Rehab Hospital

I have been in the hospital since 11/24/2019, and I will be in rehab until after the first of the year. I am having my mandolin brought to me to help me with my rehab. Hopefully, this will help me to get better a little faster. I have a Kentucky 805 and I am needing a WIDE strap. I am too weak to stand at this time, but my goal is to be able to play standing up. If someone has a WIDE strap for an "F" style mandolin, please let me know the price, and I may be able to get it from you. You will have to mail it to me at the rehab hospital in Bristol. Now, I am having a hard time holding a small pick. If you have any picks for sale, please let me know that also.

Thanks,
Gary Watkins
C/0 Rehab Center At Bristol
109 Village Circle
Room # 103
Bristol, Virginia 24202

https://www.rehabcenteratbristol.com/

276-594-0032Attachment 181858

Hello Gary,
I don't have the type of strap you need but I'd be happy to send you a handful of picks, free of charge.
D'Andrea's 3 corner 1.5 thick.
I'll get them in the mail to you.

Hope your on your feet soon

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Originally Posted by sideman

Hello Gary,
I don't have the type of strap you need but I'd be happy to send you a handful of picks, free of charge.
D'Andrea's 3 corner 1.5 thick.
I'll get them in the mail to you.

Hope your on your feet soon

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Thanks so much for that. It helps more than you realize!

Gary, so sorry to hear! If you think it would work I can send you a guitar strap with a string you could probably slip onto the scroll or tie to the headstock. I don’t have an F style to test it on at the moment...

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Originally Posted by CES

Gary, so sorry to hear! If you think it would work I can send you a guitar strap with a string you could probably slip onto the scroll or tie to the headstock. I don’t have an F style to test it on at the moment...

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Chuck,
That may work. What is your price, including shipping? I am thinking I will be needing a WIDE strap, but maybe a small braided strap will work best. Do any of you have any experience with things like this? I just know that I am getting tired of placing different color clips onto different locations on different cables, (therapy, LOL.) My OT therapy said my mandolin would probably show me faster results with coordination exercises. Let me know your price, and thanks for the replies.

You are on the right track. The single best thing that got me through my open heart surgery was picking up my mandolin and pickin a tune. I could hold it off to the side and play for about five minutes. After that, I used it as a reward. Walk to the back door and you can play some. Walk out to the sidewalk and you can play some. Walk halfway to the corner, you can play some. Walk around the block and you can buy a Silverangel. But it was a huge mental boost that got me from this sucks, to sunshine and roses. It was a couple of months before I could play guitar.

Just count any little bit of progress as a victory. Good luck on your journey.

Free 99.

I’ll try to get it shipped out today or tomorrow...

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Originally Posted by Br1ck

You are on the right track. The single best thing that got me through my open heart surgery was picking up my mandolin and pickin a tune. I could hold it off to the side and play for about five minutes. After that, I used it as a reward. Walk to the back door and you can play some. Walk out to the sidewalk and you can play some. Walk halfway to the corner, you can play some. Walk around the block and you can buy a Silverangel. But it was a huge mental boost that got me from this sucks, to sunshine and roses. It was a couple of months before I could play guitar.

Just count any little bit of progress as a victory. Good luck on your journey.

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Thanks for telling me that. It gives me hope that this may just work out.

Hey Gary, I have a spare LongHollow strap you are welcome to. The part that contacts your shoulder is wide, soft and comfortable. It's like this one but a lighter color. I can deliver it Sunday if you want it. Just let me know if you think it will work. I'll see if I can find some big triangle picks and superglue some sandpaper on one for grip.
Attachment 181927

That definitely looks nicer and more comfortable than my guitar strap idea, and it’s just right for a F5. I’ll hold on shipping mine until we hear back. Happy to send it, too, if he wants it for options or otherwise, but the Longhollow looks like it will work better...

What a wonderful bunch of people!

Makes me proud to be a mandolin player to see the way everyone responded to a player in need. Get better soon Gary -we're all on your side!

