Tailpiece for Loop Or Ball End

Has anyone ever seen or know of a company that makes a mando tailpiece that will accomodate ball end strings. Except of course the few mandos out their that already have them on such as the Ovation, and Dean MondoMando....

I spoke with a player the other day that said he takes ball end strings, loops the end thru the hole in the ball end and puts them on that way...? I can't seem to invision that working...but maybe it's just me.

Chuck in Ohio

[sunburst]

The cast Monteleone style tailpieces, where you have to thread the strings through holes, will accomodate ball ends. Others too, I'm sure. Just look for holes small and strong enough to work.

[PaulD]

To use ball end strings on something designed for loop end strings I was "taught" to cut the ball in half with wire cutters. If you're careful about the wire cutter placement you won't cut the loop. Wear eye protection... the half of the ball in the wire cutters will take off like a bullet!

pd

[8ch(pl)]

As above, I have cut the ball out of these type strings. I use a large pair of End Nippers, the heavy duty cutters that have their cutting edges at a 90 degree angle to the handles.

[otterly2k]

I've ruined a lot of strings trying to do this... it's not as simple as it sounds.

Several of the Allen tailpieces (like the Monteleone style one mentioned above) are set up with barbs for the loops to attach to, and also strung through a hole that is small enough to catch the ball end... these work for both types of strings. It surprises me that there aren't more that do this.

[mandroid]

I have managed ball breaking ...
[that description applied to some females too]

...better with a good pair of pliers whose jaws come together at a crisp squared corner. crushing the brass end, extracting the pieces, than trying to cut just the brass and not the music wire with actual cutters.


plan B is to form a loop at the other end..