing went away. The high setting was letting the string ring off the trapeze.

[Santiago]

I have a piece of leather in there now, but I think the grommets (was looking for that word, thanks GRW3) would looke better. As for cost, they were like 1.75 for a dozen or something last time someone wrote about it... otherwise I'd buy a "wood nymph."

[Santiago]

These look darned inexpensive...

[Bill Baldridge]

Any hardware store sells these grommets for about $.50....or I will sell you all you want for $5.00 each and we can do it online

[Sam Bush Fan!]

I've personally found that a hair band, cut into a single strip, works really well for this purpose. I like them because you can slide them under the edge of you tailpiece cover, and nobody will ever be able to see it. AND they're cheap and easy to find!

[greg_tsam]

I've personally found that a hair band, cut into a single strip, works really well for this purpose. I like them because you can slide them under the edge of you tailpiece cover, and nobody will ever be able to see it. AND they're cheap and easy to find!

How do you get a hair band to all fit under there and how do you go about finding a hair band in the first place? I thought all died off in the 90's. (Thank my lucky stars.)

[tablaninja]

I found them recently at the Acoustic Corner in Black Mountain NC
http://www.acoustic-corner.com/

[foldedpath]

How do you get a hair band to all fit under there and how do you go about finding a hair band in the first place? I thought all died off in the 90's. (Thank my lucky stars.)

If you're also working as a sound engineer, then you'd understand (Onion link, mildly NSFW language):

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nat...t-their,27057/

"Nation's Sound Engineers Gather To Talk About Their Ponytails"

"But despite our cool jobs, it's pretty much like any other convention. We talk about new Mag-Lite innovations, see presentations on ponytail-friendly headphones, and swap tips, like how, in a pinch, you can use a mic clip as a clasp to secure your ponytail."

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'd been using the rubber grommets on both my instruments for 3 or so years until a did a string change 3 months or so ago. I left them off & played the mandolins without - i heard no difference so i've left them off completely.
Santiago - The Weber 'Wood Nymph' is a nice ( & pricey) little gadget & i'm sure that it does it's job very well -but- the darned things slide all over the place. Mine lasted about a week on the mandolin before i replaced it with the grommets. I think that if i need anything in the future,i'll go for a piece of leather thong & ''the tough,rugged look'' (the thong i mean !),
Ivan

[MikeEdgerton]

Radio Shack, you'll get 7 of the size you need, you only need 4.

or here or here or here or the entire Google search is here.

[Santiago]

Thanks Mike. Now that I know what they're called finding them will be easy.

[Richard Moore]

I use the grommets... I think they look tidier and I can certainly hear the difference they make. Here in the UK I get them from Halfords (auto bits and pieces) or Maplins (electronics bits and pieces) very cheaply.

[Sam Bush Fan!]

How do you get a hair band to all fit under there and how do you go about finding a hair band in the first place? I thought all died off in the 90's. (Thank my lucky stars.)

After cutting it into a strip, kinda like a string, I fish it in between the individual courses (e.g. G*G D*D etc. The * being replaced with the hair band.) As far as finding one goes, as foldedpath was saying, just find your nearset sound engineer, and you might be able to bum one off of him. In all honesty though, I think Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc. sells them. I just steal my mom's.

[Justus True Waldron]

I used to use a leather "worm" but since I found grommets I haven't gone back - they do the same thing but look so much tidier IMO. You can still buy them at radio shack, I bought 2 packs for like $1.75 each a couple months ago, I have a ton to spare. Just look in the parts drawers section.

[Sam Bush Fan!]

Wow I'm slow... I just got your 90's pun, greg_tsam. Would it help to say I didn't get in until now because I was born in the 90's?

[Philphool]

I'd like a ham sandwich please.
(Thanks Mike.)

[greg_tsam]

Wow I'm slow... I just got your 90's pun, greg_tsam. Would it help to say I didn't get in until now because I was born in the 90's?

hahaha...kids these days, I tell ya.

[Ignatius]

Cafe member Steve Stone still carries his "Steve's Silencers," of which I am a big fan. You can order them from him directly by contacting him at sstone8807@aol.com (click on address for direct link). He offers a special rate for Cafe members and includes ten silencers per pack.

I like his Silencers because they work well and don't seem to have as much tendency to fly around as the Radio Shack grommets do. I suspect the latter grommets are more projectable because they flex as the string courses are tightened. In my experience, Steve's silencers retain their shape when placed between the string courses, which not only makes them less likely to fly away but also leaves them more aesthetically uniform when the strings are brought up to pitch.

They look good, and they sound good. NFI, just a happy customer.

Ignatius

[geoffreymbrown]

Nobody mentioned my favorite for such things -- McMaster Carr. Looks like around $4 per 100 for small "push in grommets". So hardware store for a few, McMaster Carr for a lifetime buy.

Geoffrey

[greg_tsam]

I really don't see why you guys use them except for eliminating unwanted harmonic overtones when recording. How can you here any of that when you're jamming or gigging?

[Ivan Kelsall]

John Reischman gets by with a leather strip on his Loar.If a leather strip's good enough for that beast,i'll settle for one on mine if i ever need one,
Ivan