Does the length and/shape of an OB tailpiece affect the sound?
Edited by - HighLonesomeF5 on 11/11/2024 15:51:56
If you are referring to the Gold Tone OB models, I would think the weight would have more effect than the length and shape. They are cast instead of being stamped out of sheet metal which makes them heavy.
For example Rickard offers 5 different tail pieces, Romero has 6. Wondering if there is a significant tonal difference.
Edited by - HighLonesomeF5 on 11/12/2024 04:53:20
Yes, the size, shape, weight, etc. of your tailpiece can all make a difference in your tone. Like any change you make in the instrument, what sort of difference depends on numerous other variables in your banjo's design and setup, and your individual playing style.
One factor in choosing a tailpiece which I don't think gets the attention it deserves is string spacing. The closer the string spacing at the tailpiece is to the spacing on the bridge, the less likely that the bridge will move laterally (and throw the tuning off). And less likely that a string will pop out of its bridge slot. Less sideways pull at the bridge slot also should also mean more efficient transfer of vibration through the bridge to the head (improving volume and tone). The difference in tone between a narrower tp and a wider one may or may not be obvious, but if you pick with as heavy a hand as I sometimes do, you'll notice right away how much better you stay in tune if those strings are all going straight across the bridge.
What is an "OB" tailpiece? What does "OB" refer to?
quote:
Originally posted by RB3What is an "OB" tailpiece? What does "OB" refer to?
OB refers to Orange Blossom which was Gold Tone's top of the line series before they started making the Mastertone series. They used tailpieces like the ones below. The new Mastertones use traditional tailpieces.
quote:
Originally posted by RB3What is an "OB" tailpiece? What does "OB" refer to?
Open Back, as in open back banjo.
I thought it was either old-time banjo tailpiece or obscure banjo tailpiece. Which is it, open back or Orange Blossom?
By the way, the answer to the original question is "y".
Which makes both of my posts completely irrelevant. I wouldn't have made myself look like a fool if I had known you were talking about an open back banjo.
Edited by - Culloden on 11/13/2024 07:28:51
Mark,
You didn't make yourself look like a fool; you simply provided a plausible response based upon a reasonable interpretation of an abbreviation.
How does the length/shape of an open back tail piece affect the sound?
I, too, never saw "OB" as an abbreviation for "open back". There is no such thing as an open back tailpiece, by the way.
quote:
Originally posted by EmielI, too, never saw "OB" as an abbreviation for "open back". There is no such thing as an open back tailpiece, by the way.
So what do you call the hardware that holds the strings at the pot end.
quote:
Originally posted by HighLonesomeF5quote:
Originally posted by EmielI, too, never saw "OB" as an abbreviation for "open back". There is no such thing as an open back tailpiece, by the way.
So what do you call the hardware that holds the strings at the pot end.
I call it a tailpiece, of course. Any tailpiece can be used on a resonator banjo and on an openback banjo, though some are more popular on openbacks than on resonator banjos. Tailpieces like the Presto, the Kershner, the Clamshell, the Waverly (old and new) are seen all the time on openbacks and on resonator banjos.
quote:
Originally posted by Emielquote:
Originally posted by HighLonesomeF5quote:
Originally posted by EmielI, too, never saw "OB" as an abbreviation for "open back". There is no such thing as an open back tailpiece, by the way.
So what do you call the hardware that holds the strings at the pot end.
I call it a tailpiece, of course. Any tailpiece can be used on a resonator banjo and on an openback banjo, though some are more popular on openbacks than on resonator banjos. Tailpieces like the Presto, the Kershner, the Clamshell, the Waverly (old and new) are seen all the time on openbacks and on resonator banjos.
I have no doubt any tailpiece can be instalked on an OB banjo. The OB makers I have seen appear to install tailpieces different from what is generally found on resonator banjos. Live and learn.
In broad terms, a tailpiece with more downwards pressure on the strings against the bridge, gives a punchier tone. And adding weight anywhere to the banjo, including a heavier tailpiece, can add a bit of sustain and presence.
I think there is a noticeable, even if quite subtle, difference in tone between different tailpieces, but generally not as much as different bridges, heads, strings, tone rings and picks (if you use them), can have. If your banjo is not quite sounding right to you and you know in which direction you would like to steer it, a different tailpiece may help you achieve what you are after.
As the length of the tailpiece increases, the lengths of the portion of the strings between the end of the tailpiece and the bridge will become shorter and the angle between those string portions and the vertical surface of the bridge will become more acute. That means that for a given string tension, increasing the tailpiece length will result in an increased downward force on the bridge. The result is that a longer tailpiece will tend to mute the instrument and diminish both the sustain and the presence of bass overtones. As Max Max said, it will become “punchier”. To the extent that “shape” is related to the mass and rigidity of the tailpiece, it will also affect the tone and response of the instrument.
The first decent quality banjo I acquired was a Baldwin D model. It had the standard Baldwin/Ode tailpiece, which has to be the longest and most massive tailpiece ever put on a banjo. The first thing I did with that banjo was to install a shorter tailpiece.
