Tying Tail Gut on a Modern 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 Modern Tailpiece

	Step 1 The first task is to burn one end of the tail gut.
	Step 2 Next, you hold the stitching gut in place on the tail gut with a couple of inches sticking up, away from the tail gut. The rest of the length of stitching gut can hang down.
	Step 3 Take the long section of stitching gut and wrap it around both the tail gut and the short section of stitching gut.
	Step 4 Wrap the stitching gut around a second time, wrapping toward the burnt end.
	Step 5 And then repeat the wrap, so that you have at least three turns around the tail gut and stitching gut. At this time you can release your hold on the loop of stitching gut you have been holding against the tail gut.
	Step 6 Next, pass the long length of stitching gut through the loop.
	Step 7 Now, pull both ends, so that the stitching gut is tightly bound onto the tail gut just below the burnt end.
	Step 8 Next, clip both ends of the stitching gut so that there is about 1/8" on each side.
	Step 9 Then, burn each end of the stitching gut close to the wraps.
	Step 10 So that they look like this.
	Step 11 Then, slip the tail gut through the tailpiece.
	Step 12 Bring the other end of the tail gut up through the other hole.
	Step 13 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.
	Step 14 Cut the tail gut about 1/4" from your mark.
	Step 15 Burn the end of the gut about 1/8", or about halfway down to your mark.
	Step 16 Repeat the tying process described above, so that the wraps of the stitching gut come just down to your mark.
	Step 17 The stitching gut will compress against the burnt tail gut ends and hold the gut in place.
	Step 18 Now you have a nice, strong tail gut fitted and ready to go on the instrument.