I'm interested in discussing the varieties of tailpieces for Lyon and Healy Style A, B and C mandolin family instruments.
Perhaps we can say these tailpieces fall into at least three categories:
1. Very early tailpieces with the prototype tailpiece cover. I have never seen pictures of one of these without the tailpiece cover on, so I can't say much about them. A good picture can be seen on Andy Irvine's site, here. There is also a nice pic on page 125 of Hubert Pleijsier's book.
2. Early tailpieces that have "PAT. APL'D FOR" stamped on the base just above where the bottommost screw goes into the mandolin.
3. Later tailpieces that do not have anything stamped on the base, but which have "PAT-4-15-19" stamped into the top of the tailpiece, just below the glued-in piece of felt.
I'm particularly interested in whether there are, in general, any structural differences between the second and third categories of tailpieces I mention above.
Here are three pictures of a tailpiece which has the "PAT. APL'D FOR" stamp. The first picture shows the base of the tailpiece where the words are stamped. The next two show the top part of the tailpiece, above where the “lever member” pushes down against the strings (as described in the tailpiece patent, viewable here.
The idea, according to the patent and to the Pleijsier book, was that each set of strings would touch against one of four “beads.” These four beads were varying distances from the bridge, mirroring its compensation. The idea was that the length between each bead and the bridge allowed for “preset overtones.”
Resting above each pair of strings was a separate metal plate (held snug against the strings by virtue of the “lever member”), which likewise varied in length to match the bead arrangement. These four plates were each attached to each other, and so really comprised one piece of metal, which was in turn connected to the tailpiece by loops that went through four holes drilled in the tailpiece. This arrangement allows you to lift up the plates so you can sneak the strings underneath them.
[NOTE: I will admit to stringing the strings on my Style A above, rather than below, these plates for a few years, until I wised up. I couldn't tell any difference in sound.]
Now take a look at the pictures in the next post...
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