arch top tail piece

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:19 pm

Hi people, i thouhgt you might be interested in these tail pieces i have produced. I made a pattern first and then had a few cast in aluminium, and now i've just recieved them back from the platers, i had some done in black chrome and some in gold. Cheers Rod.

Dennis Leahy · Post by **Dennis Leahy** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:05 pm

Beautiful! Can I ask how much cash you have invested in the process?

Dennis

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:17 pm

Nice looking tailpieces Rod. Do you plan to produce any with a radius to match the saddle/fingerboard radius & do they utilize a 'Sacconi' style adjuster?
What sort of sound to they give?
There's an interesting 'extra' in with Bob Benedetto's DVD set (don't know if you've seen them?) where he takes his usual ebony tailpiece off an puts a commercial metal tailpiece on, it's amazing the sound difference between the two. The metal tailpiece adds quite a few "metallic" overtones to the sound.

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:46 pm

Nicko, these do actually have a 12 inch radius to match the bridge and fingerboard i am using, i should have taken a shot front on to show it. I haven't seen the video but i can understand what you are saying.I have seen a few tailpieces that are available commercially and they were large and heavy to me, these are shorter than the Benedetto number, only 150 mm long and very light, it will be interesting to see how they compare to the timber ones i've been making, but besides the effect on acoustics, it does give one abit of variety to offer.

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:49 pm

Oh and yes Nicko, it is secured with a tailpiece adjuster

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:37 pm

OK Nicko' i took a couple of shots of the prototype, front and side view check it out, rock maple, it's been on an instrument,works well.

The outside radius is 12" but the inside radius is 8" so that viewing the instrument from the side the end of the string ball can't be seen.

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:38 pm

Very nice tail pieces! Did you sand cast them or ???

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:43 pm

Yes john, cast in sand, which means alot of polishing before plating, one could use lost wax but very much more expensive, not as much poishing though, have to do the figures. This is a first for me, never had anything cast before, the best way is die cast, but then you're talking megabucks. Cheers Rod.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 5:12 pm

Those look great Rod. Looks like you've got a few more archtops planned to use up all those tail pieces.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:09 pm

Thanks Rod the radius didn't show up too well in the overhead shots but thanks for posting the others, they sure make things clearer!
The tailpiece used by Bob to demonstrate was a rather largish brass plated jobby with the strings attaching to individual fingers. Similar to the one the bald dude uses in this clip

youtu.be/

Would love to do a comparison with yours, the aluminium must add a different 'colour' to the sound than brass.
I wouldn't be too concerned that the cost of diecasting is high either, in order for the alloy to be injected & flow properly into a mould it isn't Aluminium, it's an alloy called Mazak (which has quite a high zinc content) & is commonly referred to as shit metal due to the fact that it has poor structural strength. Even overtightening a screw in it strips the thread so I'm not sure how it would stand the rigors of string pull, especially where the strings are anchored in the keyholes and the adjuster anchors. I Imagine they have cast your's mostly of Aluminium with a bit of Magnesium thrown in for strength? Stick with the casting recipe even if it does involve hours of polishing!

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