Bridge Pins: Brass, Chrome, Ebony, Ivory, Bone, Rosewood, Boxwood, Plastic?

[chopz]

Does the choice of bridge pins really affect sound? What bridge pins have you used and what effect did it have on the sound of your acoustic?

[nylon rock]

My guitar came with plastic pins. I just put on ebony with pearl inlays, for looks.

 

There are some tests out there on the web, and pins don't do much, it seems.

 

Those who claim a huge improvement in sound from the pins probably exaggerate.

 

A true test would be some blind comparison, with all sorts of different models, subbing in new strings here and there, but a correctly set up comparison nonetheless. Like psychology comparison tests that are done in colleges, where you don't have a clue what they are up to, and you are just a volunteer reporting your answers.

 

Then we would really see how pins measure up.

[Bb]

Bridge pins can effect sound but they are part of the bigger picture. One must look at bridge, nut, and pin materials. One could change the bridge pin to say ivory but have a plastic nut and bridge...you won't hear any difference.

I hear major differences between woods, bone/ivory, and plastics provided the bridge, pins and nut are changed together.

I can hear differences between bone and ivory but only on sensitive (well make, broken in) acoustics played dynamically.

I prefer ivory bridge and nuts on my high end acoustics and use bone pins. Bone would be my second choice. For me its a system (bridge/pins/nut) that is most important. However, nut and bridge material have a significantly more profound tonal impact than pin material (really insignificant on most guitars, regardless of cost/value) and is where one should focus.

I find ivory/bone to be best for ballance and clarity (in nuts and bridges).

 

Bb

[nylon rock]

Was at the UMGF site this afternoon, and they have a thread on this subject, and they say there is a BIG effect on just going from plastic to ebony. Adds woodiness and warmth.

 

Good!

[Jere Mealer]

I put brass pins on my Gibson 12 string, and can tell a fairly significant improvement in tone, although others on this forum have felt otherwise.

 

I put Fossilized Walrus Ivory pins and saddle on my Larrivee, and I THINK it made an improvement over the Tusq. Aesthetically it made a huge difference.

[Andrewrg]

 

Originally posted by nylon rock Was at the UMGF site this afternoon, and they have a thread on this subject, and they say there is a BIG effect on just going from plastic to ebony. Adds woodiness and warmth. Good!

 

 

I have been playing acoustic for around 30 years and have tried all kinds of pin materials on my Martins and you know what,none make a scrap of difference to tone.I guess if you just spent $400 dollars on fossilized whatever they just have to sound good,right?

Also its impossible to do any kind of accurate before and after test on your own guitar unless you are recording your results on tape;even then there are so many variables to consider that I wouldnt bother.

You bought your guitar because it sounded good,right? IMVHO any perceived"improvement"in tone is down to psychoacoustics;convincing yourself.

The only significant tonal change you will see is by changing the bridge material.The nut is essentially a string guide and should have no effect on tone.

[Andrewrg]

PS,Jere I mean no disrespect!

[guitarcapo]

The saddle material improves tone a bit in my opinion. I like ivory the best but bone and fossil ivory are good too. Fossil ivory can vary in conistancy a lot though. You need to get a piece that hasn't mineralized or degraded (sort of feels rubbery)

 

As for pins...the brass ones add a little weight and might smooth out the response a bit like a compressor due to added inertia to the top. Maybe lower the fundamental resonant frequency and overall volume a bit. Other than for the weight factor I don't think they do much. A fellow might want to tape a few pennies to the bridge and see if the added weight improves the tone before spending money on brass pins. I can't hear much difference between plastic, wood and ivory pins myself.

[catdaddy]

There is obviously no shortage of opinions on the matter of bridge pins making a difference in sound or tone quality. I recently replaced the original plastic bridge pins on my 1969 Hummingbird with a set of Tusq pins and was delighted with the improvement. It was the first time I've ever changed pin material on any guitar that I've owned but it won't be the last time I try it. The old gibson has noticeably more sustain and volume than before. To try to quantify the change I would say the difference is not as significant as putting on a new set of strings... but I sure won't be going back to plastic pins again on that guitar!

