Van Epps String Dampeners...anyone use/own one?

[Broyale]

Been thinking about trying one of these ever since I read about 'em in that ES-175 book. What was its purpose besides eliminating unwanted string vibration?

[Broyale]

So it works like a string mute?

[cosmic gumbo]

A much less invasive method is to use an elastic hair tie that you can slide down over the nut onto your strings when needed and back behind the nut when not needed. It only needs to contact strings snug enough to inhibit string vibration.

[JSanta]

Lots of my friends in the metal crowd swear by these: http://www.gruvgear.com/fretwraps

[Woody Sound]

Stupid question, but does it completely kill open strings? I mean if you want to hit a low E, low A, etc, when playing chords, you can't?

[cosmic gumbo]

Stupid question, but does it completely kill open strings? I mean if you want to hit a low E, low A, etc, when playing chords, you can't?

The whole point is to mute the open strings.

[3625]

I'm interested in these because I'm now doing Benson picking, and because it's a floating wrist you can inadvertently trigger open string harmonics by playing certain fretted notes, plus the occasional open string miss-hit.

The Mirabella one looks cool - but drilling a hole into the middle of the headstock - noooooooooooooooooo

Tony, I like your design - does anyone manufacture one just like that?

Problem with the Jennifer Batten and Michael Angelo Batio ones is that they fully cover the 1st fret - I think because the further away the dampener is from the nut the more effectively it mutes the string.

I've got a black velcro band that works like the gruvgear fretwrap, but I prefer the retro look of the Van Eps design.

[TonyB56]

The problem with hair ties etc. is you can't slide it back while playing you'd have to remove and refit it or lift the strings clear of the nut, the whole point of the Van Eps is you flick the lever and it lifts clear if you want the open strings or for tuning, mine just slides back. You guys amuse me your more than willing to spend $5000/$10000 on a guitar but you only want to spend a few cents on a string damper.

[TonyB56]

I'm interested in these because I'm now doing Benson picking, and because it's a floating wrist you can inadvertently trigger open string harmonics by playing certain fretted notes, plus the occasional open string miss-hit.

The Mirabella one looks cool - but drilling a hole into the middle of the headstock - noooooooooooooooooo

Tony, I like your design - does anyone manufacture one just like that?

Problem with the Jennifer Batten and Michael Angelo Batio ones is that they fully cover the 1st fret - I think because the further away the dampener is from the nut the more effectively it mutes the string.

I've got a black velcro band that works like the gruvgear fretwrap, but I prefer the retro look of the Van Eps design.

Not as far as I know, I made it myself from bits I had laying around it's basically a flat bar with a loop one end to retain the rod a plastic crossbar for the felt pad and a leaf spring rivited to the flat bar to provide the tension, the rod just slides beneath the strings to keep it in place it's quite effective and removable in seconds and does not damage the finish on the guitar. I might refine and improve it sometime but it works as it is.

[Jabberwocky]

...
The Mirabella one looks cool - but drilling a hole into the middle of the headstock - noooooooooooooooooo
...

Cris says that it screws (in the traditional sense of the word) directly into the truss rod cover 2 screw-mount holes.

[TonyB56]

I'll stick with mine it changes to another guitar in seconds and I don't have to remove the trussrod cover, if you only have one guitar fine otherwise you would need several of them. Mine only cost 30 mins of my time and some scrap bits.

[Broyale]

The problem with hair ties etc. is you can't slide it back while playing you'd have to remove and refit it or lift the strings clear of the nut, the whole point of the Van Eps is you flick the lever and it lifts clear if you want the open strings or for tuning, mine just slides back. You guys amuse me your more than willing to spend $5000/$10000 on a guitar but you only want to spend a few cents on a string damper.

As far as I know you can slide it back, just did it a few seconds ago. All that space between the nut and tuning pegs....60 cent scrunchy on my $5000 guitar...winning out here.

[TonyB56]

And exactly what does it achieve behind the nut, the break point of the strings is at the front of the nut not behind it. This thread has got boring and confrontational, I don't give a damn if you stick gum on your strings personally, I didn't come here for an argument I thought it was a discussion about Van Eps dampers and I thought it might be of interest what I did with some bits of scrap, silly me, I'm going now bye.

[Jabberwocky]

And exactly what does it achieve behind the nut, the break point of the strings is at the front of the nut not behind it. This thread has got boring and confrontational, I don't give a damn if you stick gum on your strings personally, I didn't come here for an argument I thought it was a discussion about Van Eps dampers and I thought it might be of interest what I did with some bits of scrap, silly me, I'm going now bye.

Hey Tony,

I thought that your gadget was cool in the model engineering resourcefulness kinda way. I was about to ask you if you had a Myford lathe and a mill in your woodshed.

Here is what Foghorn Leghorn sez about boring: It's like backing into a brace and bit, you get bored.

[Broyale]

That's beautiful. What I like about this design is that the first fret is still an option to the player. The other dampeners, including the scrunchie, appear to take that first fret out of play.

Not really. I mean, just how much space do you really need to fret a note or chord?

[Klatu]

Not really. I mean, just how much space do you really need to fret a note or chord?

I don't need much space, but looking at pictures of the wristband and Batten String Dampener, it appears as though the first fret has been taken completely out of play.

[Broyale]

I only started playing around with the scrunchy thing this morning, but I keep it resting close to the nut with enough clearance for my fingers to fret.

[3625]

You can get a kind of middle ground thing happening - I've experimented with having different types of fabric about 1cm wide just in front of the nut pushing up against the strings. It doesn't completely mute the open strings but makes them a lot more dead sounding and reduces the strength of the unwanted overtones to the point where the average listener probably wouldn't even notice. It doesn't restrict your playing as well - in case you instinctively go for an open string on purpose, plus your hand is free when playing the 1st fret.

Dig those Mirabella dampers though...

[GuyBoden]

I've put a thin piece of narrow rubber under the strings at the nut on the fretboard, this seems to do the same thing.

[oldane]

The problem with hair ties etc. is you can't slide it back while playing you'd have to remove and refit it or lift the strings clear of the nut.

That's if you fit it under the strings. If you just fit it over the strings, it slides back easily. I like the idea of not drilling holes in the peghead.

BTW, one will have a very hard time finding an original Van Eps string damper and if/when one finds one, a premium has to be paid.

[SamBooka]

Stupid question, but does it completely kill open strings? I mean if you want to hit a low E, low A, etc, when playing chords, you can't?

I will see if I can find the, it think, Herb Ellis interview.
He says that it mutes the strings but if he has to play open strings they still sound ok. They decay a little faster I guess but mutes dont have to completely mute the string (see the bridge mutes of old gretches/fenders)

[Jabberwocky]

I remember reading Herb Ellis saying that the felt pad merely brushes up against the strings enough to mute the overtones but not to damp the strings completely. The arm with the pad does a fine balancing act. That is why the original Van Eps Damper and Pat Farrand copy (and Cris Mirabella's) cost as much as they do.

[TonyB56]

I'll stick with mine, cost nothing except 30mins work with a drill and a couple of files, it just slides back over the nut for tuning and open strings, removable and refittable in about 30 secs and doesn't damage the finish.

[Jabberwocky]

Tony, how do you get the arm to balance, for the pad to brush the strings "just so"? Or does the pad just lie on the strings damping them completely?

It looks like an elegant solution. And I mean it in the nicest way.

[TonyB56]

The leaf spring presses against the headstock and supplies the downward pressure for the pad, there is barely any pressure it doesn't mute the strings it just stops overtones from open strings.