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Atailpiece is a component on manystringedmusical instruments that anchors one end of the strings, usually opposite the end with the tuning mechanism (thescroll,headstock,peghead, etc.).
The tailpiece anchors thestrings, so it must be strong enough to withstand their combined tension. Tailpieces of theviolin family orviol families of instruments, includingdouble basses, are attached by a "tailgut" looped around the tailpin or end button, which is let into the bottom bock of the instrument.[1] Originally made of animalgut and adjusted with difficulty by means of aknot, tailguts are now usually made ofwire ornylon monofilament, and easily adjusted withthreaded collars, usually made ofbrass, on the ends.
Tailpieces are made of many materials. Violin tailpieces are typically made of wood:ebony,rosewood,boxwood, or rarelypernambuco. Other materials include cast light metal, and composites including plastic. Choice of material may have more than just cosmetic effect; a well-made instrument is sensitive to tailpiece weight, mass distribution, and tailgut placement on the saddle. Fretted string instrument tailpieces are typically made of metal.
Violin tailpieces come in various shapes. Some resemble a tulip or a goblet. The commonHill style has a central longitudinal ridge that gives it a faceted appearance. Some violin tailpieces feature decorative elements, asshell inlays or ornate stylized or figurative carvings.
Devices called "fine-tuners" are sometimes used to assist in thetuning of the instrument; they may either be affixed to the tailpiece or built into its design. Most modern violinists, regardless of what other strings they use, play an E with a solid steel core, which may be overly touchy to tune with the traditionaltuning pegs. For convenience in tuning, the added mass of a single fine tuner is a tolerable trade-off. Four fine tuners are advantageous when tuning a set of metal-core strings.
Some electric guitar tailpieces feature avibrato bar, which a player uses to alter the pitch of all strings at once for various musical effects.
A well-set-up instrument from the violin family will have attention paid to the tuning of the afterlength, or string length on the tailpiece side of thebridge. On many instruments it is set to 1/6 the playing length, or length betweennut and bridge, sounding twooctaves and afifth above the opennote of the playing length.[2] This tuning may be varied to give certain desired effects.[3]
The shorter the afterlength, the tamer, more refined, more mellow and round the sound will be, but power and freedom of the instrument can suffer.
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