Best Five String Tailpiece

[PRUNEFACE]

Am looking for a tailpiece for my five string Shen that should be coming in in the next week or two -what are your opinions on tailpieces? Anything special to consider for a fiver? Any brand recommendations?

[Eric Hochberg]

It's not coming with a tailpiece?

[PRUNEFACE]

My understanding is that it comes with a local Chinese rosewood-type wood tailpiece.

[Eric Hochberg]

That tailpiece will probably be perfectly fine. Do you have "tweak fever"?

[PaulCannon]

The best five string tailpiece on the market is the one that makes your five string bass sound the best. Good luck finding it.

[PRUNEFACE]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

That tailpiece will probably be perfectly fine. Do you have "tweak fever"?

Nope just want to make sure Im not getting anything risky. Then again if it comes from Shen it should be safe.

[chris1125]

The rosewood tailpiece that came on my 4 string works great. Sounds fine and I think it adds a lot of character to the instrument.

[ElMon]

Does switching out a tailpiece make a discernable sonic difference? Apologies for my ignorance on the subject, but I could see where if it DID make a difference it might affect the Low B strings performance more than the other strings.

[PaulCannon]

Originally Posted by ElMon

Does switching out a tailpiece make a discernable sonic difference?.

Yes. The tailpiece is a vibrating part of the instrument and contributes mass. Any change in those variables (properties of the material, the mass) will affect the sound.

I once tried four different tailpieces in a row on my Toenniges. Only the original sounded good, every other one made the bass sound quiet and unresponsive. I guess the maker knew what he was doing.

[JtheJazzMan]

I went with a wire tailpiece for a while, but in the end I went back to the heavy ebony tailpiece and it and solved all the phasing and wolf tones I was having with the wire TP.

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I changed from an ebony tailpiece to a very lightweight basswood one and both the arco and pizz response improved. The bass really opened up.
That said, don't do a thing to your new bass for a year. Get to know it first.

[Skabasskid]

I got the same bass that youre getting and switched out the stock tailpiece for an ebony French-cut tailpiece and it sounds beautiful. God you're going to love this bass. I'm addicted to mine,