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While restringing an old bowl back, a tine snapped off of the tailpiece... Another tine is bent and likely to snap under tension. I'm going to try to post a pic... Anyone have a tp like this sitting around or know where I can find one? (Happy to purchase, just not sure where to look).
Thanks in advance for any help offered.
Attachment 196463
Karen that appears to be the base of a Waverly Cloud type tailpiece. The good news is that people sell the base often on eBay. The bad news is there aren't any up there right now. Just two that have been modified for banjo. Search eBay using the keywords "vintage mandolin tailpiece" and also "vintage banjo tailpiece". They show up regularly. You might have to wait a few days.
If you know somebody with a few metalwork skills and small tools, it might be possible to saw down from the hole and bend out a new short tine. The originals were just stamped out and then given a small amount of shaping by hand, I assume. You could also loosen the screw above and assuming the loops are big enough, loop the string over the screw end and tighten it down a bit making sure it does not break the loop. The screw head could be filed a little smaller if needed. You may find that the weaker tine will hold out- string that one up to tension and see if it bends upward or stays okay before you do anything time-consuming but using the screw is an easy thing to try. Meanwhile, you can wait for another tailpiece base to come your way and change over when you next restring the instrument- that might be quite a while in my case!
Thanks, Mike and Nick-
Mike -I'll look on ebay for a base. It's not exactly the same as the cloud tp you posted... the top has 3 lobes instead of 5, the tines are configured differently and the shape of the base is a little different, but it is similar, and looks like it could work.
Nick - I thought of using the screw for the one on the far left... but that other bent tine is hanging on by a thread, so I thought better to replace the base. That said, I may have a screw small enough to put in for that one too.
open to other suggestions - or if anyone has a tp base in your parts drawer that matches this. thanx!!
You can use the screw in the middle below the tine that is ready to fail- it is in a reasonable position. It is unusual to have a screw there- normally there are only three screws on this sort of base- not four. I bought a mandolin recently, and the tailpiece had a completely new set of tines that had been created that was held in place by the top two screws. It worked okay- but I did not want to keep it so I used a spare base I had tucked away.
There were at least three different designs used on these over the years (probably more) but they are all the same basic screw pattern. The tops were not totally interchangeable either but they are all the same basic piece.Quote:
Originally Posted by otterly2k
Are you still doing lutherie in the Philly area?
Thanks for the info, friends.
Yes, still in Philly - doing a little instrument repair work around the edges of my full time regular work. It's more of a hobby than a vocation for me, but I'm still doing jobs here and there. I let people know that I may not be able to be very quick with the work b/c it's a side job for me, and set my rates accordingly. And refer them to f/t luthiers if they need advanced/complicated work or need it done more quickly than I can manage.