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Glite Dictionary
➕ An end extension 🎻 String anchor
tailpiece

tailpiece

1 6.8
A part at the end of instruments like violins or guitars that holds the strings
  • noun
  • /ˈteɪlˌpiːs/
  • Specialized
: pieza de anclaje
  • It, it feels to me as I look at it, that this tailpiece, that little wingnut looks quite authentic.

Examples

  • The luthier explained how the tailpiece affects the instrument's sound quality and string stability.

  • He took off the strings, then removed the bridge and unscrewed the tailpiece from the body.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Gibson's acclaimed bridge and tailpiece team up with futuristic Steinberger gearless tuners to ensure smooth playability and precise tuning and intonation.

    Blog text (4)

  • The tailpiece of the violin secures the strings at the bottom, ensuring proper tension.

  • To restring your guitar correctly, make sure the string passes through the tailpiece before securing it.

Surface Forms

tailpiece singular
tailpieces plural

Morphology

tailpiece = tail + piece (transparent) = tail + piece

The instrument sense is a specific instantiation of a 'piece' located at the 'tail' end, so the compound is still directly interpretable from its parts.

Etymology

Tailpiece comes from tail 'the end' and piece 'a small part', so on a violin or guitar it is the small part at the end that holds the strings. So the name tells its job: the 'piece' at the 'tail' that keeps the strings in place.