Leather bits, rubber grommets, wood nymphs...

[terzinator]

Are they necessary? (Reduces unwanted harmonics, they say)

Is it more important in recording? When amplified? Just when you get loud? Or...?

My Kentucky had a little leather strip glued into the tailpiece. Not particularly attractive, but it was there. Cast tailpieces don't have anything like that, that I know of.

If you find these harmonics-reducing items essential, what's your preference (leather strip, grommet, Weber Nymph, etc...) and why?

:popcorn:

[JEStanek]

Necessary? Dunno, I use it outta habit. My Eastman has a leather strip. My other two instruments don't use one. I have heard post bridge ringing without using something, though.

Jamie

[Big Joe]

It the tailpiece (Gibson style) has a piece of cork, felt, or leather under the strings so the strings do not touch the metal lip, and one on the under side of the cover to fit against the strings it should solve the problem and the other devices are not needed. We usually add a piece of cork to both sides of the tailpiece if it is missing when we set them up. They hold better than the ones that you have to remove to change strings and don't get lost. Any of the things mentioned can help, but the material on the tailpiece itself will reduce the vibrations or sympathetic tailpiece noise better than anything I've found.

[Rob Gerety]

Joe, on the Gibson style tailpiece, what sort of glue do you use to glue the cork or felt to the tailpiece and cover?

[Pete Braccio]

I use the wood nymph mostly as a hand rest and/or guide to hand placement. Without one on my mando I find my hand hovering by the bridge.

[Ivan Kelsall]

My Weber came fitted with a 'Wood nymph' which i removed. It just kept sliding all over the place because my wrist was touching it. My Lebeda had nothing & i don't think needs anything,but, i fitted grommets to the Weber & put them on the Lebeda anyway - it only cost $4.00 US for the packet,so why not , "just in case",
Ivan~:>

[Big Joe]

Rob...we use cyanoacrylate (super glue). It hold pretty well. Just be careful not to glue your finger to the tailpiece. I've done that more than once :) .

[Caleb]

I use the grommets, and they do work, at least on my mandolin. When they're not installed there tends to be a "brashness" but the grommets settle it down and all but elimnate it. I like them.

[mandroid]

My '22 A mandolins , germain to this discussion , have a thicker felt strip in the lower lip of the tailpiece.
It is held there by the strings laying on top of it. Stays there because only one string at a time is changed.
Got some thin self adhesive felt that I stuck inside the cover, once the cover is on there, all is hidden .
:popcorn:

the James' and the one Gilchrist TP I have, take care of that by their well thought out design.

[Rob Gerety]

Droid - any chance you could post a pic of the underside of your tailpiece cover?

[jim_n_virginia]

I have a strip leather above the nut and below the bridge.

I used to use nothing until I started doing some recording and with headphones on and a super sensitive condenser mic BOY could I hear the sympathetic strings RING out. Slide the leather in there and no ringing so I just leave it in there.

[Shelagh Moore]

I use the grommets now but have previously used strips of leather, cork or the furry half of velcro. Like Joe, I've also glued cork, leather or felt to the underside of the tailpiece where it can't be seen in some cases.

[Earl Gamage]

I used to not know what the heck people were talking about on the harmonics, rattles and other unknown noises the mandolin makes.

Now I can hear more of that stuff since I'm playing a lot more. I wrap leather or strips of cloth on the strings between the bridge and tailpiece, but only when I play at home by myself where it's real quiet. It does not seem to matter in jams.

[AlanN]

The grommets are good. The Gil tailpiece did away with the need for them at the bridge-tailpiece area.