The Randy Allen RS-2 tailpiece I received for review is an exact replacement for the original tailpiece on my 1993 Dobro® Hound Dog resonator guitar. Installation was as simple as removing the strings, unscrewing the tail pin screw, installing the new tailpiece, and restringing the guitar.
The tailpiece is made of a heavy cast metal, rhodium plated, and looks beautiful when installed. It’s a bit shorter than the original, approximately 72 mm instead of the original’s 112 mm.
The tailpiece has a slot in the end so you can fit it to whatever hole already exists in your guitar’s body. Strings pass through the tailpiece from the back rather than hooking under the tailpiece through a hole as on the original.
There are eight different string holes, with two holes centered in the middle of the tailpiece and very close to each other. This is obviously well thought out for those who use different string spacing or who have seven or even eight string guitars.
How does it sound? To me it makes a definite difference. I tried recording with the original tailpiece and with the new tailpiece, but I don’t think my recording skills are able to capture the difference. I feel there’s a bit more sustain and a brighter tone with the new tailpiece, more than I thought I’d experience when I first started playing.
After months of use, I can say that the highest praise I can give to such an innovation is to say that I’m buying this tailpiece. It’s not coming off the guitar until I sell it, and then it’s going to be installed on the next guitar I buy.
For more information, see Randy's web site.
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 27 February 2005 at 05:03 PM.]
