Golden Gate M-134 Vintage Scalloped Tailpiece - Nickel,brown

If you're tired of two piece tailpieces that have the covers falling off all the time, and feel cheap and tinny, this is a very nice step up that bridges the gap between cheap stamped tailpieces and high-end brass cast ones. I like one-piece units, and this classic scallop design is excellent. I have pewter antique tuners on my mandolins (two Big Muddy all-mahogany M-11s), so I antiqued this tailpiece using Birchwood Casey cold blue, and it matched up beautifully. This are rock-solid tailpieces, and if you can't afford a fancy cast one, but hate stamped ones with the slide on covers, this is a great way to fix the problem.

This replaced a standard two piece unit on a Kentucky KM-150. I was changing the strings a few days ago, and two of the little tabs that hold the strings started lifting. As I added tension they kept coming up. I decided that if I could get it to playable tension without the tabs breaking off it would be a miracle. So, I chose this tailpiece as a replacement for two reasons: 1, it is heavier gauge metal so the tabs would be more sturdy, and 2, it is a single piece without a "cap."When I took the cap off of the old one today one of the tabs had move to a vertical position. Time to replace it! So the new tailpiece is certainly heavier, and has nice chrome. The chrome is a problem too. There isn't much space under the tabs, and the ones on both ends had bridged with chrome plating so that they didn't really have slots anymore. I had to work some sandpaper under the end tabs to open them up. The holes are really all in different places than the original, so I had to plug the holes, and drill new ones (no big deal). It went on without a hitch, but it is flat across the back, and the mandolin is curved. It would be nice if the tailpiece had a little arch to it. I may take it off at some point to see if I can bend it a bit, but for now it is on, and working well.The first strings to install were a little tricky to get in place, but after a few strings I had a technique that goes fast, and is much easier than the old tailpiece.In all this is a great addition to my mando. I trust it much more than my last tailpiece. Issues with the gaps being filled in, and the flat profile of the back plate are minor. The holes being in different places was somewhat expected since it is a different style of tailpiece.I read a review that claims it to be a cast tailpiece, and that is not true. It is heavy gauge with thick chrome plating, but it was made from sheet metal. It is what I expected, but if you read the other review you may be disappointed.

Clamshell tailpieces like this were found on tens or even hundreds of thousands of bottom end mandolins in the nineteen teens and twenties, but they were generally stamped from cheap metal and pretty easy to bend. They are still available. I installed one on a cheap mandolin last month. It cost half what this one costs. However, this one is not stamped, but cast and heavy. The metal is not 1/32" thick, but 1/16". Very solid, and the mass should increase sustain, at a small fraction of the cost of other cast tailpieces. One comment: the finish is heavily plated, and some of the plating may be blocking some of the little tabs that hold the strings. I recommend running a tiny file under the tabs to clean them out, or perhaps a doubled over piece of sandpaper. If you do, you won't have string loops getting caught under the tabs. My tailpiece did come with screws, as advertised. In answer to the person who thought the screws were too close to the tabs, there is enough room for the wire, but just barely. If you are using an end pin jack, you really don't need those screws. If you are installing a strap button with a screw that sticks out 3/4", that's plenty to support the taiiece and strings if you run the screw through the bottom little hole. If you do that, you'll probably need to drill out that hole a little. Or install the strap button in the hole for the endpin jack and maybe another small screw in the bottom hole. (I do think the screws that came with the tailpiece are a little short. Try using the ones from the tailpiece you are replacing.

The notches for the strings are so poorly cut out, it would take a lot of work to get it to do its job. Looks nice, but not well made.

Used this on an older restoration of a twin point mandolin. I actually 'aged' the finish by placing it in a vinegar evaporation tub for about a week, before installing it on the mid 1900s instrument. Looks great!

It's made of nice thick chrome plated metal, and I'm sure it will serve its purpose well. However, it would have been far better if this Golden Gate M-134 Mandolin Tailpiece had come with some installation screws. That's something you just take for granted, so I was surprised to find none in the bag. Now I'll have to find some appropriate sized ones elsewhere. That's why I'm giving it only 3 stars.

Used this to replace my old tailpiece and I love it. It was a little small but I made it work. It sounds and looks great on my instrument.

Excellent quality. Comparable to tailpieces costing 5X more. So much easier to change strings now than with those annoying contraptions that are standard on the vast majority of mandolins.

Product is sturdy and beautiful. It is as described and comes with three screws to mount unto your mandolin. HOWEVER, it might not fit your A-style mandolin and you might need to drill some holes to make this tailpiece fit. I attempted to switch out the tailpiece of my Eastman MD-305 (it has a traditional gibson tailpiece) and the holes didn't align by quite the distance (between .2-.6cm). I do not have the expertise nor the courage to go on drilling my mandolin so I ended up returning the piece. If you have the skills and patience to drill by all means do so, your mandolin would look absolutely gorgeous.

Tailpiece is cast brass with a nice finish. I find no flaws or problems with the tailpiece and am sure it would be fine. However, I did not get to use it. The clamshell angle is fairly high and would work fine, I am sure, for an arched top mandolin. Mine is a flat top and it would have been too much of an angle over the strings, so I returned it. I find no fault in the product; it just should be mentioned that this product is for arched-top mandolins.I gave it four stars because of the exposed teeth in back, which hold the string loops. To prevent the teeth from catching on your strap, you'll have to either use a very broad leather strap or placed a leather washer between the strap and the teeth.

My first time making a hardware adjustment on an instrument. The piece fits well on the mandolin, but it is flat, and the bottom of the mando is slightly curved, so be careful in positioning. I needed to drill 2 new holes in the mando, as there is a small bumper on the underside of the piece, so original screw holes didn’t line up. The tabs the strings hook to were needed to be slightly bent up, as the tabs were flush with the metal, probably because of the finishing on the piece. It’s solid metal, sounds lovely, and solid on the mando. I think it looks great. Just know it’s not a simple replacement piece.

This is a very nice upgrade for the tail piece on my old Harmony mandolin. Looks pretty classy and easy to install.

All of the other tailpieces I used were too tall for my old ibanez. This holds the strings close to the body which allowed them to hold my bridge in place better.It is identical to what was on it when I purchased it 8 years ago