thingy behind the bridge

[Hillsdale Leroy]

O.K. I am a newbie, still waiting on the mandolin to get here. Until then I have been trying to glean as much info as I can about mandos and playing them. I have noticed in pictures that some mandos have an apparatus "woven" thrugh the strings behind the bridge or rubber "grommets" in between the strings. What are these called, and what do they do? Thanks for smartening me up.~:>

[Pete Braccio]

They are there to dampen harmonics coming from the strings in back of the bridge. Generically they are called string dampers of silencers.

I also use mine (a Weber Wood Nymph) as a rest instead of resting the heel of my hand by the bridge.

Pete

[Soupy1957]

Jerry Byers (in this forum) sells em.......they don't cost much at all.........they work.

Before long you'll find that you want to get, and WILL get, a bunch of different gadgets.

-that special strap (The bailey strap is very nice)
-those special picks
-gorilla snot (a product that helps you hang on to your pick)
-that certain contact tuner
-the bird cage for the back of the mando (proper name I don't recall)
-A few different brands of string sets to try out
-a humidifier for your case
-a stand

the list seems endless sometimes............meanwhile.........enjoy the instrument.....leave it out where you'll trip over it every day, and play, play, play.....

[Tracy Ballinger]

[QUOTE=Soupy1957;680211]Before long you'll find that you want to get, and WILL get, a bunch of different gadgets.
-the bird cage for the back of the mando (proper name I don't recall)/QUOTE]


:)) Soupy! They do kinda look like bird cages, don't they? Hadn't thought of that before. They're really called tone guards.

[jim_n_virginia]

Before long you'll find that you want to get, and WILL get, a bunch of different gadgets.
-the bird cage for the back of the mando (proper name I don't recall)


:)) Soupy! They do kinda look like bird cages, don't they? Hadn't thought of that before. They're really called tone guards.

Had someone ask me once why did I have a catcher's mask on the back of my mandolin! LOL!

[Mike Bromley]

Had someone ask me once why did I have a catcher's mask on the back of my mandolin! LOL!

That's for the knuckletune that gets thrown at ya from time to time

[lenf12]

[QUOTE=Soupy1957;680211]Jerry Byers (in this forum) sells em.......they don't cost much at all.........they work.

I don't mean to steal any business away from Jerry, just to inform you that these rubber grommets are available in most hardware stores in their electrical supply dept. Get the smallest size 1/8" ID iirc and they cost between 14 to 20 cents each. By a couple of dollars worth because you will lose them if a string breaks or when changing strings. There are lots of other solutions available too like the Weber String Nymph, etc.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[journeybear]

Sounds to me like yet another use for duct tape! ;)

[Soupy1957]

Yea, but Jerry's are so much more classy!! It's always a great idea to support those that we know in here.......BUY AMERICAN!!

[Tracy Ballinger]

That's for the knuckletune that gets thrown at ya from time to time

I thought they were extra reinforcement to beat the banjo players away from jam sessions?

[journeybear]

Yea, but Jerry's are so much more classy!!

You know, they do make duct tape in a variety of fashionable designer colors now ...

[lenf12]

Yea, but Jerry's are so much more classy!! It's always a great idea to support those that we know in here.......BUY AMERICAN!!

Do Jerry's grommets come in red, white and blue? As far as I know, buying from my corner hardware store is buying American and supporting a local business. Besides Soupy, looking at your list of instruments, I see that you bought a Breedlove. That's buying American. Good on you!! Now for the Epiphones, Guilds, Washburn and The Loar.....................hmmmm.........

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Soupy1957]

Touché, lenf12...........I never said I wasn't guilty.......just trying to buy "American" whenever possible.

[lenf12]

Soupy, you are quite the gentleman and I applaud you.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Hillsdale Leroy]

Thanks for the info fellas! I am learing so much already. I think my mando will arrive tommorrow.