Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Tailpiece changes

Any input on changing tailpieces? Will it make a tone change? Is it worth the added expense? What are your experiences with this change? Who’s do you recommend? I think I need to do this to help bring my mandolin up as my abilities are greatly improved since becoming a Gold Pick Member. Thanks for the learning opportunities to the whole community. I find these forums entertaining and very educational.

Hey, 30inchcoal, since nobody’s replied to this in almost a year, I’ll just throw in my 2 cents worth. Personally, I’m not convinced that a new tailpiece will change the sound or tone of a mandolin that much. There are those who say it will, however. If you’ve got a better quality mandolin, say around $1000 or above, I do think it’s worth it to get a James tailpiece. It will make string changing a breeze. They are not cheap, but very well built, and will last a lifetime. Many of the top builders are using them, so there must be a reason. OrrinJ