Tailpiece is installed to a string instrument to primarily hold the end of the strings. The most common reasons to change the tailpiece are replacement of damaged tailpiece and tone modification or enhancement. The main body of a tailpiece is usually made of hardwood such as rosewood, ebony, etc. Sometime you will find it…
Wolf sound or wolf tone is dissonance created from a string instrument amplifying an overtone and expanding the frequencies of the played note. Almost all violins, violas, cellos and double basses have wolf tones. This has nothing to do with the quality, structure or setup of the instruments. To eliminate this dissonance, we used to…
Unlike the string instrument itself, be it sheep gut, steel or synthetic, strings are not made to last long. Indeed, strings are always stretched and under great pressure after instalment. It is obvious that the materials will deteriorate and loose tension over time which will greatly affect your performance and sound quality. So…
Endpin, an essential component to cellos and double basses, is an extensible rod usually made of metal, carbon fiber or sometimes wood with a pointed tip to stick to the ground and to keep the instrument stationed. It not only allows more stability but also has great influence in sound production. Endpin first appeared…
Rosin is an essential accessory to provide grip on strings and it comes in dark, amber, and light color. Usually dark (or ‘winter’) rosins have more grip and are particularly useful in areas that have prolonged, extreme cold weather conditions, and generally produces a darker tone. Light (or ‘summer’) rosins work better in warmer environments…
Rule 1: Get a good string instrument String instrument produces sounds by amplifying vibrations transmitted from the string via the bridge. With quality strings installed on a quality instrument which can produce good and balanced sounds, these strings can make great differences in the sound. If the instrument is not good at projecting the…
“Have you ever heard a wolf cry to a blue corn moon?” Don’t get us wrong – we are no Pocahontas or wolf hunters. But we should know how a wolf sounds like if we are string players. Wolf sound or wolf tone (Listen) is dissonance that may be heard when a string instrument is…
Good and matching strings will gloss over faults and reveal all good qualities in your instrument. We should have some basic ideas about strings before we learn how to choose them. Strings are made from core string with metal winding. The material choice for the core can greatly influence the thickness (gauge) and tension of…
When cello and double basses first appeared, players would place them on the ground and hold them with their legs when they play. But soon it was found that playing with the instruments above the ground would improve acoustics. Some tried to support the instruments with their calves or place them on a raised platform;…
Tailpiece is one of the major features that is easily recognized on string instruments. Paired up with the pegs located at the top of the instrument, it is an essential component in setting up many string instruments. It acts as the bottom anchor for the strings with fine tuners for minute pitch adjustment and withstands…
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