Tailpiece

Spalo

Speaking as someone who's never been near a real Selmac, can anyone tell me how the original tailpiece accomodated both Loop End and Ball End Strings?

(This is the sort of thing that can keep a sad person awake at night !!! )

SP

pmh425

Spalo wrote:

Speaking as someone who's never been near a real Selmac, can anyone tell me how the original tailpiece accomodated both Loop End and Ball End Strings?

(This is the sort of thing that can keep a sad person awake at night !!! )

SP

I believe they were much like the modern versions where each post (for the loop end strings) also has a hole through it (for the ball end strings). I have seen pictures of Selmers that have a mix of Loop and Ball end strings fitted.

-Peter

Josh Hegg

The one that I have seen in person does not take ball end strings. I think the ball end might have been a modification done post production by a luthier. On the one I have seen the posts are very short. So it would be hard to drill a hole to run a string through for ball end.

Cheers,
Josh

pmh425

Josh Hegg wrote:

The one that I have seen in person does not take ball end strings. I think the ball end might have been a modification done post production by a luthier. On the one I have seen the posts are very short. So it would be hard to drill a hole to run a string through for ball end.

Cheers,
Josh

I guess the one I saw had a replacement tail piece. Although, there is a 50's Selmer on gypsyguitars.com that has ball end strings that seems to have the short posts

http://www.gypsyguitars.com/instrument- ... php?id=862

vince

While we are on the subject of tailpieces, what does the leather under the tailpiece do? where does it attach?

Josh Hegg

It kills with strange overtones due to the metal against wood as well as protect from finish cracking over time.

just the bassplayer

What keeps me awake at night is wondering what color Django's socks were, and if the socks color has to match the leather color for authentic gypsy tone.
All of my pictures of Django are black and white, so I used black leather under my tailpiece. Mon Dieu.

Even more worrying, does the pick color have to match the leather?


Michael Hayes

vince

just the bassplayer wrote:

What keeps me awake at night is wondering what color Django's socks were, and if the socks color has to match the leather color for authentic gypsy tone.
All of my pictures of Django are black and white, so I used black leather under my tailpiece. Mon Dieu.

haha. I worry about whether I will ever be capable of playing gypsy guitar... but occasionally I worry that I won't be able to grow django's moustache as well.

Bob Holo

Your pick color has to match your eyes or every other note you play is a half step sharp...

... oh, wait... sorry... I was in the wrong key.

The leather under the tail is a good thing though - at least on the tailpieces with the wooden/plastic doohickeys that tend to not be quite as tight in their slots as they should be and make strange noises at some frequencies. If you're against leather, you could line it with naugahyde or felt - but you'd only be encouraging the slaugher of innocent naugas or feltabeasts.