A tailpiece assembly with adjustable rear string length and beaded string instruments

Abstract

This invention provides a tailplate assembly and a bowed string instrument having the tailplate assembly. The tailplate assembly includes a tailplate body, an adjustable area on its upper part, a leather cover on the adjustable area, and corresponding beaded strings on each string. Each beaded string can move along the adjustable area to change the effective back string length of the corresponding string, and is detachably positioned in a selected position by the friction generated by the string tension pressing the bead against the leather cover, thereby setting the pitch of the back string. The friction can also be adjusted by a string limiting member.

Claims

1. A tailplate assembly for a bowed string instrument having a bridge and multiple strings, the tailplate assembly comprising: a tailplate body disposed on one side of the bridge opposite a fingerboard and connected to the bowed string instrument; an adjustable area disposed on an upper portion of the tailplate body; a cover comprising leather and disposed on the adjustable area; and a corresponding bead disposed on each of the strings, the corresponding bead being located on the adjustable area; wherein, Each corresponding bead can move along the adjustable area to change the effective back string length of one of the corresponding strings; and wherein the tension in one of the corresponding strings presses the corresponding bead against the cover, so that the friction between the corresponding bead and the cover detachably positions the corresponding bead in a selected position.

2. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one adjustable string stop member disposed at the end of the tailplate corresponding to one of the string beads, wherein, The string limiting member includes a string guide portion for receiving, guiding, or limiting one of the corresponding strings.

3. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 2, wherein, The string limiter can be adjusted to change the resultant force applied by one of the strings to one of the corresponding beads, thereby changing the friction between the corresponding bead and the coating.

4. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 3, wherein, The string limiting member includes a threaded screw portion, a string guide portion, and an adjustment portion. The adjustment portion is configured to move the string limiting member up and down relative to the tail plate body along the threaded axis, thereby changing the position height of the string guide portion relative to the tail plate body.

5. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, This adjustable area does not have a guide groove.

6. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, The adjustable area includes a guide slot configured to guide the movement of at least one of the string beads.

7. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, At least one of the beads is configured as a friction sliding bead.

8. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, At least one of the string beads includes an internal shaft configured to facilitate movement of the string bead relative to the tailplate body.

9. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, The coating is configured to distribute the pressure from each of the beads and reduce audible noise during performance.

10. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, The tailplate body comprises wood, polymer, metal, leather, or a combination thereof.

11. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, At least one of the string beads contains ebony, metal, plastic, bone, crystal glass, ceramic, or a combination thereof.

12. The tailplate assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, The tailpiece assembly is configured for use with violins, violas, cellos, or double basses.

13. A bowed string instrument, comprising: an instrument body; a bridge supported by the instrument body; a plurality of strings extending across the bridge; and a tailplate assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, connected to the instrument body; wherein, Each string carries a corresponding bead.

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