Banjo Uke Tailpiece

Jerryc41 · Oct 24, 2018

I'm looking for a tailpiece for a build. I'm using a 10" Remo drum as the base. Would this tailpiece ($7.95) work. It's non-adjustable, but I don't know what that means. There's another one for $29.95 that apparently is adjustable.

I know about the bolt and tailpiece bracket to attach whatever I get. What is a tailpiece bracket?

I can't post links now, but I hope to add them after I post this question.

Non-Adjustable
https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_an...ailpieces/Non_adjustable_Banjo_Tailpiece.html

Adjustable
https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_an...or_Banjo/Pisgah_Hawktail_Banjo_Tailpiece.html

T-Bracket
https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_an...arts/Banjo_Hooks_and_Hardware/T-Brackets.html

jcalkin · Oct 24, 2018

Adjustable tailpieces can apply a variable amount of down pressure on the head of a banjo.
You are already looking at stewmac.com, so go to their general banjo parts page. All of the parts are illustrated.

Normal banjo tailpieces have a sort of claw meant to catch on the tension hoop to attach it to the banjo. Remo frame drums don't have a metal tension hoop, they have a ribbon. The claw might reach the rim, but it will dig into it. If you study old banjos you'll see a variety of tailpieces that hook up with a gut "string" sort of like a violin system. You could make one of those.

As soon as you start messing about with hybrid instruments you'll find that useful standardized parts don't exist. You'll have to be inventive. You might even look at cigar box instruments to see what clever builders have come up with. You might even decide to build a cigar box uke. Be aware that a faction of those guys are proud of the crappiness of their builds, but others are trying to be as neat as possible. Its a strange "dark side" of lutherie.

Also, switching to an 8" frame drum might be more fitting for a uke of any size.

Jerryc41 · Oct 24, 2018

jcalkin said:
Adjustable tailpieces can apply a variable amount of down pressure on the head of a banjo.
You are already looking at stewmac.com, so go to their general banjo parts page. All of the parts are illustrated.

Normal banjo tailpieces have a sort of claw meant to catch on the tension hoop to attach it to the banjo. Remo frame drums don't have a metal tension hoop, they have a ribbon. The claw might reach the rim, but it will dig into it. If you study old banjos you'll see a variety of tailpieces that hook up with a gut "string" sort of like a violin system. You could make one of those.

As soon as you start messing about with hybrid instruments you'll find that useful standardized parts don't exist. You'll have to be inventive. You might even look at cigar box instruments to see what clever builders have come up with. You might even decide to build a cigar box uke. Be aware that a faction of those guys are proud of the crappiness of their builds, but others are trying to be as neat as possible. Its a strange "dark side" of lutherie.

Also, switching to an 8" frame drum might be more fitting for a uke of any size.

Thanks. I suspected that the tailpiece might press down on the drum, rather than on the non-existent rim. Maybe I could put a piece of wood - or something - between the tailpiece and the drum.

I've built three cigar box ukes, so I thought I'd try something different. A certain amount of crappiness creeps into my builds, but I'm certainly not proud of it. The alternative is to do nothing. If I make a tailpiece, it would fall into that crappiness realm.

An alternative would be to buy a Flea or Fluke and use the tailpiece from that.

I wouldn't dare ask the Magic Fluke to sell me just the tailpiece. Speaking of those instruments, I think the neck and the supporting piece inside the drum is all one piece.

jcalkin · Oct 24, 2018

Jerryc41 said:
Thanks. I suspected that the tailpiece might press down on the drum, rather than on the non-existent rim. Maybe I could put a piece of wood - or something - between the tailpiece and the drum.

I've built three cigar box ukes, so I thought I'd try something different. A certain amount of crappiness creeps into my builds, but I'm certainly not proud of it. The alternative is to do nothing. If I make a tailpiece, it would fall into that crappiness realm.

An alternative would be to buy a Flea or Fluke and use the tailpiece from that.

I wouldn't dare ask the Magic Fluke to sell me just the tailpiece. Speaking of those instruments, I think the neck and the supporting piece inside the drum is all one piece.

>If I make a tailpiece, it would fall into that crappiness realm.<
It doen't matter. You have to start somewhere.

Jerryc41 · Oct 24, 2018

jcalkin said:
>If I make a tailpiece, it would fall into that crappiness realm.<
It doen't matter. You have to start somewhere.

True. I do the best I can, considering time and money. If I have to buy a $1,000 machine to make perfect cuts, I'll be satisfied with pretty good cuts.

RPA_Ukuleles · Oct 24, 2018

Here's a quick/easy tailpiece option. Fit a wood saddle piece to the drum and drill through that and the drum. Knot the strings and feed through from inside.

Jerryc41 · Oct 24, 2018

RPA_Ukuleles said:
Here's a quick/easy tailpiece option. Fit a wood saddle piece to the drum and drill through that and the drum. Knot the strings and feed through from inside.
View attachment 113003

Thanks! I think that will do it.

Jerryc41 · Oct 24, 2018

RPA_Ukuleles said:
Here's a quick/easy tailpiece option. Fit a wood saddle piece to the drum and drill through that and the drum. Knot the strings and feed through from inside.
View attachment 113003

When you attached that, did you put screws through the band on the drum head? I'm afraid of messing up that band's grip on the drum head.

