Tying Tail Gut on a Historical Tailpiece

There are two ways to tie tail gut, depending on the type of tailpiece you are using. The first, like a modern tailpiece, has the tail gut which exits the end of the tailpiece and curves over the saddle and around the end pin. The second method uses two holes which pass through the and the gut passes from the top of the tailpiece, through to the bottom, and then over the saddle and around the end pin. Either of these systems are adaptable to the use of gut and instructions for tying are given below.

What You Will Need:

• Tail gut

• Stitching gut

• Something to cut the gut with, (clippers, nippers, knife, etc)

• A flame source, (lighter, alcohol lamp, etc.)

Tail gut is sold by a diameter thickness. Violins and violas use gut that is from 1.90mm to 2.20mm thick. Cellos use a gut around 3.00mm thick and a contrabass / violone should use a gut about 5.00mm thick.

The thickness that you choose depends on the qualities you are looking for. A thicker gut will be more stable and stretch less than a thinner gut, but it may not allow as much vibration in the tailpiece as the instrument needs to sound its best. One of the advantages to the use of real gut over synthetic gut is that the flexibility of the tail gut can be changed simply by changing the diameter of the gut and this can have a radical effect on the tone and response of the instrument.

Stitching gut is about .50mm thick. It is possible to save old violin e-1 strings for use as stitching gut.

Putting Gut on a Historical Tailpiece: The Stradivari Stitch

	Step 1 First, pass one end through the top of the tailpiece.
	Step 2 Then, pass the other end of the tail gut through the other hole, top to bottom.
	Step 3 Pull both ends through and tightly close the loop at the top of the tailpiece.
	Step 4 Put the tailpiece on the instrument and gauge the length of the tail gut. The exact length will depend on your own thoughts about tail gut length, and, since that is not the point of this essay I will not get into the theories about tail gut length here. Use your own system to establish the length of the tail gut and mark the gut with a pencil just at the inside of the tailpiece. You will need to allow the length you want for the gut, plus about 3/4" for each end to cross over the other.
	Step 5 Next, burn each end of the gut about 1/8" down.
	Step 6 Now, set the tailpiece aside and prepare the stitching gut. Burn one end of the stitching gut.
	Step 7 Then, loop this burnt end.
	Step 8 What we want to do is to make a simple slip knot. So, bring the burnt end around the loop, making a hole which you will stick the burnt end through.
	Step 9 Pull the hole tight against the burnt end, so that the knot will slide up and down the long length of stitching gut, making the loop larger.
	Step 10 Next, cross the ends of the tail gut over each other and get a feel for the length.
	Step 11 Then, loop the slip knot around one end of the tail gut and pull tight.
	Step 12 Next, replace the ends of the tail gut in the crossed-over position, and bring the stitching gut around the back of the bottom piece and up the near side.
	Step 13 Create a loop by bringing the stitching gut down the near side.
	Step 14 Bring the end of the stitching gut around to the back of the tail gut and up through the loop on the near side.
	Step 15 Pull the stitching gut up, making the loop tight.
	Step 16 So that it looks like this.
	Step 17 Now, make another loop down the near side.
	Step 18 Again, bring the stitching gut around to the back side and through the loop.
	Step 19 And pull this loop tight.
	Step 20 Make another loop down the front side.
	Step 21 And bring the stitching gut around and through the loop.
	Step 22 Repeat this process until you have covered the space between the two burnt ends. Once every four loops, or so, you should compress the stitches together so that they are tightly compacted.
	Step 23 When you have completed the stitches, pull the last one tight.
	Step 24 And bring the stitching gut around only the top tail gut piece.
	Step 25 Bring the end of the stitching gut through the loop you have created.
	Step 26 Pull this tight, but leave just enough space for the stitching gut to pass through.
	Step 27 Thereby creating a cinch knot.
	Step 28 And then, pull this tight.
	Step 29 Clip the end of the stitching gut to a length of about 1/8".
	Step 30 Burn the end of the stitching gut down to the wrappings.