Anyone have any plusses/minuses on using a lighter pear wood or box wood tailpiece on a smaller, lighter bass?
Thanks
Louis
Thanks
Louis
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Double Bass Pearwood tailpiece
- Thread starter LouisF
- Start date
Wouldn't the #1 question be whether it can hold ~300lbs of tension?
They can and both woods are used on both 4 and 5 string basses. I was just wondering if anyone had info on the tone/characteristics of each. For example:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/teller_1n_bass_tailpiece_pearwood.htm
White Boxwood Harp Model Double Bass Tailpiece Carved with Hollow Back 3/4 | eBay
There is also rosewood (which I have on one bass), tulipwood and tamarind. Mike Pecanic used to make compensated tailpieces out of all sorts of exotic woods.
https://www.thomann.de/gb/teller_1n_bass_tailpiece_pearwood.htm
White Boxwood Harp Model Double Bass Tailpiece Carved with Hollow Back 3/4 | eBay
There is also rosewood (which I have on one bass), tulipwood and tamarind. Mike Pecanic used to make compensated tailpieces out of all sorts of exotic woods.
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Info re violins:
Boxwood tailpiece
(PS I also use a Marvin wireless tailpiece on one bass); the weight/wood density etc. factors seem to be endless.
The Swiss are also developing sustainable "snoods" from Walnut, Fig and other local woods (so far only for violin, viola and cello): Sonowood
Boxwood tailpiece
(PS I also use a Marvin wireless tailpiece on one bass); the weight/wood density etc. factors seem to be endless.
The Swiss are also developing sustainable "snoods" from Walnut, Fig and other local woods (so far only for violin, viola and cello): Sonowood
Last edited:
Heifetzbass
Commercial User
- Feb 6, 2004
- 774
- 118
- Disclosures
- Owner, Gencarelli Bass Works and Fine String Instruments, LLC.
Hi Louis,
Usually the lighter woods are less dense and provide a more lively and sustaining sound. Sometimes they work great on a bass, some not. If you are a pizz player mainly, that can be good. Sometimes they make it harder to bow- more resistance. The heavier tailpieces tend to tame the resistance.
Best,
Brian
Usually the lighter woods are less dense and provide a more lively and sustaining sound. Sometimes they work great on a bass, some not. If you are a pizz player mainly, that can be good. Sometimes they make it harder to bow- more resistance. The heavier tailpieces tend to tame the resistance.
Best,
Brian
Thanks, Brian. What baffles me is that on my Italian bass is that the "best" tailpiece -after much experimentation, was the Marvin wireless, with almost no mass at all.
Heifetzbass
Commercial User
- Feb 6, 2004
- 774
- 118
- Disclosures
- Owner, Gencarelli Bass Works and Fine String Instruments, LLC.
Louis,
As you know, there are many factors to set up and the TP is just one of them. An easy experiment is to take a TP and start adding weight. See how the bass reacts. Some like less, some like more. I did the wire TP thing in the early 90's before the Marvin. Just rigged up some Aircraft cable and clamps. It really opened up that bass. I upgraded and never felt the need to do it again.
The TP is usually the Wolf Tone adjustment to me. I adjust the sound more with the bridge, SP, and endpin.
Best,
BG
As you know, there are many factors to set up and the TP is just one of them. An easy experiment is to take a TP and start adding weight. See how the bass reacts. Some like less, some like more. I did the wire TP thing in the early 90's before the Marvin. Just rigged up some Aircraft cable and clamps. It really opened up that bass. I upgraded and never felt the need to do it again.
The TP is usually the Wolf Tone adjustment to me. I adjust the sound more with the bridge, SP, and endpin.
Best,
BG
Brian,
Thanks for the article. Very informative. For the biggest change comes from the end pin. I am amazed at how on some/most basses wood (what kind?)/steel/titanium/carbon fiber etc can change the tone, volume and focus of a bass. On my small Italian after going through whole range I have mostly settled on a ebony endpin (with the Marvin tailpiece). Even more mileage was gained (since I play seated) by cutting the length of the stick in half.
Thanks again. Be well.
Louis
Thanks for the article. Very informative. For the biggest change comes from the end pin. I am amazed at how on some/most basses wood (what kind?)/steel/titanium/carbon fiber etc can change the tone, volume and focus of a bass. On my small Italian after going through whole range I have mostly settled on a ebony endpin (with the Marvin tailpiece). Even more mileage was gained (since I play seated) by cutting the length of the stick in half.
Thanks again. Be well.
Louis
My fivestring is pretty finetuned. My luthier shaped a normal ebony tailpiece to make it lighter. We tried a few tailpieces. The lighter woods made the sound loose its core, the heavy ebony dampened overtones too much. This one is quiet right!
I would love to say that the padauk tailpiece I made for my bass made a huge difference from the original maple one but at the time I made it I had made some other minor modifications to my bass like: carved a new fingerboard, refinished the whole bass and changed the string length from 43" to 42" so I can't say for sure how much a difference it makes but I can say that when you thunk on the padauk tailpiece it mades a wonderful marimba like tone.
When I "transitioned" to guts I switch lightweight ebony (I believe) by Jake De Villiers at the Bass Spa in Canada. I could have the Marvin with guts but it involved padding etc and still seemed like the guts would get cut through eventually. Jake (who I believe passed away a couple of years ago a very young age) design a "harp" style compensated TP that was half the weight of anything else I'd seen at the time (it's been on the bass at least 4 years now). The one change I made was to change the ebony endpin for the original Cameleopard 1/2 carbon fiber pin. This seemed to settle the plain A and ground it a bit more.
Jake is definitely still around. As mark mentioned above, perhaps you were thinking of Gerard Samija (RIP)...
