J-45 pin came off after string break

[Giromiglia]

Hi folks,

during a gig last night I broke my first string on my new J-45 and the pin popped out and fell on the floor. Luckily a friend of mine in the audience saw it so I could pick it up, otherwise, with no spare pins with me, it would 've been a problem.

Then, while putting the new string on, the B, I noticed how loose the pin is in the bridge hole. I've never seen this happen on other guitars, and I had a few in 40 years, but this is my first Gibson. Is this normal? Now I wonder if the other pins are so loose too . Have this anything to do with the LR Braggs pick-up installed? Will it affect the pick-up if I changed the pins with more tight ones?

Any opinions/suggestions are welcome.

 

thanks

Max

[jedzep]

Better too loose than too tight. It was fine under the string tension but when that went to zero it jumped out. If you had inserted it gently, which I recommend always, it had just enough wiggle room to pop out as the ball end ceased putting pressure against the pin notch at the tip. It's a good thing, I think. It means you strung it correctly and the ball end wasn't wedged between the pin and bridge. I guess if the pins really don't seat without strings on and fall out if you tip the top down, you may want to size up. Just remember to compensate when you push them in so as not to stress the bridge.

[E-minor7]

This occurs once in a while, but should be avoided - fx by trying the lively pin in another hole.

 

It's really annoying to see a pin pop out in the middle of a song - especially if you have to dive to floor and search under sofas and stool to get it.

 

But it happens to the best.

 

Here one of Dolly Parton's pins has made the jump right into Leland Sklar's beard without him even noticing.

 

 

~

 

 

Not until the following morning when it fell and landed in his corn flakes, did he find out.

[fromnabulax]

If anything, and I mean ANYTHING of Dolly Parton's popped out and landed in MY beard....

[58 Relic]

1442175899[/url]' post='1693567']

Hi folks,

during a gig last night I broke my first string on my new J-45 and the pin popped out and fell on the floor. Luckily a friend of mine in the audience saw it so I could pick it up, otherwise, with no spare pins with me, it would 've been a problem.

Then, while putting the new string on, the B, I noticed how loose the pin is in the bridge hole. I've never seen this happen on other guitars, and I had a few in 40 years, but this is my first Gibson. Is this normal? Now I wonder if the other pins are so loose too . Have this anything to do with the LR Braggs pick-up installed? Will it affect the pick-up if I changed the pins with more tight ones?

Any opinions/suggestions are welcome.

 

thanks

Max

 

Hi I also have I new 45 and the pins are slightly loose in my bridge as well with no strings attached I don't have to use much pressure with the bridge pin remover , but on stringing they tighten up , just remember after putting the pin back in the bridge after re stringing to put your thumb on the top of the pin and gently pull up on the string to make sure that the ball end has seated correctly on the bridge plate this will tighten the pin .One thing I always do is when tuning a new string to pitch I always keep a finger on the pin till the string is at pitch . Also as mentioned when you next have all the strings off the guitar swap round the pins in different string holes to get the best fit for each string

[capmaster]

...

Here one of Dolly Parton's pins has made the jump right into Leland Sklar's beard without him even noticing.

 

 

~

 

 

Not until the following morning when it fell and landed in his corn flakes, did he find out.

You are kidding, aren't you?

[Priority Four]

That happened to me when we were playing at a high school stadium. I just switched guitars and did not realize I'd lost the pin till the next day. We had been set up on a huge tarp on the running track. I went back the next day and found the tarp had been moved and there was a football practice going on. I figured it was gone for good. On my way out, a trainer for the football team chased me down and he had the pin in his hand. She said she was a guitar player and had seen it pop out the night before and then saw it on the tarp when they moved it.

[Jesse_Dylan]

It wouldn't affect the pickup at all. I'm assuming it's an undersaddle pickup (Baggs Element?), which is all under the saddle and just relies on the strings pushing the saddle down evenly (which is why they use Tusq for guitars with an UST like the Element).

 

And if it were a soundboard transducer or a mic or anything, the pins would not affect it, so no worries. Experiment with pins with confidence. :)

[Giromiglia]

Thank you guys for your kind attention and posts.

Happy to hear there is no problem with the pick-up. However, I'd better get some spare pins to take with me, just in case :)

[sbpark]

I literally just had this happen to me on my J45! Was playing at home, string broke and the pin flew off. I still can't find it!

[Jesse_Dylan]

I used to have several songs I wrote in alternate (i.e. I made them up) tunings, and I spent a great deal of time tuning on stage (ha). I used to worry (and therefore joke) about these types of things happening.