ABSTRACT
Historically, mutes evolved as pronged clamps that fit directly on the bridge to dampen the tone for a veiled, translucent quality. In an educational setting it is most sensible to choose a practical slide-on mute, however, the mute should remain on the instrument without any concern of buzzing. Tailpieces with pre-fitted fine tuners may be made of aluminum alloy, composite graphite, plastic, wood, or carbon fiber. If the instrument is not fitted with four fine tuners, separate string adjusters are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. A Sacconi-style tailpiece adjuster is likely the tailgut fitted on student instruments, and it is a safe, reliable and climate-proof component. Most student-grade rectangular rosins are molded in protective frames with open sides, but are not immune from breaking when dropped. A standard feature of a cello or double bass, most full-size student cellos come with a retractable steel endpin rod between 17 inches and 20 inches.
