Short tails on resos

[pete1951]

The resent post by Ken Clarke requesting a short tail piece got me thinking about the possible effects of the short tail.

Standard tails on some electric/reso conversions and travel models are a little long, almost hitting the handrest so I can see why the short tail was created ( I have used several on various creations)

National almost needed them on 1133 and 1033 models.

Could very short string length behind the bridge reduced volume and change tone?

The shorter than standard stings could make the system ‘stiffer’ .

Because short tails sit lower on the cover plate they make a sharper angle so you would have to pack the leading edge of the t/piece to its old angle to test this theory, or has someone done this already?

Of coarse resos might sound ‘better’ with the strings starting close to the handrest, if so the extra long t/pieces might be called for!

[Michael Messer]

It's an interesting thought that only a man who builds kitchen sink Dobros could come up with!

So now we need long tailpieces!!!



Shine On
Michael

[pete1951]

Yes, this might be the next big thing in the reso world. Some of the late 30s 14 fret models have very long behind the bridge string length ( your 12 string has I seem to recall?) would they benefit from an extra long t/piece? Or does the extra length give it its ‘ sound’ ?

[Michael Messer]

Being serious, I don't think there would be any benefit from having extra long tailpieces, and in fact there might well be an advantage to fitting short tailpieces on 1133s and 1033s. I am not going to test that out because I like them the way they are and we should not mess with something so beautiful and perfect that was made a long time ago. Mine was setup twenty something years ago by Dave King, who raised the soundwell with a plywood ring to get all the geometry correct, so I am not going to change it now.

Shine On
Michael

[ken1953clark]

The short tail lets me string the sollophonic correctly, not understrung as
with the standard tailpiece. Improves the break angle (IMHO obvs)

[leeophonic]

When I was thinking about the spec for my Dave King Dobro I got myself a cast Allen tailpiece, so short scale=longer string behind the bridge and the tailpiece is a very solid lump so no resonance is lost from the strings. Every component incrementally changes everything else, what suits me somebody else will not get along with.

Lee

No closeup photo on this laptop, it is on the left in a family gathering photo

[skateborg23]

I installed an Allen RS2 Tailpiece on my 1977 OMI Dobro 60N Round Neck and it helped solve a number of issues, namely intonation. I also installed a Replogle spider cone and a Beard offset spider bridge, plus carved my own maple saddle. These four player grade components working together cured the age old "OMI Dobro poor intonation above the 7th fret" problem.

[Michael Messer]

I am pleased that you have solved the intonation problems, but it could not have had anything to do with the new tailpiece or the cone.

I am not sure why you fitted an offset spider, they were designed specifically for 1930s fiddle edge Dobros and are totally useless on anything else. If your intonation was so much out that an offset spider helped it, what you should have done and probably still should do, is to get the neck reset by an expert resonator luthier, then put the original spider back and get it properly setup

Shine On
Michael

[snakehips]

And it looks like only the smaller half of the tailpiece side is on the guitar - and the whole of the top (of the tailpiece) is hovering in mid air !
Surely that will put undue stress on the edge of the guitar, under the tailpiece, and/or the right angle of the tailpiece (albeit it's solid metal !).