mr newhaven Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Hellllllo out there in acoustic laaaaaaaand, sorry for the hiatus i was spending alot of time in the lounge battling with some tools that think the Beatles are overrated...and that they were nothing more than a boy band with Epstein pulling the strings to commercial prostitution! anyways... i see some of you guys have Colosi pins and nuts etc...installed on your wood... whats the deal with them? i have an L-00 and I like the sound...yet i am always open to trying new products and exploring different materials...i see some are bone...others are fossilized ivory...etc... is there a noticeable difference in sound? i would imagine there would have to be because why else are you guys/gals installing them? also my L-00 is an '01 and i was wondering what kind of pins, nuts, etc...that i have currently on my beast? its all stock... now im not dissatisfied with my guitar...not in the least but like i said i am always interested in tweaking with things...and was wondering if in fact there is a sound difference in the different pins/materials...how do i know which is right for me (subjective question i know) do some materials make the guitar sound brighter/muddier...snappier...etc.??? thanks for the help in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jannusguy Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 uh-oh. can of worms here! my .02. replacing the nut and saddle may impact what you hear depending on how good your ears are! pin replacement is cosmetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I am sure others will have better answers for you than me, but I have only had bone or tusq products used on my guitars. My Gibby AJ is all bone currently and I like that best. I swapped out the plastic pins that come standard to bone but my saddle and nut already were bone. I personally feel that the pin gave me a bit more sustain on the guitar but couldn't prove it... what I can prove is that the size 2A double inlay pins I got from Bob C. look really nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I'm not a 'pin changer' myself. Nuts, yeah sometimes. Saddles, if they're soft, you betcha! Colosi pins seem to be held in pretty high regard. Whether they give you the results you're hoping for is anyone's guess but I haven't heard one negative thing about them... which should tell you a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 I am sure others will have better answers for you than me, but I have only had bone or tusq products used on my guitars. My Gibby AJ is all bone currently and I like that best. I swapped out the plastic pins that come standard to bone but my saddle and nut already were bone. I personally feel that the pin gave me a bit more sustain on the guitar but couldn't prove it... what I can prove is that the size 2A double inlay pins I got from Bob C. look really nice. they do look really nice Taylor Player...are they abalone? ok so i get the cosmetic viewpoint... and i understand that any natural material is more or less better than plastic...i mean thats pretty much always the case unless youre talking about water bottles or cups... so bone then is a solid starting point when looking at pins and saddles and what have you... keep them coming boys/girls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 The Beatles overrated?!?! Ha! Not possible! Anyway, to the subject at hand, I must say there is no answer agreeable to all. Some say pins make no difference whatsoever, some say they might make minor differences on some guitars, others swear they definitely make tonal changes. Choose your stripes. I personally fall in the middle category: my experience has been that they do make audible differences on some guitars. It has also been my experience that those differences are so minor as to be insignificant in the grand scheme of acoustic guitar tone. That said, I personally prefer a more durable material than the plastic pins that come on many guitars these days, and I like the appearance of an upgraded pin (without the mold flashing that plastic pins have). So, the bottom line in pins for me is appearance and durablilty. Tonality? Not such a big factor. Nut and saddle is a different story. Alternate materials here can and do make big differences in tone, but which is for you and your particular guitar is for you to decide by experimentation. A bone set replacing plactic will generally make a big difference in volume and clarity, perhaps in string to string balance. There are too many other variables to make flat statements about such things and think they will ring true in all cases. Though a more expensive proposition, the right nut/saddle for your instrument is much like trying different strings.......experimentation. All that aside, I think the variable with the most impact on guitar tone is pick choice. Pick material, shape, edge profile, flexibility.......these make dramatic differences in acoustic tone. Settle on a set of strings and a nut/saddle/pin set you really like with your usual pick of choice then play with a completely different pick (heavier, rounder, thinner, different material) and listen to how it changes what you've been hearing from your guitar. You will be surprised if you have not experimented widely with picks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Colosi pins are like Keds -- they will make you able to run faster, play better, stop quicker, barre chords with ease, look more attractive (even withOUT a drink....), and outperform anyone who is not using Colosi pins. Thass jes' a plain fact, is what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Colosi pins are like Keds -- they will make you able to run faster, play better, stop quicker, barre chords with ease, look more attractive (even withOUT a drink....), and outperform anyone who is not using Colosi pins. Thass jes' a plain fact, is what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 they do look really nice Taylor Player...are they abalone? Actually they are the double inlay with abalone and ebony rings. Not only will bone pins look better than the stock plastic, but they will last much longer too. I was on Bob's site recently and he has the 2A size double inlays on sale at about $25.00 a set! That's what I paid for mine during his last sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 hahaha thanks for the input keep it coming... not to change gears but lets just add this to the discussion...pick material? this is starting to get a little bit too much for me to wrap my head around...i understand the theory behind why different material picks would affect the tone of the strings...what options are available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Colosi pins will probably TRIPLE the sound quality of your guitar. And that is only the tip of the iceberg!!! Changing the saddle and nut to bone or fossilized ivory, or even ELEPHANT IVORY will triple the sound quality again!!!!!! And who doesn't want a bone nut????? Can't say enough about this....there must be over 100 old threads where this has been discussed to death....lol..