Does anyone have any good pictures of both the nickel and the silver James tailpieces? I have scoured the internet but I can't really find any pictures that compare how differently the two look.
Does anyone have any good pictures of both the nickel and the silver James tailpieces? I have scoured the internet but I can't really find any pictures that compare how differently the two look.
2008 Gibson F-9
2010 Jon Mann OEM-8
Check out Elderly. I don't know what you are looking for or whether you can tell anything from these photos:
James Nickel
James Silver
Jim
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They look pretty much identical, in fact the first time I received a nickel one from Bill I had to call him to make sure I received the correct one I think the main difference is the the nickel will tarnish more slowly than the silver.
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Same price, too. I have one on my Brentrup and I think it is silver... or is it nickel. Did he always make all three or was it only silver and gold originally?
Jim
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Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Yes, the silver plated version is a bit 'lighter' and will tarnish significantly faster.
Mix Bought the silver plate. It does tarnish.. might have to get some silverware cleaner..
of course Gold does not tarnish, that's why its used for electrical contacts..
both are relatively soft, Nickel would be more durable .. & less precious,
you could leave it in the plating bath longer for a thicker coating..
the precious metals are kept pretty thin. a few microns.. save $ ..
Last edited by mandroid; Dec-12-2019 at 5:59pm.
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I asked the same question of Bill James a few years ago. His e-mailed answer was:
They both have a “satin” finish. That is, blasted before plating so technically they both have the same “finish”. Here is an image I found that helps show the difference in color, silver on the left . Keep in mind the silver will tarnish faster and get darker than the nickel.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
The one on my Brentrup never tarnished so it might be nickel. Works well though. If I was loaded I would buy one for other mandolins. Great tailpiece.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
When doing some work on my mandolin several years ago Hans ask me it I wanted a James tailpiece instead of his. I said I liked his fine. I don't use the cover, as I like the sound better without, making it more like a Nugget for string changes and appearance. I am sure I would like the James, but satisfied with the Brentrup.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
I bought a brushed nickel shell style James off the classifieds here. I haven't installed it yet, but darn if it doesn't look like brushed gold to me. Is it just my eyes, or did thhey make gold ones, too?
They do indeed make a gold tailpiece. It's one of the three options available.
https://www.axinc.net/James_Mandolin...iece_p/jtt.htm
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Guess I'm late to the party. What makes these tailpieces so much better than anything else? Do they improve the sound?
'24 Gibson F-5g, NK Forster '23 Big Celtic - O, Northfield F5S, Weber Bitterroot F20-F Octave, Home built F5 (1995)
As much as anyone wants to talk about improving the sound they really don't. No tailpiece does. They do make string changes easier and they are a work of art.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
+1 for that. Occasionally, you get some folks claiming that a tailpiece swap made a big difference to the tone of their mandolin. This makes little sense, from an instrument perspective, and I find it rather hard to believe them. Usually, something else was changed out at the same time as the tailpiece, for example: new strings were put on, or the bridge was subtly re-positioned, or the strings were re-seated in their grooves in the saddle and nut. And those small adjustments were likely driving any changes they were reporting. Also, a better-designed tailpiece can eliminate the undesirable buzzing ("harmonic suppression") that sometimes occurs between the tailpiece and the strings, or noisy vibrations of the tailpiece cover itself. Such noises can also be eliminated rather easily in other ways, e.g., by bending or better seating the tailpiece cover, or by using a leather caul under the cover, or by using rubber grommets (or a piece of leather, or clamping a "harmonic supressor") on the strings behind the bridge. But the tailpiece itself is not making the mandolin sound better.
Does anyone have any pictures of a tarnished silver? I might actually enjoy the "aged" or tarnished look.
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