JAddison Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I swapped over the standard plastic pins with some buffalo bone pins and I have noticed a slight loss in bass and slightly more articulation. Has anyone else noticed the loss in bass when switching to bone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I swapped over the standard plastic pins with some buffalo bone pins and I have noticed a slight loss in bass and slightly more articulation. Has anyone else noticed the loss in bass when switching to bone? Are the buffalo bone or buffalo horn? Bob Colosi sells buffalo horn pins, which he says are less dense than bone and change tone little compared to plastic pins. Most bone pins are cow bone or ox bone. Did you change strings at the same time you changed the pins? If so, that could change the tonal balance of the guitar as well. We have very short and imprecise aural memories, so unless you do direct A/B comparisons at the same time, it may be hard to really isolate how tone might have changed unless the change is quite dramatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Yes, exactly that same response when I moved from plastic to bone on my maple J-150. Some bass was gone, but more articulation, suited me fine as I liked the more balanced tone. However when I tried bone pins on my HB TV it lost much of that 'nectary' tone, was actually too articulate ! Plastic pins went right back and harmony was restored again .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAddison Posted April 24, 2013 Author Share Posted April 24, 2013 Are the buffalo bone or buffalo horn? Bob Colosi sells buffalo horn pins, which he says are less dense than bone and change tone little compared to plastic pins. Most bone pins are cow bone or ox bone. Did you change strings at the same time you changed the pins? If so, that could change the tonal balance of the guitar as well. We have very short and imprecise aural memories, so unless you do direct A/B comparisons at the same time, it may be hard to really isolate how tone might have changed unless the change is quite dramatic. I was playing for 10 mins or so, detuned and changed the pins (keeping the original strings) and tuned back up. Annoyingly she sounds better strummed with the bone pins (louder and brighter) but better (more bass and less brittle) when fingerpicked with the plastic ones. I am going to go back to plastic as I finger pick more than I strum. If it aint broke and all that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I am going to go back to plastic as I finger pick more than I strum. If it aint broke and all that... Exactly..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainpicker Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Read an interview with Larry Cragg, Neil Young's tech, not long ago and he claims that THE thing to do is "water buffalo horn on the top three, ebony on the bass three". While you might not want to do the mix and match thing his way, you could mix and match with what you've got at hand as yet another option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAddison Posted April 24, 2013 Author Share Posted April 24, 2013 Read an interview with Larry Cragg, Neil Young's tech, not long ago and he claims that THE thing to do is "water buffalo horn on the top three, ebony on the bass three". While you might not want to do the mix and match thing his way, you could mix and match with what you've got at hand as yet another option. Interesting thanks for sharing, I have a set of ebony at home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc_S Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I've had all sorts of pins, from crazy-expensive FWI to plastic . . . I think pound for pound it is hard to be ebony pins. My experience only, of course. I found that some of the more expensive pins had too much sustain, and notes would keep ringing as I was moving on. Gave me one more thing to have to think about. which is one more than I need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I use bone and ebony depending on the guitar. I highly recommend ebony if you want some good bass. My scgc and Collings came stock with them. Im yet to throw them on a gibson though but if I do ill update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Interesting I have been thinking of changing the pins and saddle on my J-35 to bone. But it sounds so good at the minute I may just leave it stock for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I agree with the ebony recomendation....I have tried bone on my J45TV and my D-28 and in both instances I found them to contribute to a overly metallic brassy sound. For me that brassy sound contibuted to my perception that bass tone were deminished. the bass was still very loud just overly metalic and harsh....My ears could only take bone pins on the D-28 for about an hour before I swapped them out for ebony....the ebony seemed to take the harshness off, maybe enhance the bass some? yet maintain good trebles. Lots of discussion here about that...it seems that all the "rules" regarding what contributes to tone are highly subjective and for every opinion there is someone who feels the opposite.....although I am not fond of the idea of plastic pins on these very nice guitars, I prefer plastic to bone on both, but ebony the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I would like to hear Del's take on this. So Del - any philosophy for the 6 Bird pins, , , and the other guitars also for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Nilppeznaf Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I would like to hear Del's take on this. So Del - any philosophy for the 6 Bird pins, , , and the other guitars also for that matter. Well, I swapped the stock pins for Bob Collosi bone, and I did feel like they made a slight difference tone wise..I thought for the better at the time. Seemed a touch louder..and the highs rang clearer.... a touch more sparkle ... but it was more of a want for high end materials on the guitar instead of stock plastic. Honestly I don't believe anyone else would hear a difference...but the player seems to..if they want to and they just feel nicer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAddison Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 Well, I swapped the stock pins for Bob Collosi bone, and I did feel like they made a slight difference tone wise..I thought for the better at the time. Seemed a touch louder..and the highs rang clearer.... a touch more sparkle ... but it was more of a want for high end materials on the guitar instead of stock plastic. Honestly I don't believe anyone else would hear a difference...but the player seems to..if they want to and they just feel nicer. Well I got home last night, played my 35 both finger picking and strumming for 10 mins and then detuned and swapped all bone pins for the plastic originals and tuned back up. The warmth was back but the high sparkle and loudness had gone. It sounded slightly muffled in comparisson. I really noticed it. But I liked the low end more. So I replaced the top three high string pins with the bone ones and left the bottom three plastic ones. A good compramise and she still sounds balanced. Im going to look around for some ebony pins to replace the bottom three plastic ones. The ones I have are planet waves and are too small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Okay, Del - so you still keep the bones. . . Well I got home last night, played my 35 both finger picking and strumming for 10 mins and then detuned and swapped all bone pins for the plastic originals and tuned back up. The warmth was back but the high sparkle and loudness had gone. It sounded slightly muffled in comparisson. I really noticed it. But I liked the low end more. So I replaced the top three high string pins with the bone ones and left the bottom three plastic ones. A good compramise and she still sounds balanced. Funny - I did the exact same thing. Inspired by EA, I tried to go back to plast. Perhaps got a little muddier/stickier glaze, but found we lost bass. Thus sat bone back in for E and A and now seem to have an attractive combination. Wanted to hear you, Del as you Bird-recordings sound good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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