Tailguts: To twist or not to twist!
Twisted Kevlar tailgut on “Bruiser” with Georg Schegolsky’s “Con Carbo” carbon fiber tailpiece.
There has been talk in some players’ circles about the virtues of tailpiece systems like Marvin’s https://marvinusa.com/ and Tova Innovations’ https://www.facebook.com/IplayTOVA/ . While the Marvin system has been around for many years with some adherents, particularly in the bass community, the newer TOVA system is less widely known. The most prohibitive aspect of testing the Tova system (or making something similar) is its’ requirement for extra-long strings that are expensive and only available from a couple of manufacturers. Because of the mixed reviews of the Marvin system, with some users praising its resonance while others complain of uneven response, I have been reluctant to dive down that rabbit hole. My own experiments with string afterlength (the portion of the string between the bridge and the tailpiece) indicate that, for most instruments, somewhere between 1/6 of the stop length and 1/5 of the stop length (favored by some well-known cello luthiers) is ideal. Going longer than that, in my experience, decreases the focus of the bass register and muddies up the overall response. Shorter can make an instrument sound and feel tight and unresonant. Still, my curiosity is piqued by Marvin’s and Tova’s “alt” systems and I’ve decided to focus in on one of their common denominators for today’s post: The single-strand tailgut.
There’s general acceptance by players and luthiers that pinching traditional 2-strand tailgut cords closer together or moving them from side to side as they bend over the saddle can change an instrument’s tone and response, whether a violin, viola, cello, or double bass. So, by twisting a traditional tailgut as shown in the photo below, I expected to hear obvious tonal changes. I was surprised, after testing, at how little this change impacted either the tone or “feel” of my professional-grade cello! While my primary instrument is sensitive to small changes in alignment of a standard dual-strand tailgut, this radical twist didn’t seem to affect much. It even seemed to minimize the effect of moving the tailgut from side to side over the saddle.
Before reading too much into my limited testing on one cello, I decided to post a query to the 30,000+ member International Cello Society Facebook group to learn about others’ experiences. After sifting through some righteously indignant responses from old-school luthiers, the feedback I received was quite helpful: Well-respected professional players had put in considerable time testing twisted tailguts on a variety of instruments with underwhelming results. The consensus: Don’t bother! So, based on my own experience and the feedback of others, it seems safe to venture that twisting the tailgut is unlikely to offer significant tonal or playability benefits for most instruments.
Whatever is happening with the Tova Innovations or Marvin systems, it is unlikely to be a result of that particular design feature!
As always, the Saddle Rider Research Collective benefits from input from players and luthiers like you. If your testing offers conclusions different from those presented above, please let us know!
