L4-CES Tailpiece

[GordonM]

My recently acquired L4-CES was a bit tatty looking. The tailpiece had lost most of its plating, was scratched and seemed to be mounted too high. I've had it re-plated (also the strap button) with a thicker depth of 19ct gold. I had the option of 24ct but this looked too garish considering the age/look of the rest of the guitar. I've mounted it in a more appropriate location and I think it looks really nice now

I heard Rich Severson briefly mention in one of his vids that some tailpieces had a metal barrel undeneath between the tailpiece and the guitar top - maybe this is why my tailpiece was too high? I've not been able to find any other mention of this barrel thing and there was no barrel underneath mine though.
Can anyone share some info on this? - thanks chaps.
Here's the before/after pics...

[Hammertone]

Ahh... You mean the top-cracker (Gibson "vari-tone tension adjuster"). Gibson developed it as a way to crack the tops of its carved-top guitars, to ensure repeat business and to support the guitar repair industry.

From an old thread here:

whiskey02 wrote:
"The older L5 TP had a hole through which (a skilled luthier) could turn a screw that changed the downforce on the top, tuning it. I think it was called "vari tune", not to be confused with the electronic dial called the same on 345 and 355's (the black knob). Gibson eventually eliminated this feature because a) many people didn't know what it did or how to use it, and b) related, many people didn't have the skill to properly tune the top and cranked it too tight causing cracks in the spruce top."

wintermoon wrote:
"a lot of L-5 and Super 400's have had the top crusher [varitone] removed for this reason.
it made only the slightest difference in sound anyway.
They haven't been making them since about '74ish"

After that, Gibson continued to use the design, without the little adjustment hole. Then they brought back the hole, originally for access to the adjustment screw, but now simply to make the tailpiece look more like the old version. The L-4CES tailpiece acquired the same tailpiece (but with a different badge).

[gitman]

AFAIK this "barrel" was meant as a wedge : turning the screw pushes the tailpiece UP, thereby reducing the down-pressure of the strings on the bridge > less pressure on the bridge can result in a less bright tone and a little more sustain. D'Aquisto and in turn Roger Borys (and others later on) made their tailpieces height-adjustable by loosening the screws that attach it to the tailblock. Bryant Trenier also adapted this feature and it does have a def. effect on the attack, brilliance and sustain of the tone. It took me about 6 months of experimenting to find the sweet spot on my Trenier lam-top and I also adjust the tailpiece when switching from flatwound to roundwound strings. I think that this effect is not as noticeable on guitars with thicker tops though.
Ken Parker also has a different solution and when one looks at the tailpiece construction of the old Viola Da Gamba one realizes that this idea is not THAT new in the world of stringed instruments...