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Originally Posted by HappyPickin

Hey Gary, I have a spare LongHollow strap you are welcome to. The part that contacts your shoulder is wide, soft and comfortable. It's like this one but a lighter color. I can deliver it Sunday if you want it. Just let me know if you think it will work. I'll see if I can find some big triangle picks and superglue some sandpaper on one for grip.
Attachment 181927

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Someone came by my room today while I was asleep, and they put a round braid strap on my mandolin. I am just too weak to see if that will work.

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Originally Posted by Gary Watkins

Someone came by my room today while I was asleep, and they put a round braid strap on my mandolin. I am just too weak to see if that will work.

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I dug out an assortment of my bigger picks and glued some squares of sandpaper on them for grip. I managed to glue a Wegen to my elbow at one point but escaped unscathed. Hopefully at least one of them will work for ya.

Hey Gary... I spent a month in the rehab hospital here in Nashville last year. I had my mandolin with me and the staff and residents kept wanting me to play anytime I wasn’t in therapy sessions. They said it calmed the patients and helped ease their pain. That also made the staffs work easier and they loved that. I would have a busy room at times. I’m helped me too. That’s about all I’ve been playing since I got home. The only way I can say it is I love mandolin. I have to use a wheelchair to get around, and the mandolin is a lot easier to play than guitar. I pray you will do well and get your function restored.

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Originally Posted by Big Joe

Hey Gary... I spent a month in the rehab hospital here in Nashville last year. I had my mandolin with me and the staff and residents kept wanting me to play anytime I wasn’t in therapy sessions. They said it calmed the patients and helped ease their pain. That also made the staffs work easier and they loved that. I would have a busy room at times. I’m helped me too. That’s about all I’ve been playing since I got home. The only way I can say it is I love mandolin. I have to use a wheelchair to get around, and the mandolin is a lot easier to play than guitar. I pray you will do well and get your function restored.

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Joe,
I feel sure that you do not remember me, but I bought a RK75 banjo (Recording King) from you a few years ago. It got stolen around Christmas, out of my car, about 5 years ago. I was just at the point that I was starting to sound good, LOL. I just never had the funds to get another RK75. If you hear from Greg Rich, tell him I said hello!
Glad to hear from you and that you are doing well!

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Originally Posted by HappyPickin

I dug out an assortment of my bigger picks and glued some squares of sandpaper on them for grip. I managed to glue a Wegen to my elbow at one point but escaped unscathed. Hopefully at least one of them will work for ya.

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"HappyPickin" just came to see me and brought me some picks, a new set of string and a real fine strap. I am so glad to be a part of this forum and the mandolin community.

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Originally Posted by Gary Watkins

"HappyPickin" just came to see me and brought me some picks, a new set of string and a real fine strap. I am so glad to be a part of this forum and the mandolin community.

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Gary, it was nice to meet you. I hope you recover quickly. A little mandolin therapy might just speed things up or at least make it seem like it. I tend to lose track of time with a mandolin in my hands.

Gary, I think you’ll be much happier with that strap than the one I was going to send. The leather should stay put much better than nylon! Best of luck, work hard, and here’s hoping for steady progress!

I hope playing does as much for your mental outlook as it did for me. A much more minor surgery, carpal tunnel on my left hand, was a similar experience. I spent two weeks working my picking technique. Tremolo, tremolo, tremolo, trying to get smooth string to string the transitions. It just put me in a better frame of mind. What better way to do two weeks of tremolo practice? Just view any little improvement as a huge victory.

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Originally Posted by sideman

Hello Gary,
I don't have the type of strap you need but I'd be happy to send you a handful of picks, free of charge.
D'Andrea's 3 corner 1.5 thick.
I'll get them in the mail to you.

Hope your on your feet soon

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"SIDEMAN", I got the picks that you sent me. Thanks, I owe you one! If I can ever help you in ANY way, just let me know. If I can do it, it will be done!