Tailed bridge guitar
Encyclopedia
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s have an extended bridge
Bridge (instrument)
A bridge is a device for supporting the strings on a stringed instrument and transmitting the vibration of those strings to some other structural component of the instrument in order to transfer the sound to the surrounding air.- Explanation :...
for their tremolo
Tremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
system, named a tailed bridge guitar because of its shape. Most of these tailed bridge guitars were designed in the sixties and used in surf music
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
.
The first tailed bridge guitars were designed by Leo Fender
Leo Fender
Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender was an American inventor who founded Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, or "Fender" for short...
; the Fender Jaguar
Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar introduced in 1962. A descendant of the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar quickly caught on in the emerging Surf music scene...
and the Fender Jazzmaster, both of which became popular among surf rock groups in the early to mid 1960s. It became popular again in the 1990s when it was used by a number of alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
players.
Behind the bridge
Surf musicians preferred this guitar because the resonance behind the bridge generates extra acoustic reverb based on string resonance. In addition, large "divebomb" tremolos played on clean guitars were a large part of many Surf guitarists' technique. In the 1990s many shoegaze, noise rockNoise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
and post rock bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
and Slint
Slint
Slint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...
began playing on tailed bridge guitars for their special possibilities. Tailed bridge guitars have a primitive third bridge
3rd Bridge
The 3rd bridge is an extended playing technique used on some string instruments , that allows a musician to produce distinctive timbres and overtones that are unavailable on a conventional string instrument with two bridges...
mechanism in their floating bridge with limited timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
when used in an extended technique
Extended technique
Extended techniques are performance techniques used in music to describe unconventional, unorthodox, or non-traditional techniques of singing, or of playing musical instruments to obtain unusual sounds or instrumental timbres....
. When the strings are strummed behind the bridge, a unique chiming sound is created that has come to be associated with Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
. In some ways these sounds are reminiscent of the sounds of a musical box
Musical box
A music box is a 19th century automatic musical instrument that produces sounds by the use of a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc so as to pluck the tuned teeth of a steel comb. They were developed from musical snuff boxes of the 18th century and called carillons à musique...
, because of their often high pitches. Even when strumming in front of the bridge, the long string length behind the bridge coupled with the low break angle over the bridge functions as a "sink" for vibrational energy, producing sympathetic resonance
Sympathetic resonance
Sympathetic resonance is a harmonic phenomenon wherein a formerly passive string or vibratory body responds to external vibrations to which it has a harmonic likeness. The classic example is demonstrated with two similar tuning-forks of which one is mounted on a wooden box. If the other one is...
which can function as a counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
when power chords are played on different string pairs.
Experimental luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
Yuri Landman
Yuri Landman
Yuri Landman is a Dutch experimental luthier who has made several experimental electric string instruments for a list of artists including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Liars, Jad Fair of Half Japanese and Liam Finn...
created a tailed bridge guitar called the Springtime
Springtime (guitar)
The Springtime is an experimental electric guitar with seven strings and three outputs. The instrument was created in 2008 by Dutch luthier Yuri Landman for guitar player Laura-Mary Carter of Blood Red Shoes.-Technical information:...
for Laura-Mary Carter of Blood Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes
Blood Red Shoes are an indie rock duo from Brighton, England. They have released two full-length albums, Box of Secrets and Fire Like This, plus a slew of early singles on limited 7" vinyl pressings.-Formation:...
. The tail on this instrument has a mathematical relation of 1/5 of the string length of the open string. This distance causes a tone of two octaves and a major third
Major third
In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the major third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. It is qualified as major because it is the largest of the two: the major third spans four semitones, the minor third three...
higher than the open string, similar to the fifth harmonic
Harmonic
A harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e. if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies 2f, 3f, 4f, . . . etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental...
. For Mauro Pawlowski
Mauro Pawlowski
Mauro Antonio Pawlowski is one of the key figures in the Belgian contemporary music scene. He was born in Koersel and is of Italian and Polish descent....
of dEUS he made an alternate version with an additional pick up in the tail to explore the possibilities of creating third bridge
3rd Bridge
The 3rd bridge is an extended playing technique used on some string instruments , that allows a musician to produce distinctive timbres and overtones that are unavailable on a conventional string instrument with two bridges...
sounds. This pick up has a separate output. Also for Enon
Enon
Enon was an indie rock band founded by John Schmersal, Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon. Currently, Enon is situated in Philadelphia, though the band is known for being part of the New York music scene.-Biography:...
he created an alternate version called the Twister
Twister
-Entertainment:* Twister , a comedy film starring Suzy Amis and Crispin Glover* Twister , a disaster film starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton** Twister...Ride it Out, a ride in Universal Studios Florida based on the film...
