Violin Forum/Message Board

[John Cadd]

The question here is ; How did Hill tailpieces become so popular ?
They look elegant. They are popular with famous players . But mechanically they are all wrong . You need to screw things onto tailpieces .Holes are drilled to fit the direction of the strings from the bridge.The holes are tilted to match the curve of the bridge . But the straight surfaces on the left and right will not match the bridge curve. The angles do not allow a correct flat surface at the top to match with a screw. Likewise the under surface does not have any particular shape that would be screw friendly either .Anything screwed to a Hill Tailpiece will be working at a disadvantage with two uneven surfaces that ought to be parrallel (Top and Bottom). So the object screwed is less likely to be secure . It`s basic engineering ignored for looks and vanity .

[skylerwhite]

The elegant shape may explain their popularity, but I agree that the uneven surfaces and angled holes raise practical concerns when attaching fittings securely. That's Not My Neighbor