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Thread: Mandolin String Grommets

  1. #1
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    Default Mandolin String Grommets

    I would appreciate your collective thoughts on mandolin string grommets. In particular: What is their purpose? Are they necessary? Are they useful for any mandolin or just certain ones? Is there a "pattern" they should be placed in when they are put on?

    Thanks, y'all. Just trying to decide if I need them and, if so, are there any "rules of thumb" I should pay attention to.
    Old Dog Dave: Do the best you can, as long as you can, and all the rest is gravy.

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  2. #2

    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    If you mean the rubber grommets placed between the string pairs above the nut or below the bridge, the purpose is to damp sympathetic vibrations in those short spans of strings. It depends a lot on your mandolin, and your ear or equipment's sensitivity to those very high overtones that might excite the strings whether you (or anyone!) will hear a difference.

    Necessary? I'm sure there are divided opinions on the matter. Still, like many, I put them on "just in case." They are bit fiddly when changing strings. I think the pattern is up to how you feel on the day you install them. There may be rules of thumb, but my "thumb" says those string parts sound less ring-y when its drawn across them if there are grommets vs. not, so they do *something*. Does it matter? I don't know. (I only put them below the bridge - I've got a strip of leather woven through above the nut - doesn't affect the straight line of travel to the tuners so much.)
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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Quote Originally Posted by keith.rogers View Post
    If you mean the rubber grommets placed between the string pairs above the nut or below the bridge, the purpose is to damp sympathetic vibrations in those short spans of strings. It depends a lot on your mandolin, and your ear or equipment's sensitivity to those very high overtones that might excite the strings whether you (or anyone!) will hear a difference.

    Necessary? I'm sure there are divided opinions on the matter. Still, like many, I put them on "just in case." They are bit fiddly when changing strings. I think the pattern is up to how you feel on the day you install them. There may be rules of thumb, but my "thumb" says those string parts sound less ring-y when its drawn across them if there are grommets vs. not, so they do *something*. Does it matter? I don't know. (I only put them below the bridge - I've got a strip of leather woven through above the nut - doesn't affect the straight line of travel to the tuners so much.)
    Thanks much, Keith!! This info is very helpful. I'm not quite sure yet if my ears are tuned to pick up overtones, but I am inclined to use the grommets just in case.
    Old Dog Dave: Do the best you can, as long as you can, and all the rest is gravy.

    1918 Gibson A Oval hole
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    Question Re: FAQ, Mandolin String Grommets

    Might as well get a bunch of them as they disappear when a string breaks..

    FWIW weaving a short strip of leather in among the strings. does the same function.

    + then you wont lose it..
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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Mighty cool, mandroid!!! Excellent idea, imho.
    Old Dog Dave: Do the best you can, as long as you can, and all the rest is gravy.

    1918 Gibson A Oval hole
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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Quote Originally Posted by Old Dog Dave View Post
    ... not quite sure yet if my ears are tuned to pick up overtones ...
    1- Strum the open strings.
    2- Mute the open strings, and listen to the primary notes go away.
    3- Quickly mute between the bridge & tailpiece, and listen to the sympathetic vibrations go away. If they don't "go away", then they weren't there to begin with.
    4- If you're really obsessive, repeat, but lastly mute between the nut & tuners.

    Other attributes:
    - They're cheap. Buy extas.
    - Pattern is variable at your whim. Useful to confuse & confound your friends & neighbors!
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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Quote Originally Posted by EdHanrahan View Post
    ... confuse & confound your friends & neighbors!
    Or just decide that any such overtones are part of what makes a mandolin sound alive & organic, like, ya know, a mandolin.
    Last edited by EdHanrahan; May-20-2022 at 11:29am. Reason: spell
    - Ed

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  9. #8

    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    I've always thought the grommets dampened my volume, which is absolute nonsense, but for some reason my brain thinks that.

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    The sound a mandolin produces is made up of a number of elements - the sound the picked string makes between the bridge and nut (or wherever it’s fretted), the sympathetic notes produced by that part of the strings between the bridge and tailpiece or the nut and tuning pegs and any extraneous noises produced by the body, neck or hardware.

    You may find sympatheitc notes a pleasant and addition to the character of your instrument’s sound - or maybe not. If you like them, fine. If you don’t fit gromets or wind a piece of leather or something equivalent in the strings.

    I use them because I prefer a more focused sound - just the open or fretted notes, uncluttered by overtones. The overtones are more noticeable when using chopped chords. It’ll probably be only you who notices them but, in reality, it’s only you that matters.

    I’ll give it a week before this question is rasied again ....... and again ........ and again .........

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    It's easier to weave a thin strip of felt thru the strings near the tailpiece. I've seen a strip of velcro attached to the strings at the TP as well.

    It should be noted that the Lyon&Healy (Washburn) carved mandolins have a tailpiece that supposedly tunes the unplucked section of the strings to provide for sympathetic overtones.

    I've never used grommets; they are too mobile.

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    If you get the grommets, pretty soon you'll be looking at Tone Guards, Arm Rests, etc.....
    It's a slippery slope, my friend.

