Bidge Pins: Ideas for replacement pins for my AJ-500Me ?

[lomolca+]

Hello all,

 

This is fairly straightforward question and probably relevant to all acoustic player but:

Would you recommend replacing the standard plastic bridge pins with something special, and if so, what pins have you used or would recommend?

 

Thanks,

Ac

[YerDugliness]

Not necessarily.....I'd say it depends on the quality of the guitar. Of all the mods you can make, bridge pins probably yield the least improvement in tone, so on a lower quality guitar the difference would probably not be noticable. I keep saying "probably" b/c there are some who have golden ears who can hear a difference, or perhaps can convince themselves that there is a difference. It's an issue of considerable disagreement.

 

If you want to replace them, I would suggest you AVOID brass pins for sure. Most I know use bone or ivory. If you want to be safe, get some ornamental pins of wood, such as rosewood or ebony. What you want to avoid with the very hard materials, such as brass, is splitting the bridge by forcing an unyielding material into the holes in the bridge.

 

If you want to mod your guitar, think about replacing the saddle first, then the nut (again, an issue of considerable disagreement since the nut is "bypassed" soon as a string is fretted). I routinely replace the nut and saddle at the same time with the same material as a cosmetic/longevity issue, and have been "guilty" of replacing the bridge pins with the same material (again, a cosmetic issue). On my custom shop guitar, I provided the luthier with the materials for the saddle, nut, bridge pins, endpin and strap button....all West African Hard Ivory.....just a personal choice, though.

 

Cheers from Dugly

[el capitan]

Martin,Gibson and Guild all fit plastic bridge pins.Gibson tried rosewood in the 70's-I've got boxes of them!Totally unsuitable-tho' ebony is OK.

tUSQ? Tried it-not convinced.The thing about the original pins is that they fit!

[Mike54]

This has been discussed a few times, and always brings out a variety of opinions. I changed the pins in my AJ- 500R for bone pins, and I think the result is a little better tone, and a little more sustain, but Doug is probably right in that I may be hearing what I want to hear. In any case, it's no worse than before and the new pins look a thousand times better.

New

http://s976.photobucket.com/albums/ae247/mparsley1/Epiphone%20pics/?action=view&current=epibridgepins007.jpg&newest=1

 

Original

http://s976.photobucket.com/albums/ae247/mparsley1/Epiphone%20pics/?action=view&current=epibridgepins009.jpg&newest=1#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs976.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae247%2Fmparsley1%2FEpiphone%2520pics%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DEpi2001.jpg%26newest%3D1

 

Full Frontal Guitar view

http://s976.photobucket.com/albums/ae247/mparsley1/Epiphone%20pics/?action=view&current=epibridgepins009.jpg&newest=1

 

I got these from Bob Colosi, www.guitarsaddles.com. He gave them a vintage look with a certain stain he uses, and these particular pins are bone, with 3 mm faux tortise dots.

 

Most people probably don't notice them, but the ones who do have complimented them, and I think they give the guitar a more high-quality appearance.

[Mike54]

Links in the above post didin't show up as labeled, but you can click through the pics and see the originals after you're in.

[smips65]

 

I tried an experiment with my acoustic repair, and swapped plastic pins for ebony pins on my Guild, and visa versa on the Aims, but really didn't notice a significant difference, That said, the looks of the ebony are far better, IMO.

 

I think getting the slant cuts in the saddle makes a big difference, with respect to tone.

[zombywoof]

Nope - unless you just like the looks of some other pins. About the only thing I can think of that would have less impact would be replacing in the strap button.

[atfab]

I replaced the plastic pins on my Dean with ebony ones. I replaced every other on and did notice some improved sustain and clarity on the changed ones . I attribute it to them better matching the ebony bridge. I admit the change was very slight.

[ETxBluesMan]

I guess it's a subjective thing as to what you get when you change bridge pins, bridge saddle or nut.

 

The guy that owns Guitar Saddles remarked that changing out the nut had little, or no, effect on the way a guitar sounds.

 

His emphasis is on changing bridge saddles and bridge pins.