Question about tailpiece covres

[LarryMando]

I have two mandos - on one the tailpiece cover is very snug and it goes off and on only with effort - it slides on from the back.

I just purchased a used Mid-Mo M-0 and it had no cover. I asked the previous owner about a cover and he didn't even know what I was talking about.

So I emailed Mike Dulak himself inquiring what size cover I would need and where to get one. As you might expect, he sent an envelope with a few different covers absolutely free of charge. WOW

One fits OK in that it is snug, but it does not slide on, so it comes off very easily. I have already almost lost it a couple of times already in just a few weeks.

Any thoughts?

[BTW, I like the Mid-Mo a lot, not real loud but super tone. Based on the S/N Mike thought it was about 10 years old.]

[JEStanek]

Those stamped covers can have the sides bent in to make the fit more or less snug.

Jamie

[Eddie Sheehy]

A tweak of the cover's sides with a pliers will "snuggen it". DO NOT tweak the tailpiece...

[LarryMando]

so, there are tail piece covers that don't slide on, but are held merely by 'snuggidity'? If that's the case, I will lose this cover because it is already very snug - but it doesn't take much of a snag to yank it off.

[MikeEdgerton]

No, they are all supposed to slide. Yanking them off causes them to rattle or fall of eventually. The problem is that there really aren't any standards, they all look the same but are slightly different. If it was me I'd spend the 15 bucks and buy a tailpiece. There's nothing magic about the original.

[mandroid]

these will do also:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Mandolin_tailpieces/Scalloped_Mandolin_Tailpiece.html


no separate cover, .. note the straight line across , some adding of wood under it
on the mandolin, to make a flat surface is probably better than trying to bend things to attempt to follow the somewhat curved end.. wouldn't need to be glued on , just slightly longer screws..

BigMo's seem a bit flatter across the end, may not need much.

[Dave Weiss]

The covers on the tailpieces that come on the Big Muddies DO NOT SLIDE. I had to "adjust" the sides of the covers on both of mine for the fit that I wanted and have never had a problem with them coming off.

>>>===> Dave

[LarryMando]

thanks for everyone's comments - I will tweak the cover I hqave and try to make it stick . . . otherwise I risk losing the cover and losing a lot of blood from forearm gashes :)

[Willie Poole]

Put a thin piece of foam under the cover when sliding it on, also helps dampen and vibrations or overtones that might occure.....Willie