    Kirk

  13. #12

    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Quote Originally Posted by tiltman View Post
    If you get the grommets, pretty soon you'll be looking at Tone Guards, Arm Rests, etc.....
    It's a slippery slope, my friend.
    LOL. Ain't it the truth
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  14. #13

    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Grommets ? it' all in the mind IMHO.

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  15. #14

    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Another thought jus struck me, if you really need them on your mandolin it can't be very well made. I've got 7 top class mandolins and none of them need grommets.

    Dave
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  16. #15

    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    The only thing that I would now put on a mandolin is a tone guard, but you can't even buy one in GB.

    Dave H
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  17. #16

    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    The grommets are cheap and they look cool. Efficacy is secondary!

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Hanson View Post
    The only thing that I would now put on a mandolin is a tone guard, but you can't even buy one in GB.

    Dave H
    I have 4 tonegards. I appreciate that Tony no longer ships to the UK (due to our ridiculous import rules) but 2 of them were bought used in the UK. You just have to be quick!

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    I think Elderly ship ToneGards to UK, I've bought one from them fairly recently. I don't think it's UK import rules that's the problem, because I've had a bunch of stuff from USA over the last year with no probs and reasonable freight charges - nothing very big or valuable though.

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Quote Originally Posted by maxr View Post
    I think Elderly ship ToneGards to UK, I've bought one from them fairly recently. I don't think it's UK import rules that's the problem, because I've had a bunch of stuff from USA over the last year with no probs and reasonable freight charges - nothing very big or valuable though.
    Yes, Elderly will ship Tonegards to the UK. I don’t know the precise details but I’m told that, nowadays, retailers of items above a certain value (e.g. a Tonegard) are expected to charge the duty/tax and remit it to the Dis-United Kingdom Taxman which involves a great deal of paperwork and which “one-man-and-a-garage” businesses, like “Tonegard” up with which will not put. So Tony decided to cease supplying direct. I suspect that I was the last person in the UK that he supplied and, shortly afterwards, he told me to advise people to buy them via such places as “Elderly”;who stock them and have the wherewithall to deal with the paperwork.

    It was fortunate for me but unfortunate for everyone else insofar as I wanted a mandola sized gard which I suspect will be difficult to source through Elderly.

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Hanson View Post
    Another thought jus struck me, if you really need them on your mandolin it can't be very well made. I've got 7 top class mandolins and none of them need grommets.

    Dave
    Wow. I guess Mike Marshall's Loar is a piece of junk because he mutes them at the tailpiece AND the headstock. But what does he know.
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  24. #21

    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    I personally believe they improve the sound of most mandolins, but it does effect some more than others. Based on a previous comment, I will also say that I've had quite a few mandolins over the past few years, and I don't think build quality has anything to do with how effective the grommets are. It just seems to depend on that particular instrument.

    That being said, a set of grommets are cheap, so I usually either install the grommets or a piece of leather between the bridge and the tailpiece as soon as I get a new mandolin. To my ears, it's worth doing.

  25. #22
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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    And as you see, mando-people are funny. When I read about the slippery slope that you´re on when you buy grommets and tone guards and progalyctic newstoric flatpicks then you see that you have to take everything with a grain of salt.

    The bottom line is, that setup is crucial. And there are many things that can offset a setup.

    I remember when rock was young, me and Suzie had so much fun... Well actually I remember that after I bought my trusty vintage mandolin I was extremely p i s s e d because I heard some jingle jangle (morning, I´ll come following you). I searched and I searched but I could´nt find (No way on earth to find peace of mind) the reason for this really unnecessary sound. I found out that the vibration of the strings under the beautiful cloud mandolin endpiece touched it causing aditional and unwanted sounds. Cheapskate that I am, I remedied it with a piece of carpet. Don´t ask me how the guy in the home depot looked like when I asked him for a piece of carpet of 3.6 square inches. He gave me what I wanted out of a trash can. I still use the same piece of carpet after a time that many a rock star didn´t survive.

    Many a solution is cool and entirely inexpensive. A piece of carpet can be substituted by a leather string, gromets etc. What suits you is okay.
    Olaf

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Most all Gibson tailpieces have a piece of felt to dampen any overtones on the stock tailpiece. This can be done with most any tailpiece and be out of sight. It's simple and you don't need to futz with the grommets.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Quote Originally Posted by grassrootphilosopher View Post
    And as you see, mando-people are funny. When I read about the slippery slope that you´re on when you buy grommets and tone guards and progalyctic newstoric flatpicks then you see that you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
    When I’m getting tempted by gear I like to remind myself that none of it will make me a better player like practice will.
    Not saying that I don’t reward myself every now and again but hopefully I can make average gear sound good before upgrading.
    I might try grommets one day but after I’ve learnt just one more tune.

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    Default Re: Mandolin String Grommets

    Grommets look a damned sight neater than a strip of leather, felt or even carpet (Berber? Shagpile? AWhich do you recommend.) and encourage the unknowing to ask “What are those black round things for?”. There’s nothing new in grommets - they were fitting them to the tops of mandolins at the beginning of the 20C and we still don’t know why!

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