What do you think of this tailpiece ?

crookedpinky

OK dokey, here's a question for my gypsy jazz guitar playing and guitar building chums. Ger Boonstra, a dutch builder of guitars, reckons that his own design for an Art Deco style tailpiece for gypy guitars will in his own words
"increase tone and brilliance while reducing string tension. Angled compensation and staggered peg height for the best possible sound and playability."
What are your thoughts about this ? Will it work and if so how ?

crookedpinky

Here are some pics of said tailpiece

Buco

I love the look. Might get one.
How it could change the things he says it does, that I can't see.

AndrewUlle

Here's what I (a total amateur) think: by decreasing the after-length of the G, B, & E strings (relative to the standard-form tail piece), these strings would feel stiffer, or maybe better said, less-slinky/bendy than normal. The fact that the post heights are lower as the total string length shortens just acts to keep the break angles relatively constant. Ordinarily, the G,B &E strings get progressively longer after the bridge, and a constant loop-post height would essentially increase the break angle and therefore the downward pressure on the top (and thus the volume). But by keeping the absolute loop-post height constant & break angle constant, the volume of the G, B, & E strings should be progressively quieter than normal.

So overall, this tailpiece may tip the balance in sound/ volume towards the E, A, & D strings, while decreasing the bend-ability of the G, B, E strings slightly. Just my opinion.

Jazzaferri

The factors for string tension are string mass and length between nut and bridge. For any given string on a given scale length, the longitudinal tension to bring it to a specific tuning will be the same regardless on what is happening outside of the nut and bridge. With a greatly increased break angle the total string tension would I think have to be greater as break angle determines how much of the pressure gets transmitted downward.

Incidentally the higher the break angle the greater the forward torque is on the bridge

Bones

Won't affect string tension. Sorry. Looks cool though. Kinda like necks and bridges, I feel like you want the tailpiece to be as stiff (and light) as possible. No point using up the little energy that your pick puts into the string by wiggling anything besides the soundboard.

I've made similar tailpieces out of solid brass like that for archtops.

Jazzaferri

Metal tailpieces tend to help a brighter sound, wood tailpieces tend to help a darker sound. I suspect their influence is small but noticable

Bones

Yes Jay I tend to think you are correct. I've messed around with gluing dampening strips to the back of metal tailpieces just for kicks but as you say it is probably a minor effect and tone is subjective anyway so....

crookedpinky

I bit the bullet and ordered one. I'll let you know how it works once I've fitted it.

Jazzaferri

Oooh....now we will get a review ... thanks @crookedpinky

Bones

One thing I just thought about. The high posts on the bass side probably don't really do anything either. The line between the top of the bridge and the edge of the guitar at the tailblock will pretty much make a straight line (give or take depending on the bending stiffness of the tailpiece) since a string can't support lateral forces. That is why the tailpiece looks twisted in the picture looking from the tailblock toward the bridge so I don't see the point of the taller posts but I may be missing some second order effect.