, with an extended tail piece generating approximately a double octave tone, because the tail piece is 1/4 of the length of the played field.
List of tailed bridge guitars
- Antoria 994 (1963)
- Eastwood Delta 6
- Eko 700 4V, a cutaway EkoEko guitarsEko is an Italian manufacturer of electric guitars, acoustic guitars and similar instruments, catering to professional level and manufacturing largely for export...
was manufactured in Italy by Oliviero Pigini in 1964/5 and was the "modern" version (and now more rare) of their top of the range plastic covered solids - first marketed by Rose Morris in the UK in 1963. - Epiphone CasinoEpiphone CasinoThe Epiphone Casino is a thinline hollow body electric guitar manufactured by Epiphone, a branch of Gibson. It is essentially Epiphone's version of the Gibson ES-330...
- Fender JaguarFender JaguarThe Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar introduced in 1962. A descendant of the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar quickly caught on in the emerging Surf music scene...
- Fender Jazzmaster
- Fenton Weill Dualtone (19620 design from Jim Burns's ex-partner, Henry Weill, after their split.
- Framus Strato Delux, built by FramusFramusFramus is a German guitar, bass, lap steel guitars and banjo manufacturing company, that existed from 1946 until going bankrupt in 1975. The Framus brand was revived in 1995 as part of Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG in Markneukirchen ....
in Bavaria (Germany) in the mid 60s features chrome and tiger stripe scratchplates, a Bill Lawrence organ swell function and a bridge damper. - HagstromHagströmHagström is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the sixties, the company started making electric guitars and later...
Futurama Coronado Automatic (1963) Only about 200 built specially by Hagstrom to the requirements of Ben Davis - owner of the Selmer company in London. - Hofner 172 (1963)
- Musima Deluxe 25, a guitar from the DDR (East Germany) built in the late 70s and similar to the Eglita.
- Rickenbacker 330Rickenbacker 330The Rickenbacker 330 is part of Rickenbacker's 300 series of guitars, the series for which Rickenbacker is perhaps best known. The 330 entered the Rickenbacker product line in 1958, though at the time the 300 series of guitars was known as the "Capri" series. It was designed by the German luthier...
- Rickenbacker 360Rickenbacker 360The Rickenbacker 360 is an electric, semi-acoustic guitar made by Rickenbacker, and part of the Rickenbacker 300 Series. The instrument incorporates many features standard on Rickenbacker guitars, including a three-ply maple/walnut neck, shallow headstock angle, a thick rosewood fretboard finished...
- Rosetti Airstream 11, built by EgmondEgmondEgmond is a former municipality in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. In 2001, it was merged with the municipalities of Schoorl and Bergen to form the municipality of Bergen. The three main villages in the former municipality are Egmond aan den Hoef, Egmond aan Zee...
in the Netherlands, this Rosetti Airstream 11 was a starter guitar for 1960s UK musicians. The Rosetti Lucky 7 semi was used by Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
in his Hamburg days. - Rosetti Lucky Squire, dating from around 1960/1 and built in Holland by EgmondEgmondEgmond is a former municipality in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. In 2001, it was merged with the municipalities of Schoorl and Bergen to form the municipality of Bergen. The three main villages in the former municipality are Egmond aan den Hoef, Egmond aan Zee...
, this starter semi-hollow was marketed in the UK under the Rosetti brand name. - SpringtimeSpringtime (guitar)The Springtime is an experimental electric guitar with seven strings and three outputs. The instrument was created in 2008 by Dutch luthier Yuri Landman for guitar player Laura-Mary Carter of Blood Red Shoes.-Technical information:...
- SX SJMSX SJMThe SX SJM 62 or 57 or 75 is a tailed bridge guitar made by SX Guitars with features similar to the Fender Jaguar and Jazzmaster. It is also available as a "stop tail" guitar, comprising a Tune-o-matic bridge and a stopbar tailpiece....
- Tele-Star H1, originally Tele-Star hollow body guitars were built by Kawai in Japan between 1967–1970 and imported by Tele-Star Musical Instrument Company of New York.
