installing tailpiece leather question

blindjimmy · May 2006

hi, would someone please explain the process for installing leather under the tailpiece. how far up the piece should it extend, do the screws go through the leather, is it glued into place, if so, around the edges, just the corners, the whole piece, and, which color of leather sounds best? thank you

Josh Hegg · May 2006

Vary good post...

"how far up the piece should it extend" - About 6mm
"do the screws go through the leather" - Yes
"is it glued into place" - No
"just the corners" - No
"the whole piece" - if your still talking about glue then - No
"which color of leather sounds best" - This is where things get really technical. This is a very individual and personal process and should not be taken lightly. If you are asking the question then you really should take the time to think seriously about the answer. I'll try and answer your question with a question. What color allows you to play your best?

Cheers,
Josh

Chopper · May 2006

Lake placid blue, sunburst, with green sparkling stars works well for me

Josh Hegg · May 2006

Chopper,

I thought I was the only one!

pmh425 · May 2006

Chopper wrote:

Lake placid blue, sunburst, with green sparkling stars works well for me

I like to match it to the color of the silk on the strings. I use loop end Argentine 11's (with red silk) so I have red leather under my tail piece

Chopper · May 2006

pmh425,

Nice idea, but the green stars won't fit

Maybe Josh can help with one of his tricks.

blindjimmy · May 2006

thank you josh ! you do mean that the leather should extend about 6mm after passing over the top of the guitar, as opposed using to a 6mm long
piece of leather, yes? your answer about leather color was very insightful, i'm sure there are doctors specializing in the psychology of colors with all sorts of statistics to support what you said. also, about that plastic rectangle, is there a preffered wood to replace it with, i'm guessing rosewood or ebony. how thick could/should the piece of wood be? sorry if these questions are lame, i just want to do everything properly the first time thanks

pmh425 · May 2006

Chopper wrote:

pmh425,

Nice idea, but the green stars won't fit Maybe Josh can help with one of his tricks.

You could use green sparkles and glue them to the silk at the end of the strings!!!

Josh Hegg · May 2006

The wood can be any thing you want. Most of the time it is Ebony but anything can be used. The thickness is not more then about 5mm normally but you could make it as thick as you like. you could even build in a little door to hold picks or to reveal a hidden symbol or extra shiny star from your tailpiece leather. It just really depends on how far you want to take it.

Cheers,
Josh

Chopper · May 2006

You guys have really a good sense of humor, I like it !

Blindjimmy : I feel that you want to get the best out of your guitar, sorry for the jokes, but the secret relies on listening, learning, playing. Gear is not that important.