Hogeye Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 OK, I'll play. I've not had good luck with QC on the last two Gibsons I've purchased. I think I shouldn't have to rely on luck, but maybe that's just me. Hell, a thousand here and a thousand there, what do you want? Am I the the only one here that thinks there's something a little weird about folks stating that they've kind of fallen in love the shitty cheap misaligned plastic pins they get on their way expensive guitars? If one paid upwards of 3, 4, 5 thousand for a guitar, wouldn't it seem just a little more acceptable to see folks saying that they feel more accepting of their bone pins over grossly poorly made plastic? What extra cost? 11 bucks? For goodness sake. What a bunch of malarkey. Make no mistake, I'm railing against Martin, too. Sorry but you have been missing the point. Almost all the folks that buy a new guitar go out and buy pins that they personally like. They do this at the exact same time they change the strings to the brand they like. Gibson knows this. So. Do you want to throw away pins that they will charge you $11.00 more for or would you rather take that $11.00 and put it towards your special type of pin? I can't believe that you could possibly like the strings that come on the guitars but..... This is a pretty simple concept to grasp so.... Let's get on with life. When you buy your next Gibson or Martin just ask your dealer to change the pins for you and ask him to put new strings on it as well. The kind you like. It's really pretty simple. That's what everyone else does and I don't know of a dealer that would lose a sale over a set of bridge pins and strings.Most people ask the dealer to set the guitar up at the same time. Surely you don't buy a guitar with used strings on it do you? Just ask for what you like. Don't expect Gibson to know what you want in advance and please give them credit for making the cost a little more affordable for you. If you buy mailorder just use Music Villa in Bozeman. They will put any pin on you want and they will restring your guitar with whatever you want and they will set up the guitar to your exact spec. They will even send you the Gibson pins so you can have the satisfaction of throwing them away yourself. You should know something else. If you call Nashville and ask customer service a question about Gibson Acoustics chances are that you will speak to a person that is very well meaning but has probably never been to Montana. These hard working folks have a hundred different processes they are expected to be knowledgeable on from banjos to mandolins to Les Pauls. Gibson/Montana isn't too much better. They do have a very good Product Specialist that is coming up to speed and he will be a terrific asset to the company in the coming years so it's unfortunate that you are judging the company on this criteria. I understand that you are reacting to situations that have not been pleasant for you and I agree the responses you got were not acceptable. Some of the folks that post here have been to the plant in Bozeman many times and they know what they are talking about so ask them for advice. I will tell you this. The nitro process is extremely difficult and expensive and if you had any clue at all you would be thrilled to have such a finish at the price Gibson charges. It's one of the best values in the music industry and before you rant on it over and over you should know a little more about it. The folks that do just sit back and roll their eyes when these types of posts come out on the forum. Gibson is kind enough to let this continue so I guess they need to get some credit but really.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 well, i weighed out many of the comments here--aesthetically, i don't care for the look of my plastic pins, so i got a pack of bone pins with the abalone dot on top. i had recently had my guitar set up---so now i'm wondering if i should wait until string change, OR possibly jumping in now and just loosening the strings one at a time and swapping them out. will that mess with the set up at all, in your opinion fellow forum members? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 . As long as you use the same strings, you setup should be good for sometime . . . . until yer next checkup is due. Loosen string, change pin, tune back to pitch - one string at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 . As long as you use the same strings, you setup should be good for sometime . . . . until yer next checkup is due. Loosen string, change pin, tune back to pitch - one string at a time. thanks! will be doing so tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I just replaced the cheap plastic end pin on my SJ200 with fossilized walrus johnson and can't believe the change. Oh, wait. This is my Cordoba Gipsy King, not my King of the Flatops. Never mind... Seriously. This is a great thread. Impossible to get a bunch of enthusiasts together and not have some ruffled feathers. BOTTOM LINE? (sorry, I'm one of those unfortunates with an MBA and the simple truth is that money is as important to the Gibson Montana Division as it is to each of us) - we've all spent thousand$ on Gibsons and have earned the right to keep or replace the factory issue bridge pins. HOWEVER, if you are here reading/researching to decide on buying a Gibson, as opposed to a Taylor or Martin, and are going to make your decision based on the end pins offered by the Top Three, I have a bridge to sell you. (No, not an ebony mustache bridge, a Brooklyn Bridge.