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Old 02-21-2007, 02:44 PM
stan haskins stan haskins is offline
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Question Pecanic Tailpiece

Hey Mike and luthiers:

I wonder if you'd care to expound a little about the effect different tailpieces have on different basses.

Or, restated: Why should I, the consumer (that's my new nickname) try out a Pecanic tailpiece (or any of the others, for that matter)?
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Old 02-22-2007, 02:21 PM
Mike Pecanic Mike Pecanic is offline
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Sure! The quick short answers to the question(s) is/are: wood, wood, wood...the different hard (and some soft) woods have different response characteristics. I've found that what Ray Brown used to say about lighter woods make better tailpieces for pizz. players. as pretty true. So have my customers. I've also discovered that the ebonies don't necessarily make the best pieces for the arco predominant players, and they (the ebonies)shore don't make good adjustable tailpieces as they are just too darn heavy. The compensation thing sorta came about after realizing that most high-end arch top guitars and mandolins have compensated tailpieces as well as the 5 string Pohlmann's...my basic premise is that the larger diameter the string, the longer the string length, you know, like the harp. Then there is the aethestics of the shape, I think they look pretty cool! Back to the various types of wood. One example I like is that A 440 on a marimba sounds way different than A 440 on a vibraphone, at least to me. And they are all "one offs", made to order, one at a time in a little shop in California, nestled in foothills which, by the way, have snow on them today(wonder of wonders)! As David Gage once said about them, (I paraphrase) "I don't know if they work, but they look cool..." Hey, I think thats a complement coming from David...and I get my Cocobolo from a well-known maker of high-end electric basses, (Thanks again Ken)...
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Old 02-22-2007, 02:42 PM
stan haskins stan haskins is offline
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Yes, they do look cool . . .

I'm wondering how much they do for sound, though . . . I've heard someone (a student) mention that the compensating tailpieces can alleviate wolf tones. Do you think this is true? Does anyone else?
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Old 02-22-2007, 08:35 PM
Bob Branstetter Bob Branstetter is offline
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Question I'm Not from Missouri, But I Live Close To It

Mike, are you inferring that a tailpiece generates sound independently and/or that if you were to make two identically shaped tailpieces of different woods species, but of the same exact total weight (with everything else being equal), each tailpiece will make a bass "respond" or sound differently because of the woods response characteristic?
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Old 02-23-2007, 05:56 AM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Cool TP and sound..

First off, we need to know how much the TP contributes to the actual sound of the Bass. Then comparing two extremes like Ebony and Maple both the exact same size. Cocobolo as many of you know is used for Marimbas. I played behind a Marimba concerto last week and all the keys were Cocobolo.

I have been told the Ebony TPs are a 20th century thing. Out of all the older pre-1920 Basses I have acquired over the last 6 years, 5 out of 11 of them (half) had non-Ebony TPs on them. Some if not all may be original to the Bass. Most seem to be stained Maple but the TP on my English Gilkes is heavy and might be some other hardwood used in England 200 years ago. It looks to be original or at least from its 19th century restoration. Out of the 5 non-Ebony TPs, only two of them look to be original as 4-stringers and the Basses being my Batchelder and Martini were made as 4s as well. The Gilkes we are not sure about because during its c.1870s restoration & Cut it has two holes plugged as if it may have been a 3-stringer earlier. My Cornerless Bass has a 3 turned 4 str. TP with 3 holes plugged and 4 new ones drilled. Some of the TPs have just plain holes in them about 3-4mm and no 'loop' like a modern TP with a narrow channel above a larger maybe 10mm hole. One 3-string TP has two holes added so it could even be used as a 5er but the Scroll is barely long enough to hold 4 gears being a 3-stringer originally.

That being said, and sorry for the rant, I NEVER change a TP that comes on the Bass unless it's broken or just plain garbage. I did get one composite one in on my Bisiach labeled Bass and put an old Ebony one on that came off my Loveri. The Loveri got a fancy carved Indian ebony one that I bought for another Bass but was too small and was perfect for the Loveri. Also, I believe the size of the TP may matter on the Bass so if too small or too big. I might change it if I think it will help but thinking of doing it and doing it are two different things. Once the Bass is strung up and working, I usually don't mess with it.

I put a Cocobolo Pecanic TP on my 5er because it was converted from a 4.

Switching TPs back and forth with fresh strings is the only real way to tell if it makes much of a difference. Adding a Bow quiver to your Bass may alter the sound just as much if not more than changing TPs. Also, the compensating TP can possibly have a greater effect than wood differences unless the woods are drastically different. If the Bass is not overly responsive to slight changes then the differences might be less. Basses with better acoustical properties, might show the changes more.

Then again, I just might be wasting a whole bunch of cyber ink here rather than doing something more constructive with my time..lol

What was the question again?
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Old 02-23-2007, 08:14 AM
stan haskins stan haskins is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith View Post
What was the question again?
Do compensating tailpieces have a discernible effect on wolf tones and overall sound quality in the average bass?
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