Tailpiece installed with only 1 screw

valen

Hi,

I wanted to tell you that i've just purchased a Gitane dg-340 (modele Stephane Wrembel), and i noticed that the tailpiece is attached to the body with just one screw (the one at the center of the tailpiece), and the other two screw holes are unused. I'm a little worried since i fear the one screw might not stand the string tension and just jump off on some moment and damage the guitar...

Can anyone tell me if this is normal?
Any suggestions on what should I do?

would appreciate any comments,
Valentin

Jeff Moore

Nothing normal about that. I just checked three guitars (just to confirm) and they all have three holes and three screws. If you have a tiny drill bit, I'd put two more in. I doubt your in an explosive situation, but who knows how well the one screw is seated and why wait another day?
Weird!

valen

OK, thank you Jeff.
I'll do that, and maybe put a piece of leather under the tailpiece as well, to prevent buzzings.

Any advices on that?

Jeff Moore

Yeah, use thin material, but only because your one existing screw hole is already sited with the tailpeice low, so you don't want a thick piece of material to significantly changed the orientation of the tailpeice and the existing hole.
That's a lot of words for a tiny detail. It really won't matter much as long as you add the felt (or whatever) first (and compress it a little bit (like push down with your fingers while you drill) and then put the new holes with the material in place.
Do drill the new holes and test the holes on another bit of wood first to make sure its a good bit for the screws you choose.

valen

OK.

So I must cut the leather piece in the same shape of the part of the tailpiece that is in direct contact with the wood? (the back side of the guitar)?

That is, thinking that the screws must go through the leather as well... Is that right?

Also, I wonder if the leather should reach the frontal part of the tailpiece (between metal and wood) and how much? In that case, the problem is the existing gap between the tailpiece and the guitar (about 5 mm). I thought of making a little roll with this ending part of the leather so it don't remain free and buzzing with vibrations.

What would you recommend?

cheers,
Valentin

Il Trovatore

Mine definitely has all holes filled.

Jeff Moore

I looked at my two fancy guitars. One has vinyl the other felt, The vinyl might be leather? Looks like vinyl but I think you could use anything that's has similar properties.
Both materials on both guitars only go over the top of the guitar 1/2" or 5cm? (I'm no good with metric).
Both materials as you say follow "the same shape of the part of the tailpiece that is in direct contact with the wood? (the back side of the guitar)? But the screws do not actually go through the material because it is cut a little smaller. They hide behind the tailpiece but aren't quite as wide, so the screws don't actually go through them. Where the three screws go through on my guitars, the screws cause the tailpiece to crunch right up to the guitar and bend the tailpiece a little bit, over the material.
That's what it looks like to me, but I didn't take them apart.
If I have described it well enough it is stronger (the screws will make a better attachment) if they go through the brass tailpiece (and not through the material) but directly into the wood.