Help me with my Obligatos

[cpete430]

The low E doesn't sit in the tailpiece right. When I put the end of the string through the hole and try to pull it up through the slot so it doesn't go anywhere, the string is too fat and doesn't go up there. That may sound confusing, but if you know what I'm talking about, I hope you can help. Thanks!

Craig

[kwd]

I had the same problem when I installed a plain gut A string. I widened the slot by carefully filing the tailpiece slot with a hobby file until the string could move freely through the tailpiece. If you do that, note that you need only file at the top of the slot where you'll thread the string through. Don't make the entire slot wider, you might compromise the tailpiece.

[Steve Killingsworth]

A narrow strip of sandpaper will work as well.

[robobass]

I don't quite follow. I think the entire slot needs to be widened evenly. Also, you may need to widen the slots in the nut and bridge. If the radii of the slots are smaller than those of the strings, you will have several problems.

Robobass

[Marcus Johnson]

If you do it as kwd suggests, you can pass the string through the wider slot at the upper end of the tailpiece, if you do so in a linear path; just put the end through, and pull it through the enlarged portion of the tailpiece. You need to be careful to not scratch the top of the bass if you do it this way. I'd think you might want to file off any sharp edge on the upper side of the tailpiece as well, just to avoid damaging the string winding.

Guitar players string up like this all the time, with their big balls. On the end of the strings, of course.

Bear in mind that tailpiece artists like Mike Pecanic might view this as butchery.