- TeiscoTeiscoTeisco was a Japanese manufacturer of affordable musical instruments from 1948 until 1969, and now its brand is owned by Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co. Ltd. . The company produced guitars as well as keyboard instruments, microphones, amplifiers and even drums...
Del Rey, built in Japan and dating from the late 60s. - TeiscoTeiscoTeisco was a Japanese manufacturer of affordable musical instruments from 1948 until 1969, and now its brand is owned by Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co. Ltd. . The company produced guitars as well as keyboard instruments, microphones, amplifiers and even drums...
EV-2T, a 1969 copy of the Vox Phantom. After Teisco was taken over by Kawai in 1967, the company concentrated on copies including of Vox and Burns guitars branded as Kawai, Del-Rey and Teisco. - Twister, alternate version of the SpringtimeSpringtime (guitar)The Springtime is an experimental electric guitar with seven strings and three outputs. The instrument was created in 2008 by Dutch luthier Yuri Landman for guitar player Laura-Mary Carter of Blood Red Shoes.-Technical information:...
with an extended tail piece and an additional pickup in the tail. - Eastwood Hi-Flyer
- Univox Hi-FlierUnivox Hi-FlierThe Univox Hi-Flier was an electric guitar manufactured by Univox and Unicord from 1968 to 1978. It had a very similar appearance to the Mosrite Ventures guitar, though was somewhat different .-Phases:...
- VoxVox (musical equipment)Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
Shadow (1962) - Vox PhantomVox Mark IIIThe Mark is an electric guitar made by Vox. The instrument is also known as the Vox Teardrop, but this is not the official name. The Vox Mark came in three variations, a 6 string , a 9 string and a 12 string...
Musical examples with sounds of strings plucked behind the bridge
- The CureThe CureThe Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
- "Siamese Twins" (on PornographyPornography (album)NME reviewer Dave Hill wrote, "This record portrays and parades its currency of exposed futility and naked fear with so few distractions or adornments, and so little sense of shame...
) - EnonEnonEnon was an indie rock band founded by John Schmersal, Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon. Currently, Enon is situated in Philadelphia, though the band is known for being part of the New York music scene.-Biography:...
- "Paperweights" (on Grass Geysers...Carbon CloudsGrass Geysers...Carbon CloudsGrass Geysers...Carbon Clouds is the fourth and final full-length studio album from indie rock band Enon, follow-up to 2003's Hocus Pocus, and was released on October 9, 2007.-Track listing:# "Mirror On You"# "Colette"# "Dr. Freeze"# "Sabina"...
) - InterpolInterpol (band)Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
- "The New" (from Turn On the Bright LightsTurn on the Bright LightsTurn On the Bright Lights is the debut studio album by American post-punk revival band Interpol, released in August 2002. The album was recorded in November 2001 at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut, and was co-produced, mixed and engineered by Peter Katis and Gareth Jones...
) - NirvanaNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
- "You Know You're RightYou Know You're Right"You Know You're Right" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the first song on its compilation album, Nirvana , and one of the last songs recorded by the band.-History:...
" - SlintSlintSlint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...
- "Good Morning, Captain" (on SpiderlandSpiderlandSpiderland is the second studio album by the American post-rock band Slint, released on March 27, 1991 on Touch and Go. Featuring dramatically alternating dynamics and vocals ranging from spoken word to shouting, the album contains narrative lyrics that emphasize alienation...
) - Sonic YouthSonic YouthSonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
- "Bull in the HeatherBull in the Heather"Bull in the Heather" is a song by Sonic Youth, released as the only single from their 1994 album Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star....
" - PlaceboPlacebo (band)Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
- "Nancy Boy" "Bruise Pristine" (on PlaceboPlacebo (album)Placebo is the self-titled debut studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released on the Hut Records label on 16 July 1996.-Reception:In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 87th greatest album of all time...
) - The NationalThe National (band)The National is an indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The band's lyrics are written and sung by Matt Berninger, a baritone...
- "Fake Empire"
See also
- Aliquot stringingAliquot stringingAliquot stringing is the use of extra, unstruck strings in the piano for the purpose of enriching the tone.-History:Julius Blüthner invented the aliquot stringing system in 1873....
- Bigsby vibrato tailpiece
- Prepared guitarPrepared guitarA prepared guitar is a guitar that has had its timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instrument's strings, including other extended techniques...
- String ResonanceString resonance (music)String resonance occurs on string instruments. Strings or parts of strings may resonate at their fundamental or overtone frequencies when other strings are sounded...