Craig Smith writes, " ... I checked out the design of these things and
discovered that the metal clips are actually positioned a little
_below_ the place where the hammer strikes."

I agree with Craig.  With the PPCo mandolin rail I bought a couple
years ago, the instructions clearly tell you to set it up so that the
metal clips hang below where the hammers strike.  The only thing the
hammers hit is the canvas finger above the metal clip.

Set up this way, with certain good "mandolin arrangements" (like the
waltz "Diamond" for instance- International roll #1612), it really,
_really_ sounds like a piano accompanied by a mandolin being strummed
and plucked.  I was really amazed at the sound.  Properly installed,
it does not sound "rinky tink" at all.

Rick Inzero, Rochester, NY