James tailpiece problem

[Don Grieser]

I had a metallic sitar twang on my E strings that I couldn't diagnose. Joe Campanella Cleary suggested I look at the tailpiece. The lid on the James tailpiece catches the ends of the rubber O rings and stretches them over the sides as the tailpiece closes. They had been stretched thin enough that the E strings were hitting the front metal edge of the tailpiece. Since I don't have any extra O rings on hand, I pulled the O ring out of its slot on the front edge and ran the strings up over it there. Twang is gone.

Seems like there should be a notch on that tailpiece lid so it can't grab the outer edges of the O rings and stretch them down over the side of the tailpiece. I looked at another James tailpiece on a different mandolin and the lid was catching the outside edges of the O rings also and pulling them down the side of the tailpiece. This one is a fairly new install with maybe 2 string changes max.

Any remedy for the tailpiece lid catching the O rings and pulling them down the side of the tailpiece?

[billhay4]

I'd talk with the maker about this. He's known for his customer service and problem solving.
Bill

[Gail Hester]

Per the instructions that come with the taipiece, add a bit of lubricant to the o-rings, like a scant amount of vasoline. It will then fuction as it should and you should here a feel a positive click upon closing the cover.

[Dale Ludewig]

I'd suggest just giving Bill James a call. He's as fine a fellow as you could find.

[Don Grieser]

It doesn't look like the luthier who installed the newer tailpiece lubed the O rings. I'll try that. Looks like I need some new O rings on the other tailpiece and make sure they have some lube on them when I install them. Probably just got too dried out here in NM. Thanks.

[Phil Goodson]

Maybe it's just OCD setting in, but I always make sure the O rings are sitting in the little oval grooves and tweek them with fingertips after the strings are changed, then I lubricate with vasoline, and then push on the lateral edges of the TP where the O rings are to be sure there is no overhang at all.

Then (OCD active again) I weave a little strip of leather shoelace between the courses just in front of the TP to mute harmonics.
After all that: no twang, no hum, no nothing! :grin:

[Don Grieser]

Are these O rings a standard item? I couldn't find anything close in Gallup, NM today. Google is not helping me find Bill James. Could someone PM me his website or contact info so I can get some O rings? Thanks.

[John Gardinsky]

Bill's website: http://www.axinc.net/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=JTT

[John Gardinsky]

Mine has worked like a charm since I bought my mando used. I think once you get it tweaked you'll be very pleased. It's solid piece of engineering.

[Don Grieser]

Thanks, John.

[Rroyd]

It's pretty unlikely that the O rings were a specialty part made for the tailpieces, but more likely are a standard item, and a good auto parts store should have a large selection available that would match about any size for any application. (even mandolin tailpieces) If you didn't try there, that would be the best bet.

[Don Grieser]

I was looking in the plumbing area in a hardware store. I'll try an auto parts store.

[mtucker]

...Bill picks up the phone most of the time and will probably send you a whole bag of them for fitty cent. :grin::grin:

[Scotti Adams]

Arent these actually "oval" rings instead of the standard "O" rings? Mine are.

[mtucker]

no, theyre round but stretchy ... :) here's a linky to Roger's pdf on installation that shows a pic of them unloaded. http://www.siminoff.net/Media/download_305-J-tailpiece.pdf

[Bill James]

The o-ring is a standard, the size is dash number 013 in o-ring language. Dimensionally it's .070" by 7/16" ID by 9/16" OD.

$2.56 per 100 pcs. http://www.mcmaster.com/#9452k57/=bqb2r5

The o-rings are actually supposed to hang out the sides of the base and contact the inside of the cover. It further dampens the cover from the possibility of it vibrating.

Cheers ~o)

Bill

[AlanN]

...Bill picks up the phone most of the time and will probably send you a whole bag of them for fitty cent. :grin::grin:

A'ight!!

What a beautiful, functional piece of mando equipment that is.

[billy parker]

I have that issue on one of my instruments due to high bridge, which I believe makes the top part of the lid buzz against the strings due to the angle of the tailpiece not being steep enough. I have talked to the luthier to who recently installed the tailpiece and plans to change this angle by bending the tailpiece, but I am wating until the strings need changing. In the meantime, I just allow the lid to be unhooked. Hope that helps and makes sense

[mtucker]

I have talked to the luthier to who recently installed the tailpiece and plans to change this angle by bending the tailpiece, but I am wating until the strings need changing. In the meantime, I just allow the lid to be unhooked. Hope that helps and makes sense
angle is easy enough to check with a straight edge running from the tp to the saddle then tweakable with very little effort. As long as your keep the o's fresh with a pinch of petroleum jelly, shouldn't ever be an issue.