diff --git a/src/chronumental/__main__.py b/src/chronumental/__main__.py
index 6d071d3..c18016d 100644
--- a/src/chronumental/__main__.py
+++ b/src/chronumental/__main__.py
@@ -90,13 +90,28 @@ def get_parser():
         "Scale factor for date distribution. Essentially a measure of how uncertain we think the measured dates are."
     )
 
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--initial_tau',
+        default=3.2,
+        type=float,
+        help="Initial value for the tau parameter in the model. Only applies to Horseshoe.")
+    
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--hs_scale',
+        default=86917549.587,
+        type=float,
+        help="hs scale parameter in the model. Only applies to Horseshoe.")
+    
+
+    
+
     parser.add_argument('--steps',
-                        default=1000,
+                        default=20000,
                         type=int,
                         help="Number of steps to use for the SVI. Increasing this number will make runtime increase, but yield more accurate results.")
 
     parser.add_argument('--lr',
-                        default=0.01,
+                        default=0.03,
                         type=float,
                         help="Adam learning rate")
 
@@ -317,7 +332,10 @@ def main():
         "expected_min_between_transmissions":
         args.expected_min_between_transmissions,
         "enforce_exact_clock": args.enforce_exact_clock,
-        "variance_on_clock_rate": args.variance_on_clock_rate
+        "variance_on_clock_rate": args.variance_on_clock_rate,
+        "initial_tau": args.initial_tau,
+        "hs_scale": args.hs_scale,
+        "fixed_tau": True
     }
 
     my_model = models.models[args.model](
diff --git a/src/chronumental/models.py b/src/chronumental/models.py
index 8915fba..9feb40b 100644
--- a/src/chronumental/models.py
+++ b/src/chronumental/models.py
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
             'variance_on_clock_rate']
         self.expected_min_between_transmissions = kwargs[
             'model_configuration']['expected_min_between_transmissions']
+        
+        
 
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
 
@@ -163,6 +165,10 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
             'variance_on_clock_rate']
         self.expected_min_between_transmissions = kwargs[
             'model_configuration']['expected_min_between_transmissions']
+        
+        self.initial_tau = kwargs['model_configuration']['initial_tau']
+        self.fixed_tau = kwargs['model_configuration']['fixed_tau']
+        self.hs_scale = kwargs['model_configuration']['hs_scale']
 
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
 
@@ -216,7 +222,7 @@ def model(self):
 
         calced_dates = self.calc_dates(branch_times, root_date)
 
-        hs_scale = 1
+        hs_scale = self.hs_scale
 
         tau = numpyro.sample("tau",
                                    dist.HalfCauchy(hs_scale))
@@ -254,10 +260,10 @@ def guide(self):
                                     constraint=dist.constraints.positive)
         
         tau_param = numpyro.param("tau_param",
-                                    1,
+                                    self.initial_tau,
                                     constraint=dist.constraints.positive)
         tau = numpyro.sample("tau",
-                                      dist.Delta(tau_param))
+                                      dist.Delta(tau_param if not self.fixed_tau else self.initial_tau))
         
         sample_variances = numpyro.sample("lambda",
                                     dist.Delta(variances))