Description
New 5 string Oettinger tailpiece cast in solid Brass and highly polished. These tailpieces were originally made in the 1920s and have legendary status.
Not only does an Oettinger look fantastic, they actually do improve the sound of a banjo by adjusting the downward pressure of the strings on the bridge.
If you need some proof of this, please look at these two video reviews by two top banjo players (copy the following link into a browser address bar): http://oettinger.co/tailpiece-videos.php
How Oettinger’s Work:
The treble strings are tighter than the bass strings. This means the down pressure from bridge to head is higher for trebles than for bass strings. The bridge, in effect is canted over slightly towards the 1st string. By adjusting the height of each ‘finger’ on the Oettinger the down pressure can be more evenly distributed across the bridge. This will change the sound produced. Like the difference between a very taut head and a less taut head.
Oettingers were originally intended for tenor banjos (4 string) because there was a massive difference in tension between the 1st string and the 4th string. But 5 String banjos also benefit from them…
And they look very cool.
Visit my Oettinger Tailpiece web site for more information about these beautiful tailpieces: http://oettinger.co
Leland Smith –
I’ve been looking for another Oettinger for 50 years and I was happy to find this manufacturer!