Look What Makes These Sun-Bleached Ox Rib Bones So Special
Prized for their full resonant sound, sun-bleached musical bones are made from the ribs of cattle that died naturally of old age out on the range.
Quality Hand Crafted Instrument
These bones are hand-crafted from carefully selected rib segments. Here's how they are made:
Optimal Curve and Length
First, the raw ribs are selected from carefully graded stock for proper size and shape. Then, each whole rib is positioned against a template and aligned for proper curve. Depending on the shape of the rib, it is marked into one or two rhythm bone segments.
Crafted in Water
Next, each segment is carefully cut and sculpted one at a time by hand. The length is cut using a wet saw, and the shape is sculpted using a wet belt sander. This wet environment safeguards the bone from excessive heat—and also avoids generating bone dust which is toxic.
Good Comfortable Grip
The sides are sanded smooth. Any exposed areas of marrow are filled with a non-toxic environmentally safe and durable urethane compound that provides a good comfortable grip.
Consistent Design and Width
During the shaping process each bone is continuously compared against a wooden template to produce a well-balanced instrument with a fairly consistent width.
Silky Smooth Surface
But we are not done yet. All surfaces are wet sanded with a fine grit abrasive that produces a silky smooth striking surface.
High Gloss Finish
Finally, after wet-sanding every nook and cranny, the surface is skilfully buffed with tripoli polishing compound to produce a high gloss finish that lasts a lifetime.
Full Resonant Tone
Bones from animals that died from old age are harder than bones from young slaughtered animals. These bones were collected in the wild by Jim, an itinerant ranch hand who scours the range for old bones. "They died naturally of old age on a cattle ranch in Wyoming," says Jim. Such bones also have
large open marrow pores, and are highly regarded for the full-bodied, vibrant, echoing tone they produce.
Heavy and ClunkyBones from old critters are heavy and clunky. They might be too awkward for some beginners. But these fine quality instruments are a
must for any serious bone player.
Grip Tip:
You might prefer the
two-finger grip with old animal bones. The grip works especially well for hard-to-grip bones that might otherwise be too big, too small, too long, too short, too heavy, too bulky, too curvy, or too whatever. Essentially, the 2-finger grip enables you to play virtually any bones regardless of their size or shape.
What's the difference between the 2-finger and 1-finger grip? The traditional American minstrel style (1-finger) grip separates the bones using one finger. The 2-finger grip separates the bones using both the index and middle fingers.
What does the 2-finger grip sound like? Virtually every tune in this
Playing the Bones play list features the 2-finger grip.
Jim reports that "the bones I find in the field are maybe one or two years old." Jim soaks them in water, he says "until there is no meat left on them." Then he scrubs the bones up clean and lays them out in the sun to dry. This is a natural product with no bleach or chemicals in the cleaning process. So if you are looking to get your hands on a pair of genuine, "bone-a-fide," all natural bone-dry products, then you have come to the right place.
No Surprises When You Open The Box
The best way to buy musical rhythm bones is to try them first-hand. Unfortunately, in the world of musical bones, this is seldom possible. Even if you are lucky enough to find an online shop that sells natural ox rib musical bones, you likely won't know what style you got until you unwrap the package and look inside. Thankfully, those days are over. Welcome to the only shop on the planet that ships your choice of Flat, Semiconical, Conical, and our budget priced Bargain Bin bones so you know what is bundled inside—BEFORE you open the box.
