Trapeze tailpiece
A tailpiece shaped like a bracket that arches over the lower bout and anchors the strings without touching the top.
The trapeze design is used on archtop and hollow-body instruments, where the top is a fragile carved plate that must be free to vibrate. By arching over the body rather than pressing on it, the tailpiece puts no downward load on the soundboard, and the strings run a long way behind the bridge. The trade-off is a softer, more open sound with less sustain than a stopbar, which suits the acoustic character of a jazz box.
Example: A hollow-body jazz guitar whose strings run from an arched metal bracket over the lower bout to the bridge is fitted with a trapeze tailpiece.
See also
Related
- PageTailpiece
- PageArchtop
- PageHollow body
- PageAction
- PageB-Bender
- PageBackplate
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley