Changing (bridge) endpins

CDee

I am looking at getting some bone or wood endpins for my Gibson acoustic. I've had a look at these from stewmac, but damn, that's expensive... ? http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/product/4970-S
R210 for one is crazyness!

Are there other alternatives? What do they go for in SA (if someone stocks them) ?
Or should I save the bones of the T-bone from Spur next time I go there and carve my own? ?

CDee

I found these: http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/jopebuhogubr.html
Anybody have experience with these, they worth the $30?

Ray

I dont know if the material bridge pins are made of have an effect. I've read conflicting opinions all over the place. In another thread I showed I used a wood golf tee and it's still there and I'm really not going to rush to replace it becasue I sure as hell cant hear that it sound any different. Bob D mentioned that the gets the things from Andy McG's and I'm sure lots of stores will have. But then again, you gotto feel good with what is on your guitar and if 30 $ going to help that, hell it's a lot of money.

CDee

The problem is that the ones I currently have are very poor quality... (Not sure why Gibson would do that, the nut is bone the saddle is bone but for some reason the endpins are cheap plastic)
The sizes are a bit inconsistent. So I'll rather replace with something of better quality... if that makes sense.

MikeM

$30 isn't that much compared to the price of a Gibson ?

Ray

Maybe you want to go to 222.take2.co.za then click more usa and then select musical instruments from the dropdown and enter bridge pins. Maybe you'll see something. I've ordered cd's there and it's OK.

CDee

MikeM wrote: $30 isn't that much compared to the price of a Gibson ?

Nope, the $30 for a set is not that much, but for $30/pin at stewmac, that's too much... ?

They are also running a special on strings at strings and beyond for Elixer nanowebs. Buy 2 get one free at $30. Not bad!

Bob-Dubery

Some assert that bridge pins do make a difference to the sound. I have gone from ebony to tusq on my Morgan and my Larrivee - mostly because one day when I sell those guitars or they become part of my estate they will have the original bridge pins. Also because I was once changing strings on the Morgan and one of the bridge pins ended up describing a most graceful arc as it flew through the air - I spent 20 minutes or so looking for the thing (I didn't have any others at the time).

I can't tell a difference, but this is going from one good quality material to another. Perhaps going from cheap plastic to tusq I would have heard a difference.

Martin Carthy uses brass bridge pins on the top 3 strings, whatever Martin fit as standard on the lower 3. I have read an article in which Neil Young's guitar tech asserts that bone makes the best bridge pins.

Tusq pins are fairly easily available in SA. They come in different sizes, so take one of your current bridge pins along. I can't swear to the price, but it's rather less than $30 a pin. I'd try those.

Bob-Dubery

Young's guy said....

Plastic absorbs a lot of the tops and bottoms
Brass adds sustain but isn't loud
Mammoth ivory has good tops and sustain
Ebony adds fullness
For him the best set up is ebony on 6th to 4th, and water buffalo horn on 3rd to 1st.

In the same article a luthier/repair guy Al Milburn is quoted thusly, "Tone is pretty subjective, and whilst it's difficult to predict the tone that particular bridge pins will impart, the difference will be subtle. The important thing is that the pins fits snugly in the bridge and seat the ball end of the strings firmly against the bridge plate."

Ray

Well I go with the thing that the bridge pin must just hold the string in place efficiently. But that is just my thinking and quite possibly wrong. I certainly believe that the saddle material will do something becasue that is one end of the scale but cant see what can affect beyond that. Does it make a difference what the posts on the tuning machines are made of? Anyway, I am going to give the guitar guy here in Benoni a call and ask him if he makes bone pins. He sorted out my nylons with eland bone. But you know I have actually seen bridge pins that looked sort of bone hand carved, and I think it may be in the book that Bob made me buy. 'Acoustic Guitar Owners Manual'. Yip there it is on pg 35, the bridge pin there looks hand carved but I may be wrong.

CDee

I don't think my ear is trained enough to hear the subtle differences... I'm doing this to sort out the "proper seating" issue. (And hopefully the cosmetic issue of ugly looking plastic)

Bob-Dubery

The good fit makes absolute sense. So does the requirement that the pins secure the ball end against the bridge plate. You don't want the strings shifting under tension and thus putting the guitar out of tune, and you don't want the ball ends hanging around where they may buzz.

After that.... I wonder. It is possible that some plastics may absorb some of the vibration, but what sounds clear and has a good ring to me may be too lively for you.

Something too soft is not a good idea - won't last long.

AlanRatcliffe

Those prices are for a pack of six...

CDee

So, I decided to get the bridge pins set from Strings and beyond. I put them into place and they look alot better than the plastic ones.

The sound: Hmmm... It's hard to tell, if anything it added a little brightness to the sound. So all in all I'm happy. ?