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Picks - holy celluloid, Batman! Picks are something you have to experiment with to find what you like in tone and can deal with from a technique standpoint. Most players start with a pretty thin pick - it pushes through the strings easily for the halting strumming we all go through as beginners. And most players move to stiffer, heavier picks as they progress for the tone and control they allow. For flatpicking, thin picks do not "recover" from flexing quickly enough to be effective and this technique demands a fairly stiff pick. For just "big arm" strumming of chords a thin pick works well but doesn't deliver much volume and tone - they don't drive the strings very hard. Pick materials vary greatly and make major differences in tone. Since retiring my old tortise pick I have been using a couple of different Red Bears - one heavy and one ex-heavy - with rounded corners and a big, fat round edge. Between the two there is a huge difference in tone even though they are both the same shape with the same edge. The heavy pick sounds great with good low end and a bit of jangle in the trebles. The ex-heavy produces noticeably more volume and adds a "glassy" nature to the tone. I have several horn picks, heavy in gauge with a square edge when new, that produce good tone with a lot more "click".......more percussive in attack because of the squared edge. A nylon pick of similar gauge with the same tip shape gives a much more rounded sound because of the softer nature of the material. I have also learned that pick choice makes a big difference in how the overall tone of the guitar blends with a singing voice. When I sing and play I generally prefer a thinner gauge heavy pick (always heavy, though!) for more high end from the guitar, but when I just play the guitar I prefer the ex-heavy Red Bear - more punch and volume with somewhat muted trebles. In general, non-flexing heavy picks with round edges deliver more volume with less high end. As the edge and/or point gets sharper and the pick gets thinner (lighter gauge) you get more percussion and high frequency in the tone. What you like and the specifics of the tonal differences depends on your guitar, your style and string attack and, most of all, your ear. Enjoy the learning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 Colosi pins will probably TRIPLE the sound quality of your guitar. And that is only the tip of the iceberg!!! Changing the saddle and nut to bone or fossilized ivory, or even ELEPHANT IVORY will triple the sound quality again!!!!!! And who doesn't want a bone nut????? Can't say enough about this....there must be over 100 old threads where this has been discussed to death....lol..... well im sorry to beat a dead horse! haha nonetheless this is proving to be a most interesting topic... thanks for all the input everyone! :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgarHF Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 not to change gears but lets just add this to the discussion...pick material? What's a pick?:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 A shovel's husband. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 What's a pick? [/quote'] A bum strum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfidl Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I know from experience that Tusq saddles at least double the sound (transmits it from the string to the spruce top) -- from plastic saddles. I never thought it was worth the time or money to replace the nut (so I have no experience). Similarly I have no experience with different bridge pins. (but I read a lot of talk about them) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Layla Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Somethings you should not use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWilson Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I use Richard Leaky pins made from the fossilized thigh bones of 6th Parent Primate Australopithicus people. They really sound old! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfidl Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 not to change gears but lets just add this to the discussion...pick material? Way way back aboard ship (USS Fletcher DD445) we were not going to be into port for some time and I had a Kay guitar that was on the ship before I got there and stayed there after I left. The guitar was a beater so quality of sound was never a factor. I would cut up plastic sheet of any kind -- including old service ID cards and use it to play guitar. (The songs were pretty bad too -- about like the guitar). It was kind of like this -- see how bad a guitar can be, the song can be, the voice can be and the pick can be and still not drive everyone out of the mess deck or the head depending on where this was taking place. (Never in the sleeping area or I would get my butt kicked by a dozen boatswains). Never in sonar because it ruined their ears for hours. never in the wheelhouse or on the bridge -- officers were too high class. Never in radio they'd lose their bug count. never in fire control they'd shoot it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfidl Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 not to change gears but lets just add this to the discussion...pick material? Way way back aboard ship (USS Fletcher DD445) we were not going to be into port for some time and I had a Kay guitar that was on the ship before I got there and stayed there after I left. The guitar was a beater so quality of sound was never a factor. I would cut up plastic sheet of any kind -- including old service ID cards and use it to play guitar. (The songs were pretty bad too -- about like the guitar). It was kind of like this -- see how bad a guitar can be, the song can be, the voice can be and the pick can be and still not drive everyone out of the mess deck or the head depending on where this was taking place. (Never in the sleeping area or I would get my butt kicked by a dozen boatswains). Never in sonar because it ruined their ears for hours. never in the wheelhouse or on the bridge -- officers were too high class. Never in radio they'd lose their bug count. never in fire control they'd shoot it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Some can hear an unmistakable improvement in sound and sustain while others have not. Me, personally, can tell a BIG difference. I guess it's just the individual guitar and the player's ears. Like Joe Walsh said "the smoker you drink, the player you get"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I would compare the pin material, with the tuning peg handle material. It's "out of the loop" as far as tone is concerned. Does your strap effect tone? Your watch band? Your wedding ring? If your brain says it does, okay. Just don't ask my ears to hear it. Just sayin'. Murph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I don't notice a different tone with picks unless they're so thin they slap and sound like a playing card in the bicycle spokes. For me it's more a tactile thing. If I can hang onto it, it's good. Tortex is my favorite. Cheap and plentiful and legal. Sometimes I use a paper punch to poke a hole in the pick so I can hang onto it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburude63 Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I know from experience that Tusq saddles at least double the sound (transmits it from the string to the spruce top) -- from plastic saddles. I never thought it was worth the time or money to replace the nut (so I have no experience). Similarly I have no experience with different bridge pins. (but I read a lot of talk about them) I think tusq is the tooth material from the famed but almost extinct Nauga (aka (Naugahyde) Isnt it? :- suburude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.