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee M Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 HOWEVER, if you are here reading/researching to decide on buying a Gibson, as opposed to a Taylor or Martin, and are going to make your decision based on the end pins offered by the Top Three, I have a bridge to sell you. (No, not an ebony mustache bridge, a Brooklyn Bridge.) I love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 7, 2011 Author Share Posted May 7, 2011 These are the bone bridge pins i want to use. They are slightly too fat for the holes in the bridge. Hmm. Wondering if i should shave the pins or widen the holes in the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 7, 2011 Author Share Posted May 7, 2011 Darn it the pics wont load! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 . Pic posting help - http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/11005-sticky-how-to-post-photos/ Follow the directions in the link above. The Photobucket account is free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogeye Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 These are the bone bridge pins i want to use. They are slightly too fat for the holes in the bridge. Hmm. Wondering if i should shave the pins or widen the holes in the bridge. Please don't widen the holes in the guitar. Trim the pins to fit or just buy the right size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Here's a link to the pins... http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k133/hardmodskin/?action=view¤t=IMG056.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 . Nice looking pins. But I would follow Hogeye's advice - trim the pins, or find the right size pins. Here's your pic - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Thanks Laguna. I'll take them to my usual guitar tech when I'm ready for next string change since i don't trust myself shaving them down to size! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Laguna =Kahuna. My phone auto "corrected" me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 finally got the pins put in today. in my opinion, the guitar sounds a tad brighter overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 . Congrats. They look good. Glad they worked out for you. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windwalker9000 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I like a bone nut,saddle and pins I bought a presention series Taylor and it came with ebony pins they just did not seem to sound as good as bone, I bought brass pins they really caused the highs to sound loud and jingle but not balanced. I think bone is the way to go, and then seek out the best sounding strings far each individual guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 It's two days in and I think I get the importance of it all now. The bone pins definitely look great and the combo of those and a new set of strings make it sing out a lot clearer. Any thoughts on using flat wound strings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 . Flat wounds sound a bit dull on acoustics. But there's a choice in between round wound and flat wound - Try D'Addario Flat Tops, which are more or less the same as their electric Half-Rounds. D'Addario - "D'Addario Flat Tops are round wound, then precision ground, leaving the outer surface smooth and "semi-flat." This produces a smooth, flattened playing surface, but does not sacrifice the superb tone and sustain associated with phosphor bronze strings. Flat Tops greatly reduce finger noise and are excellent for recording and flatpicking." - http://store.daddario.com/category/145772/Flat_Top_Phosphor_Bronze_Wound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Leaving the factory: Bone, Plastic, or Tusq? Careful not to get a tusq in your bone or you will have to resort to plastic..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 . Nice looking pins. But I would follow Hogeye's advice - trim the pins, or find the right size pins. Here's your pic - i forgot to mention this...at the shop i totally blanked because i was talking with the owners about their classes on offer. i should have been watching to see what the tech was up to!! anyway, the tech didn't SHAVE them down, he slightly widened the holes. i looked over and noticed when he was already on the last one. i had said "shave these to fit"---the tech heard "make these all fit" over the noise in the store. arrrrghhhh.... oh well, what's done is done...not that i plan on parting with the guitar ever, but the alteration would hurt its value, yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 One more note to support the viewpoint that bone bridge pins help with the sound: the missus listened in today as I was playing--- mind you she had no idea I'd had new pins put in--- and said "wow your guitar sounds really different." I asked if she meant that in a good way and she said yes. I asked for details and she said it sounded richer overall and she noticed it projected better. She usually listens from the kitchen so she's used to hearing it at a particular volume and tone. I'm quite thrilled. Thanks forum people who contributed opinions to this thread!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 . Great story about your wife. And glad this worked out to your satisfaction. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardmodskin Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 Thanks, Kahune.... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aadvark Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 that's all very well, Hardmodskin, however the whole pin thing is pointless because your guitar is upside down!!!! Gibson QC fail again. Don't they even know which way is up any more? I love GIbson. PS RE Pins, I Have bone, ebony, tusq, or FWI, on all my guitars. Each material is different. Not one of my guitars still has plastic, except the ES330 saddles which are the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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