Mysterious object by tailpiece

[Tim Gillane]

I have a Regal mandolin from the 1920s that's been in the family since then. I seem to recall it having (years ago) a thick-ish piece of what I think was green felt (shaped a bit like a pick) under the tailpiece and strings on the top of the instrument where the strings go into the tailpiece. That was years ago, and it's not there now (my dad had it re-strung for me a number of years ago, so it may have departed then). Any idea what the felt would have been for?

[Nat]

Felt was probably to dampen the sympathetic vibration of the strings south of the bridge.

[John Kelly]

Felt was used often as a damping device, as Nat says above. Not sure what you mean by "strings on the top of the instrument where the strings go into the tailpiece".

[HoGo]

On some mandolins the tailpiece can be too close to top or touching it and cause rattles so folks insert leather or felt to damen it. Look at your mandolin to see what you have there

[Phil Goodson]

Felt was used often as a damping device, as Nat says above. Not sure what you mean by "strings on the top of the instrument where the strings go into the tailpiece".

John, I think you have to notice the word grouping for it to make sense.

"...green felt (shaped a bit like a pick) under the tailpiece and strings on the top of the instrument where the strings go into the tailpiece..."

Or that's the way I read it.

[John Kelly]

You are right, Phil. I somehow added a comma after the word "tailpiece" in my reading of it - and I was a teacher of English for 35 years, although I have been retired for the past 14 years! I was thinking of those leather or other thongs that folk sometimes lace through the strings behind the bridge to stop vibrations.

[Bertram Henze]

Don't feel small, John, language is a jungle made for getting lost in.

For an example, I have put the sentence

I seem to recall it having (years ago) a thick-ish piece of what I think was green felt (shaped a bit like a pick) under the tailpiece and strings on the top of the instrument where the strings go into the tailpiece.

in Google Translate and translated it to German and back a few times until both versions were stable. The resulting English translation is

I seem to remember that it was (a few years ago) a thick piece of what I think was green (shaped a bit like a pick) under the string holder and strings on the top of the instrument where the strings in the string holder.

Nobody survives the Babylonian curse

[Paul Busman]

Could it by any chance actually be a felt pick left there by a previous owner? They do make those.

[Tim Gillane]

It was inserted between the strings and the top and under the tailpiece.

- - - Updated - - -

[Tim Gillane]

You are right, Phil. I somehow added a comma after the word "tailpiece" in my reading of it - and I was a teacher of English for 35 years, although I have been retired for the past 14 years! I was thinking of those leather or other thongs that folk sometimes lace through the strings behind the bridge to stop vibrations.

Sometimes I think I acquired my sense of syntax from John Ruskin or William Morris (although one teacher I had in high school said it came from reading too much Tolkien). I also once taught English lit and composition (unfortunately, just for two years), but years of legal writing does a real number on one's style. Sorry it was confusing.
I just remember the thing, whatever it was, being there when I was a kid (back when the world was young).