Dampening with a twist! Easily adjust your banjo’s volume and improve its tone with one compact and versatile device. Handcrafted in the USA
Posted By: The_Fox_Den (+3) | Rate Member
$37 USD
Running a sale!
Save an average of $5 by ordering through BHO. All backing materials (leather, cork, or wood) available for $37!
Now available through Etsy & eBay!
etsy.com/listing/1136556782/th...ute-tonal
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ABOUT THE DAMPENER
The Dapper Dampener is a unique invention that mutes or “dampens” vibrations at different spots along the head, making it a handy tool for easily adjusting volume and improving tone, all in one classy and compact package.
While originally designed to replace the dampening rag or sponge used by many players to mellow tone, the Dampener ended up being a unique, versatile, and dynamic invention unlike anything else on the market.
On one hand it’s an adjustable practice mute—easily allowing players to customize their volume. The further from the bridge it’s placed, the more vibration passes from the bridge into the head, and thus the more resonance is retained. Used this way it effectively acts as a manual volume knob.
On the other hand it’s a tone damper that can do wonders for instruments by subtly and elegantly truncating sustain, eliminating subtle brashness for a more “plunky”, refined, old-timey sound.
For players looking to improve their sound, dampening is a great low-risk option (as opposed to changing the head for example) that is capable of a surprising array of nuanced effects.
As a performance and recording tool, the Dampener is useful for blending in with any given ensemble or arrangement. Get the perfect volume for any given song or situation in seconds!
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ORDERING
To order the correct size, please measure between your dowel stick / coordinator rod and the back of your head in two different places: Once beneath the bridge, and again at the furthest point towards the neck. This gives an accurate range for the Dampener to operate within.
Note: Make sure your measurements are accurate, as rulers and measuring tapes often have a stop-gap on their end.
Alternatively, you can easily use a quarter to find your size as outlined in the picture above! (Quarters are almost exactly 1” across.)
Small = 7/8” - 1 1/8”
Medium = 1” - 1 1/4”
Large = 1 1/8” - 1 3/8”
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All Dampeners are ($37) and come with your choice of backing material that will contact your dowel stick or co-rod:
Leather (Standard)
Cork
or Wood
Leather or wood can be hand-notched for coordinator rods for an extra ($7)
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For banjos with a taller clearance (single coordinator rods etc), just send along your measurements for a custom designed Extra Tall model! (+$10)
CAP DIAMETER AND MATERIAL
The standard Dampener comes with our 1.5” Leather Cap, hand-embossed with the star logo.
If you’d like a 2” wide Leather cap for extra damping surface, or a 1” diameter brass cap for extra clarity and better volume control, please specify in your email and add ($10) to your order total.
All caps are interchangeable with our universal base! Extra caps in any height, material, and diameter can be ordered for $25 each.
CUSTOM DESIGNS WELCOME
If you have any questions or would like to discuss custom designs (custom leather work, larger sizes, or custom wood varnishes to match your banjo, etc.) please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m always looking for innovative ways to serve my customers and expand my capacity to serve the banjo community.
MORE ABOUT THE DAMPENER
Whether using the Dampener as a mute to practice late at night, or adjusting your volume to meld in perfectly with a jam or ensemble, or just finding that sweet spot to eliminate some of the brashness of many beginner or intermediate banjos, the Dapper Dampener will prove a handy and interesting tool for players of all stripes.
Other instruments which resonate using wooden soundboards have developed complex methods to compensate for the natural tone imbalances and temperaments across strings and registers: Guitars have refined their tones with intricate bracing patterns, such as the famous Martin X brace. Mandolins have followed suit. Violins have a sound post and a bass bar to balance their resonance—an important innovation for such an expressive and piercing instrument.
Banjos, however, have relied on other methods over the years to improve and balance their tone—rim thickness and construction, elaborate tone rings, head materials, bridges, strings, tailpieces, and most of all the alchemy of the perfect set-up.
The Dampener is a nifty addition to the arsenal of any player or set-up practitioner. While the concept is nothing new, no other product currently exists to serve this important function for banjo players.
Many banjo aficionados—especially those looking for the sound profile that we associate with the classic “plunky” old-time playing—will stuff a handy rag, handkerchief, sock, or sponge in their banjo to achieve the same result. The effect is desirable, but these ad hoc solutions come with some drawbacks. Besides being a bit of an eyesore, the range of effects is limited and often inconsistent. The Dapper Dampener provides tone mellowing and volume control in one compact, easy to use package. It can be applied and removed in seconds, but its stalwart build allows it to be used as a stable set up element as well, providing faithful and consistent years of service to your instrument of choice once the sweet spot is found.
When compared to other elements of set-up such as heads, bridges, strings, neck angle, tailpieces, etc—all of which can be lengthy commitments with uncertain results—the Dampener is quite unobtrusive, low-risk, and affordable.
Hopefully you will find it a handy companion for all your banjo adventures!
Location:
United States, Ashland , OR
Shipping:
Free
Payment Methods:
Cash (in person), Paypal
Payment Option Notes:
Zelle, Venmo, CashApp, etc.
Return Policy:
Returns accepted. Buyer must contact seller within 7 days to arrange return. Refund will be given as Money Back.
Buyer pays return shipping.
Additional return policy details: I offer a full 7-day warranty for the proper functioning of all components. After that period replacement components are available at a discount, and I will have mercy within reason.
Condition of Item(s):
New
Category:
Ad Status:
Active
Listing No:
88803
Page Views:
4346
This ad will automatically expire 10/11/2022 11:05:37 AM unless updated before that date. To keep the system current, ads expire if not updated for more than 60 days.
