New A-9 tailpeice question.

[Tmandomag]

I'm kinda new her so bear with me please. I started playing mandolin last August and last week I got myself a new Gibson A-9. #I started on a Tacoma M1E and it is ok, but the A9 is so fine. #Anyway I'm changing the strings and see 12 hooks, four going sideways. The high strings are bending around them. I did'n like those extra bends so I put my new strings on the first eight hooks along the upper part. #I'm am just wonderen if it matters weather you use those extra hooks, it don't seem right to me, but what do I know. Oh yeah, what up with Gibson, it seems they could come up with a cover that didn't move or rattle. LOL. Well thanks for listen.

Tony

[John Flynn]

It shouldn't matter. That 12 hook thing is the traditional configuration of Gibson-style tailpieces. There may be some advantage to those extra hooks, but I have never figured it out. A lot of people don't use 'em. In over 10 years of having mandos with that kind of tailpiece, I have never used the extra hooks either. If some knows the reason for them, I'd love to hear it.

[Crowder]

For the unwound strings, you are supposed to hook teh loop on the hooks that point up (when you are playing the mandolin) and then bend them around the ones that point toward the endpin. You can get away with not doing it obviously. I think it's a carryover from an era when the loops on unwound strings would, well, unwind.

[Tmandomag]

Thanks guys. Ya really helped put my mind http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif at ease...

Tony

[fatt-dad]

I use them and figured that they helped those little "whippy" wires stay put. You know I put them through the extra bend and then when I'm connecting to the string post at the machine, it just doesn't fly off.

f-d

[mandroid]

80 years later and all 12 hooks, are still there on both my old 'A's, fwiw, so that shouldn't be an issue.
The unwinding of older loops is the justification for that feature, from my learning, also.

[Big Joe]

Actually the reason they are there and they should be used and why we still use that same tailpiece after all these years is very simple. They keep the total string length and string pressure at the right place for the best intonation of the instrument. If you don't put them on all the hooks as intended you shorten the string some and change the way the string intonates.

Yes. It sounds odd and I questioned that but minds better than mine have assured me it makes a difference. Dave Harvey will not even play a mandolin without the strings being put on all of them. He hates any other tailpiece. Charlie is the same. The modern ones may look good, but they do not help the tone or intonation of the instrument.

Before flaming me, remember I am just the messenger. I could care less who uses what tailpiece or how. On the other hand, I now use only the Gibson tailpiece and use all 12 hooks and I do believe it makes a difference. Than again, what would I know http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif ?

[Lane Pryce]

There you go!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif Lp