[JasmineTea]

What about this "concept": With plastic pins, the ball of the string will bite into the plastic (you've seen the little pits in the pins when changing strings) If the pins are made of harder material, that does'nt "give" the way plastic does, would this increase sustain?

[Andrewrg]

Originally posted by JasmineTea

What about this "concept": With plastic pins, the ball of the string will bite into the plastic (you've seen the little pits in the pins when changing strings) If the pins are made of harder material, that does'nt "give" the way plastic does, would this increase sustain?

 

The way I see it is if you add mass to a vibrating top it should decrease its ability to vibrate freely.Remember all the hoopla in the `80`s with brass nuts, bridges,saddles,sustain blocks embedded in the guitar? Couldnt have been that great or surely we would be seeing the stuff everywhere.Of course I`m talking of electrics here but the same priciples apply to acoustics.

The way I see it a bridge pin is purely a device for securing a string with no acoustic property to speak of.

[guitarcapo]

I just don't think that the pins vibrate independent of the bridge as a whole much. The energy is all transferred to the bridge saddle which acts as a nodal point. The soundboard is what is shaking and moving air. It's the same reason a fretted note (steel) sounds the same as an open nut (bone or plastic) sounds the same as a slided node (brass slide)

Once you have a nodal point the vibrations are everywhere else and that's where the tone is determined. The pins are just in too close a proximity to that nodal point to have much effect on tone.

They just become a part of the bridge as a whole.

[WGH]

All I know is a guy should keep a few extra pins in his case.

[tamolina]

I lost one of the plastic pins from my cheap Yamaha. I whittled a replacement from a wooden chopstick, the throwaway ones you get with Chinese takeout food. I played it like that for several months; it worked fine, but it looked tacky. In a rare fit of ambition I replaced all the pins with a brass set. The guitar seems to me to sound better. The notes ring more sharply, the thing sounds a little louder. Am I hallucinating, trying to justify the six bucks I spent? It really does sound better, I am (almost) sure.

[frommars]

I put brass pins on my Larrivee L-03, and the improvement was immediate! I verified the results by digitally recording the same music with a good mic. The pins made me have to turn down input! The VU meters went into the red with the new pins. So it's real, and not just placebo...

The sustain, bass and volume all increased a lot.

I was very impressed... So I sent for two more sets for the other guitars that could use a boost.

Musician's Friend has D'Andrea pins for like 6 bucks...more if you want abalone on the heads. Beautiful, but & or more per set.

 

Doug Jones

[kwakatak]

IMO pins make no difference to tone. Just go with what looks good to you.

[Andrewrg]

 

Originally posted by frommars I put brass pins on my Larrivee L-03, and the improvement was immediate! I verified the results by digitally recording the same music with a good mic. The pins made me have to turn down input! The VU meters went into the red with the new pins. So it's real, and not just placebo... The sustain, bass and volume all increased a lot. I was very impressed... So I sent for two more sets for the other guitars that could use a boost. Musician's Friend has D'Andrea pins for like 6 bucks...more if you want abalone on the heads. Beautiful, but & or more per set. Doug Jones

 

Doug,even if you keep the same set of strings on after changing pins the mere fact of detuning and tuning back up to pitch will,to a certain extent,brighten them up albeit just for a short time.Is it this you are hearing?

I put some bone pins on my J40 which I know well and they just look prettier,no more.

[PowerTube]

When one changes pins, he usually is changing strings in the process.

 

Just a thought.

[ToxicTwin#3]

Pins are probably the last thing you want to replace on an acoustic. I would suggest changing the bridge first, then the nut; or both at the same time...

 

As far as materials go, everyone has their own opinion. I like Ivory, as it really brought out the tone on my guitar, but I know a lot of people that prefer a bone saddle and nut.

 

But in the end, it's your decision...

[Gerry Nelson]

 

Originally posted by ToxicTwin#3 I would suggest changing the bridge first, then the nut; or both at the same time...

 

 

You mean the saddle?