Hi, all.

I've recently come across some very positive reviews of Tuning Fork, by David Roth, and a video of Roth performing this routine. It's a fantastic trick, and one that I think fits my personal style perfectly. So I discovered downloadable video I purchased of Roth explaining this trick at a lecture. The video and audio quality is pretty poor, which seemed to explain the rationale behind the cheap price ($5.95), although this price is comparable to the prices of other single trick video downloads I've purchased.

So in the Jeopardy tradition I'll phrase my gripe in the form of a question. Is it common for video downloads of single tricks to not warn you in advance that in order to perform the trick you'll need to purchase an expensive gimmick? I feel that I bought the secret, not the trick. While the cost for the video explanation wasn't too expensive, I feel as if this sale was kind of a bait and switch.

Secondly, can anyone offer advice on the rattle gimmick I need? I've poked around online and found what looks like this device for sale, but the prices are quite steep and out of my price range. I guess I could try to make something that would do the same thing, but I'm not particularly good at building things and don't have access to many tools or a workshop where I could build anything too involved.

Thanks,

Dave

Quite a lot of downloads warn that it uses "commonly used gaffs", which usually refers to [s and C/S coins. I think most modern downloads do warn more, but older videos that have just been cut and sold separately are more unlikely. The trouble is, if the required gimmicks for this trick were mentioned beforehand, the secret would be revealed. It wouldn't be hard to de-construct knowing this. So $5.95 kind of just is for the secret, since it's very clever!

I don't think it would be hard to construct the rattle gimmick. A basic version is described in Down's book. The sound component is just from coins so the container could be anything - even doubled up duck tape could work! Experiment!


Really though, when it comes to coin magic, you'd be better off purchasing dvds or downloads with multiple tricks. If you pick up the New York Coin Magic seminars, you'll get multiple ways to perform certain effects - some that use gaffs, and others that do not - so you're guaranteed to get some good workable material.

There is some discussion elsewhere in the Café on making a rattle gimick with silencer.

His trick is a killer app for that item

And its impressive to attend when a room full of people go silent at the end of the routine to hear the last line of the script and the sound.

Sure, but mentioning that the trick requires "a gimmick" (as opposed to the exact gimmick needed because it would reveal too much) seems the least they could do. I assumed that selling the secret would be frowned upon, whereas selling a trick (with the permission from the creator, of course) would be the route that a magic supplier would take.



I'll give this some thought. I hadn't even considered duct tape, but in retrospect it seems obvious, because duct tape holds the universe together!



Were you thinking of this topic?

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=159

I guess an additional $20 for the building instructions won't break my bank, since if I could find one for that cost I would probably purchase it. It doesn't sound like the materials would be too expensive, but as I mentioned above, I don't really have access to tools like a hacksaw.

I'll keep everyone posted. If anyone has other suggestions please let me know.

Thanks,

Dave

Just curious as to where you bought the download.

I went ahead and bought Mark Stone's Coin Rattle Gimmick 2.0 instructions. Like I expected, I don't have many of the necessary tools.

/whine

In case anyone else is considering purchasing the instructions, in addition to the materials (which all should be available at your average hardware store and shouldn't be expensive at all), you will need a Sharpie pen, bench vice, some sort of awl or something that you tap with a hammer to remove a small post (there's photo in the instructions, but no mention of what this tool is called), hammer, a drill with a 1/4" bit, pliers, and needle and thread. Gloves and safety goggles are also recommended.

I spoke to a friend who thinks he has everything I would need, so I have a project for this weekend. Mr. Stone's instructions are very clear and easy to follow, so I think that even someone like me should be able to assemble it without much trouble.

Thanks again for the advice and encouragement. I'll try to report later how it goes.


Dave

From the following URL:

http://www.mjmmagic.com/store/tuning-for......633.html

I assume that it's legit.

Dave

Don't forget the tuning fork. I wonder if perhaps this "secret" should be placed in the "secret" sessions.

Mark Stone, Bambu here on the Café, wrote an ebook on making your own coin rattle gimmick. Sold at Lybrary.com here: http://www.lybrary.com/coin-rattle-gimmick-20-p-207341.html

And yes, it is all too common for video and books/ebooks to not reveal the gimmicks required to perform the routines contained therein. PITA, but a fact of life. You'll soon get over your anger and purchase like a good magic "Stepford" zombie like the rest of us!

Heck, a lot of books I now own neglected to mention I would need gimmicks/gaffs that cost a lot more than a coin rattle. As some mentioned above, many such media items might describe that you will need "commonly used gaffs that most magicians already own." Ha! The marketing genius who first wrote that must be under the delusion that most of us own a lot more custom, expensive gaffs than we actually do! Sometimes I even end up with one or two such gaffs. A lot of times I don’t. Life, and magic, goes on!

Jim

Success, sort of. The hardware store I went to for supplies surprisingly didn't have exactly everything I needed, so I improvised a bit. The end product does the job, but I botched the silencer part. I may be able to figure something out to make it work or I may go ahead and try building a new one. Total cost for the supplies I bought were only $10, much better than the almost $100 I saw to buy one online.



Don't tell me there's a tuning fork in this routine too?

Actually, that was exactly what attracted me to this trick int he first place. Since I make my living in music, I not only already own my own tuning fork, but I also have been known to carry it with me from time to time. Furthermore, there are some situations when I could even borrow a tuning fork from a colleague and make this trick more impromptu.

Time to practice.

Thanks,

Dave

I checked with David, he didn't have anything to do with the download. Its comes from a video that he doesn't have the rights for. Not sure but I guess L&L own the rights? David has done other downloads for some of his effects that are sold through Fantasma and the Library. He also did a Penguin lecture download.

Thanks for checking up on that, Dr. Rubinstein. It's unfortunate that Mr. Roth doesn't have the control over whether or not the video of his lecture is released and how. The production value of his Expert Coin Magic DVDs are excellent (especially considering that it was made back when these things were more expensive to produce). I hope at least that Mr. Roth gets some sort of compensation from downloads of the Tuning Fork video.

I think I see that Tuning Fork is covered in Roth's Expert Coin Magic book. Can anyone suggest another resource for the same trick that Mr. Roth still owns the rights for and will receive proper compensation?

This sort of thing seemed to happen a lot in music, where an artist composes a piece of music that becomes popular, but the artist lost the rights to the music and someone else gets the reward.


Dave