Bob Fults, a retired machinist of 50 years, has been the leader
in building precision parts to the highest standards of excellence.
He uses the very best in brass and is virtually the only person
in today’s market that machines and forms each individual tailpiece by hand.All Fults banjo tailpiece heads and mounting systems are
Made in Savoy, IL. U.S.A.
The Fults Tailpiece consists of 2 components - the "head" and the "mount".
There are 6 head designs available: the Cumberland, the Blue Ridge, the 1934, the Pro-5,
the 34Parallel and the 1929 4-string.
There are two mount designs available: the F-Series and the XYZ-Series.
All heads and mounts are interchangeable and are sold separately.
This gives you the option to "mix-n-match" components so you can set up your banjo
with the mount and head that best fits your playing needs.
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The Cumberland model: Head weight of 2.8 ozs.
The Fults Cumberland was crafted specifically for players who want the rock solid and fully adjustable Fults mounting system combined with a high quality tailpiece head that has been designed to eliminate unwanted overtones. This tailpiece helps produce a very clean, dry sound with every note heard crisp and clear. Fults’ recipe for the Cumberland’s clean sound: build the head starting with a single piece of 1/8” high quality brass and use lead - filled channels on the bottom side of the head and a leaded tip to help reduce unwanted overtones common with many other tailpieces. The tailpiece has a slot for easy third string replacement. The Fults Cumberland’s attractive appearance and highly functional design should make it a favorite of players seeking a clean, dry sound, with lots of volume and good sustain.
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The Blue Ridge model: Head weight of 3.0 ozs.
The Fults Blue Ridge tailpiece, like the Fults Cumberland, is crafted specifically for players who want the rock solid and fully adjustable Fults mounting system combined with a high quality tailpiece head that has been designed to eliminate unwanted overtones. Like the Cumberland, it is constructed of high quality 1/8” brass, and uses lead - filled channels on the bottom side of the head and a leaded tip. The resulting tailpiece will help your banjo produce a very clean, dry sound, with every note heard crisp and clear. Like the Cumberland, it has a slot for easy third string replacement.
The Blue Ridge has a feature not found on the Cumberland: the ability to use optional "Kicker pins" and “Tone pins" (See Blue Ridge Pin page). The use of Kicker pins allow the player to increase the tailpiece’s mass, further eliminating unwanted overtones, and increasing the amount of sustain. The Tone pins are constructed and available in several different materials. Use them in different combinations to alter tone and sustain. This flexibility allows for subtle changes to the banjo’s tone, which can help in getting that special sound you have been looking for. The Blue Ridge can be used effectively without the optional pins, and will sound similar to the Cumberland when used in stock configuration.
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The 1934 model (5 string head) weight: 2.7 ozs.
The 1929 model (4 string head) weight: 2.7 ozs.
This model was designed for the player who wants the tonal essence of the Presto style tailpiece, but it has significant improvements over the traditional design. The brass used in the Fults 1934 / 1929 tailpiece has virtually the same composition (copper, zinc & lead) as that used in the pre-war Presto.
We have reinforced the 90 degree bend and riveted the cover lid to eliminate buzz. It has a bright tone and great harmonics that banjo traditionalists immediately recognize. The adjustability is the best on the market, using the Fults mounting system.
The Fults 1934 / 1929 Tailpiece has raised the bar, providing a "Presto type" sound but with more sustain, volume, bass, and tailpiece stability. Any fan of the traditional Presto tailpiece should be able to "dial in" a setting that will give them their desired sound.
The traditional sound of “yesterday” is in the tailpiece of tomorrow, available today: the Fults 1934 /1929 Tailpiece. I would like to thank Peter Schwimmer, Silvio Ferretti and Charlie Cushman for all their professional help in this 1934 project.
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The 34Parallel Model: Head weight of 3.0 ozs.
This banjo tailpiece features a string geometry in which the 5 strings approach the bridge parallel to each other, instead of fanning out as they go from the tailpiece to the bridge. This geometry has several positive attributes including: equal downward pressure across the entire bridge from each string; increased lateral bridge stability; bridge has less of a tendency to sag.
We have newly designed string anchors for quick string replacement. The 90 degree bend has reinforcing brass reeds that generate great harmonics. The cover lid is riveted on to eliminate rattle or buzz.
There have been tailpieces that featured similar type geometry, but none which also produced the Presto type sound favored by many players. The 34Parallel has that "Presto sound". The sound is both clean, with sparkling treble and full bass, and complex (with the pleasing overtones associated with the Presto but with added clarity and just a bit more sustain). In addition to its great tone, of course there is the full range of vertical adjustability found in all Fults tailpieces. Now players can get the best of both worlds - a tailpiece with parallel geometry and a super charged Presto sound.
The 34 Parallel is not a high production item. Each tailpiece is individually hand crafted, bent and hammered into shape with precision forming dies. As in all our models, we use the highest grade of brass – selected for its tonal properties.
Our goal has always been to produce the very best.
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The PRO-5 model head weight: 2.6 ozs.
The Pro-5 is the latest in Bob Fults re-design of the traditional Presto style tailpiece – to combine the basic tone quality of the Presto with superb mounting systems that are very stable and adjustable. The cover lid has been riveted on to eliminate buzz. The tailpiece head has been strengthened with harmonic bars at the 90 degree bend to eliminate the possibility of breaking. The Pro-5 has a feature new to the Fults line: a thinner head, solid Sterling Silver plate (.040 X 5/16”) across the entire tailpiece tip. Results are a one of a kind: a bright, crisp, clear tone that is unsurpassed. Fans of the Fults 1934 will find this latest entry to the Fults line to be a sure winner.
The Pro-5 has been tested by Peter Schwimmer and is his tailpiece of choice. It is also used by Ross Nickerson on his new CD.
The adjustability is the best on the market with the Fults mounting system
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Fults F-Series mount
The F Series mount has been the mainstay of the Fults line for a few years, and continues to offer the combination of rock solid stability and adjustability that is only found in the Fults line of banjo tailpieces. The F series tailpiece is mounted (See Mounting System) to the 2 “tailpiece brackets” at the desired height and rigidly locked in place. The head of the tailpiece can be raised or lowered using the center tilt knob, and locked in place at the desired height with the tilt knob’s set screw. The F series mount is inherently more stable than other (non-Fults) tailpieces and less prone to “tuning issues”. Re-tuning several strings won't affect the tuning of the other strings as the tailpiece can't rock from side to side. The F series mount is compatible with any of the 8 available Fults tailpiece heads.
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Fults XYZ-Series mount
The new Fults XYZ Series mount shares the rock-solid stability of the Fults F-Series tailpiece mount. When combined with a Fults banjo tailpiece head, the XYZ mount gives the banjoist the most adjustable tailpiece on the market. Like the F-Series Fults tailpiece mount, it will accommodate any of the 8 available Fults tailpiece heads, allowing a wide range of tone possibilities.
The XYZ mount can be raised or lowered in exactly the same way as the Fults F-series mount. In addition, it can be shifted from side to side (to compensate for banjo necks that may be aligned a bit off center), and towards or away from the bridge (to change resonance) by the use of spacers (See Mounting System), and then locked rigidly in place at the desired position. This adjustability (in 3 perpendicular directions) is what gave the tailpiece its name and what sets it apart from all other tailpieces made to date. The XYZ mount is available in 5 sizes to fit different bracket hook spacing.
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