i thought i'd share a neat device, the Pub Prop -- a portable instrument holder that clamps onto a table (or other flat surface). it does guitar/banjo/bouzouki/etc., as well as fiddle, mandolin and other string instruments. a much better alternative to leaving it on the chair for someone to knock over or sit on ;-)

very good!
now people can just kick it with their knee or spill their pint over it on the way to the table

am joking

It is good to have different 'alternatives', at the end of the day we know that no 'gadget' is better than 'keeping your eyes glued' on your instrument AT ALL TIMES

thanks for sharing your discovery

well, that's always a danger.. a couple of weeks ago some twit spilled his pint all down the neck of a guitar -- and the owner was playing it at the time. plus, taking a 15 lbs banjo to the toilet with you is not really an option, and i'd rather know it was securely held than resting precariously against a table ;-)

I'd forgotten what fun places pubs are (not being in one for over 10 years )

Aye - I'm with river on this one - my fiddle has had its fair share of knocks and hits over the last two years since I bought it (I didn't mind with my last one because it wasn't an expensive instrument, but this one was bought instead of car, so you get the idea.... )

No one has spilled beer on it yet, but it's hard to find a safe place to leave it - on the table, it will certainly get beer on it (at least on the back) - leave it on a chair and someone will sit on it for sure (I've seen that happen - it makes the most sickening noise you can imagine...) and if you give it to someone to hold, they will eventually get bored and put it either on the table or on a chair.

I'm tempted by one of these table thingies - but then, I'm a sucker for anything accessory related. I'm sure I must walk down the street with 'sell me stuff' written on my head.

How goes Gandalf, JoJo? Anymore clips in the making?

on a related note, i need to put up some wall hangers for the numerous instruments i seem to have collected at home... probably using these. they're similar to normal wall mounts, but the weight of the instrument causes the 'teeth' to clamp shut, so it doesn't fall off. quite neat. (they seem to do ones suitable for smaller/lighter instruments, too, but i've only tried the guitar ones.)

Gandalf is well thank you! but being extremely busy working 6 days a week I am finding it really hard to squeeze in the practice and having violin as my 'main instrument' it means if I have time to practice 'violin gets first place' and Gandalf is left all alone for days on end
But I am spoiling him and figaro, I have bought an automatic dehumidifier which gets delivered this saturday. In the annexe which I use for my music room I have monitored the humidity in past two weeks and it is mainly 60 to 75% which is kind of 'borderline' so with automatic dehumidifier will keep it at 50% stable, 'they'll be happy'

I won't post any more videos until I am satisfied that some improvement is really being made

and you mock me for buying gadgets. right.

I like this gadget but unfortunately I have no need for it. At my concerts the violin is safe on its seat, the audiance don't enter the orchestra area.

I have noticed that it has got a small chip on one edge but that is cosmetic and cheap to repair if I ever wanted to. I am not too worried as the violin cost me just £1,000.

nope, don't think I have at all

i just pointed out that it is no safer than an instrument stand, that any gadget still needs 'supervision'

I have just bought a 'Strad Pad' which is a piece of latex that fits over the chinrest and down the edge of the violin. It's supposed to help slippy chins and necks and stop the bruise on your neck.

Also says it helps the sound of your violin come out as it's not muffled by neck and clothes..hmmm..not sure about that bit of sales speak..let you know!

Wow, that must be quite some fiddle, rosfrog!

I love it dearly, yes! It was worth it, even though it did actually earn me a call from my bank manager (quite common over here) asking what I had spent the contents of one of my savings accounts on... how rude !

I was really precious with it at first, but now I'm a lot more relaxed and he gets regular outings to the pubs to knock oot the jigs and reels!

I think we need a photo, please?

It doesn't look like very much ! Just an old fiddle with a few dints and dinks in it... I'll see if I can find one though!