Tailpiece on Ebay

**van** · Dec-11-2005, 10:16am

Has anyone ever tried one of these? I am sure that someone will be quick to tell me to buy an expensive tailpiece but how could this be any different? Sure it is cheap, but you cannot say that it isn't attractive. I bet you cannot tell the difference in sound compared to an expensive Tailpiece of the same weight and size. How do I contact the people who make these? I am not sure but it looks like the kind that Rouge uses on their low end models.
Well, whut da yall thank?

**ourgang** · Dec-11-2005, 10:37am

A tailpiece is a tailpiece is a tailpiece. However, I have found with the cheaper stamped tailpieces that the hooks for the string loops tend to be weak and are broken off easily.

**sunburst** · Dec-11-2005, 11:00am

True, it will probably sound the same as any other square, stamped tailpiece, and true, the hooks could be more likely to break than a more expensive (better?) one. It also might be more likely to break in half at the bend, and the cover might not fit well.

I can't say that any of that is definitely true for that particular tailpiece, but those are things that commonly go wrong with cheap tailpieces of that type.

**markishandsome** · Dec-11-2005, 11:13am

I bought a cheap tailpiece once and the plating started coming off in big flakes the minute I took it out of the bag. Great if you're going for a distressed look!

Also, if you need (want) this item in a hurry, buying off ebay is rolling the dice. You might get it in two days, two weeks, or never.

**synthnut** · Dec-11-2005, 11:14am

cheaper hardware also has cheaper and thinner plating on them ....A couple of polishes ,and the chrome comes right off...In most cases with hardware , you get what you pay for .....Jim

**jim simpson** · Dec-11-2005, 11:42am

I find it amusing to see the cover attached to the base in reverse.

**Chris Baird** · Dec-11-2005, 11:46am

Yeah, kinda like a model with thier pants on their head and their shirt on thier legs laying around trying to look good.

**Jim Hilburn** · Dec-11-2005, 12:02pm

When I made my first mandolins in the early 80's, you could get American made stamped tailpieces that will hold up forever.
When I made #15 in '99 I ordered a stamped tailpiece from LMI that was made in China, was flimsy and had terrible plating. That's when I started looking for alternatives and ended up with a Price.

**jim simpson** · Dec-11-2005, 12:10pm

Jim,
Are you using the 2-piece Price? I liked the ease of stringing up his 2nd gen. and I like the trad look of his latest. I had him engrave "The Gibson" on mine.

**Jim Hilburn** · Dec-11-2005, 1:09pm

In '99 he had the first generation with the hooks sticking out the back and the strings going over the top. Wasn't that attractive, but made for a fast re-string. Then he made the hook-underneath version and I'm sorry to say I burdened the world with about 10 of those.
Then Bill James came along and the rest is history.

**jim simpson** · Dec-11-2005, 1:20pm

Jim,
I forgot about the hook under version. I think I understand what you meant by "burdened" - I heard those were buggers to keep the strings on while changing. I had a couple of mandos outfitted with what must have been his 1st generation. I am awaiting receipt of a James tailpiece at present. I expect it to be the end-all of tailpieces.

**GTison** · Dec-11-2005, 1:52pm

Van, the pic looks kinda like a tailpiece like one my aunt had on a very inexpensive mandolin she bought off of ebay. The metal was VERY thick, seemed like it was made of pot metal or something similar. It was heavy like iron too. It was so thick you couldn't bend it to adjust the cover plate. I couldn't stand that, because it kept coming off. To look at the engraving and chrome plating the tailpiece looked ok, I would rather buy one from Stewmac or FQMS and have a standard tailpiece than spend any money or TIME on a poor product. It may not be the same one though, I hope not.

**van** · Dec-11-2005, 3:07pm

Thanks for all the input guys. I guess I will stay away from cheap stuff. I have been toying with the Idea of making my own, but for now I will just stick with Stew-Mac.

**markishandsome** · Dec-11-2005, 10:07pm

Originally Posted by

I have been toying with the Idea of making my own

I like to make as much of my own hardware as possible but just can't for the life of me get around that tailpiece. But I guess if I figured it out I'd have to tackle tuners. Just a matter of where you want to draw the line I guess.

**Bill Snyder** · Dec-11-2005, 10:57pm

If you are interested in cheap check out International Luthier's Supply. Their mandolin tailpieces start at $3.50 and the gold plated brass is $13.45 with shipping starting at $5.00. I have one of the nickel plated brass tailpieces on the first mandolin I built and so far so good.
International Violin Co. has mandolin tailpieces for less than $7.00 for gold plated brass.
You are probably getting what you pay for and I think I will eventually make my own (just because I want to) or I might get one of the nicer/heavier tailpieces being made by some of the luthiers out there. #

FWIW I had the cheap tailpiece that come with the IV kit engraved at a local trophy shop for $5 or $6.
By the way John (sunburst) do you sell your tailpieces and if so what do you charge?