Here you can see the large hog outs in the string load and hinge area. I took out as much mass as possible with out compromising structural integrity. It's a pretty poopy picture but you can see I have bonded in a piece of brass where the string loops will butt against. The brass is V shaped for a reason. I bend the brass into a V then I grind a taper from the middle to each end. This sets the brass piece so that it angles toward the back of the tailpiece. This negative angle prevents the strings from slipping off when re stringing. The string tension does must of the work at keeping the strings anchored. I love the look of a bottom loading tailpiece but I didn't want extra confusion for the string anchoring system. Some builders rout in complicated slots or use L shaped brass - my method just seemed simple and light. It works great!
I use a rustic Iron hinge for the body attachment. I chose rusted Iron because it reminds me of my love for Hot Rods and of the Art Deco depictions of labourers erecting skyscrapers with sledge hammers and rivets. I form the flat Iron around the jackposts in my basement with brutish blows from a wooden mallet. Using this humble looking material is kind of an artistic statement about celebrating backyard ingenuity and not always having to raise the bar.
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