RPA_Ukuleles · Oct 24, 2018

Nope, it's just glued in place. The string tension does most of the holding on. The glue is to keep it in the correct location.

If you were to remove the ribbon band, you'd see that just double sided tape is used to hold that on. A row of about a million staples are what holds the actual head on the drum frame. I drilled the string holes below that staple line.

Jerryc41 · Oct 24, 2018

RPA_Ukuleles said:
Nope, it's just glued in place. The string tension does most of the holding on. The glue is to keep it in the correct location.

Clever. Getting that curve cut into the wood will be a challenge.

DPO · Oct 24, 2018

Get a five string no knot tailpiece from Rickard banjos Canada. Tie beads on the strings and they will pull tight between the posts.

ProfChris · Oct 24, 2018

A mandolin tailpiece which just screws to the drum should work perfectly well (various styles are available). I'd think adjustable down pressure is nearly irrelevant to the sound of a banjo uke, unless you're getting into the high-end, heavyweight banjo ukes of the 30s like Abbotts.

Titchtheclown · Oct 24, 2018

I have used just about everything from tw inch galvaniaed clouts to wooden pegs to wasabi pea tin ring pulls. Fancy hinges can be great as can picture rail hooks which i flatten trim a bit off the hook end if needed and drill a few holes and bend to shape.

Vespa Bob · Oct 24, 2018

Stewmac also carries a no knot tailpiece:

https://img1.stewmac.com/product/images/26259/No_Knot_Banjo_Tailpiece.jpg

It's right there below your link to the tailpiece bracket in the related section. This is what I used on my Remo head uke. I'ts small and neat.

Bob

Jerryc41 · Oct 25, 2018

Vespa Bob said:
Stewmac also carries a no knot tailpiece:

https://img1.stewmac.com/product/images/26259/No_Knot_Banjo_Tailpiece.jpg

It's right there below your link to the tailpiece bracket in the related section. This is what I used on my Remo head uke. I'ts small and neat.

Bob

If I get that tailpiece, will I need this bolt and bracket?

https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_an..._Hooks_and_Hardware/Dowel_Stick_Hardware.html
https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_an...njo_Hooks_and_Hardware/Tailpiece_Bracket.html

Jerryc41 · Oct 25, 2018

I'm cutting two pieces of mahogany to make a tailpiece like RPS_Ukulele posted in that picture. Drilling holes right through the drum is a great way to keep that bit of wood in place. For the next build, I might use a store-bought tailpiece - something from Stew-Mac.

Jerryc41 · Oct 25, 2018

Vespa Bob said:
Stewmac also carries a no knot tailpiece:

https://img1.stewmac.com/product/images/26259/No_Knot_Banjo_Tailpiece.jpg

It's right there below your link to the tailpiece bracket in the related section. This is what I used on my Remo head uke. I'ts small and neat.

Bob

Let's see if I have this right. If I use this tailpiece, I would get the Endbolt Item # 3690 with a hole in the head. The bolt on the tailpiece would run through that hole. The nut on that bolt would tighten against the Endbolt. That and the string tension is what would hold the tailpiece in place. Sound good? Since it's "No Knot," do those knobs tighten against the strings to hold them in place?

Vespa Bob · Oct 26, 2018

Jerryc41 said:
Let's see if I have this right. If I use this tailpiece, I would get the Endbolt Item # 3690 with a hole in the head. The bolt on the tailpiece would run through that hole. The nut on that bolt would tighten against the Endbolt. That and the string tension is what would hold the tailpiece in place. Sound good? Since it's "No Knot," do those knobs tighten against the strings to hold them in place?

Apologies for the late reply, but I've been away from my computer. The best way for me to explain is to show you a photo of how I did mine, but it will have to wait until I'm up and about! However, I didn't need to buy any extra parts.

Bob

Jerryc41 · Oct 26, 2018

Vespa Bob said:
Apologies for the late reply, but I've been away from my computer. The best way for me to explain is to show you a photo of how I did mine, but it will have to wait until I'm up and about! However, I didn't need to buy any extra parts.

Bob

Thanks. This will be for my second build. I used a piece of mahogany for a tailpiece on the this one. I hope to finish it today.

frianm · Oct 26, 2018

I have used the cheap and cheerful no knot tailpieces which are both cheap and dependable. The five string ones work just fine as I use the outside pins and leave the middle one unused. I find that a banjo uke needs string resonance over the head so a bluegrass style is a waste of time, and may well not fit anyway as the placement of the bridge may be closer to the back of the head anyway to get proper intonation. Just make a loop in a regular string - I use a bowline knot. This makes it fit the pin. Or, use the proper tying off technique, which I have never got the hand of!

There are some nice short bridges out there, such as the expensive Fielding. There are also some horrible ones requiring ball end strings. There is a very fancy no knot out there with a cam action to secure the string.

I had a Mead and there was simply a screw for each string on the back side of the pot. Probably the cheapest way forward and the string will simply break over the tension hoop - you will need to tie a loop in the string.

IMHO - keep it simple. Again I favor the no knot.

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