Do Bridge Pins Make A Difference
 

I have the original bridge pins on my 2011 HD28. Would different pins make a change in the sound and if so which one would you recommended for a slightly brighter sound. I have never tried changing the pins and I don't know what to expect as to how the guitar will sound. I am sure this has been asked before. Thanks

I would say it doesn't change the sound in any audible way at all.

I would ask Bob Colosi, although on his website he says the effect can vary from slightly noticeable to virtually no difference. I bought a set mostly for durability and good looks. Different strings or picks should have a much greater effect.

I would agree.

It all depends on where you listen.

Please note: ---> Everything is a tone control.

Of course they make a difference! It's only for you to decide whether they make enough difference for you to be worth the effort.

Bridge pins are cheap. Try some. You then have spares in case you drop one and it Goes Away.

I'm sure you'll get a bunch of different views on this. My opinion is that anyone who can hear a difference in pins has a better ear than I. I think a lot of people change pins and think their guitar sounds better or different, but I think it might be more attributed to changing strings along with the pins. With that said-I put Bison Horn pins with abalone dots on my Goodall just because they look cool and it deserves it. Honestly can't say it sounds different tho than with the plastic ones that were on it previously.

I predict that someone will soon come in with lots of talk about various bridge materials and their relative "mass," and its profound effect on tone. They may even be right, but all I know is that I've used plastic, ebony, and brass, and I never heard even half as much difference in tone that a different set of strings could achieve.

What difference can they make?

At their very best, you can expect more clarity, better note to note separation, increased sustain and volume, more complex overtones, and a fuller, richer, more satisfying sound.

At their worst, you can expect to spent endless hours wondering if you are just hearing things in your head.

- excerpted from "the beginners' guide to advanced bridge pin system dynamics"

Unless theyre made out of something bizarre like brass, I dont think they do. That said, I love the FWI ones Bob Colosi made for my guitar. Just bought them for the looks, though. The boxwood ones were kinda falling apart.

Here are a few
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=136207
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=242525
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=194984
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=215264
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=234094

among a hundred or so prior threads. :)

I do not have a great a ear and am one who would have been the first to say no way could bridge pins make a difference, but......

I got boxwood pins for my 814 because i liked the look and like to give mine personal touches. I thought to myself that they made the sound a bit less bright. I then recorded the sound of each string with both sets of bridge pins with software that gave me a spectral view (same strings, same day). You could see a diffrence. It wasn't major, but it was there.

Finally, someone else with common sense. Nothing below the Bridge, or above the nut, Should effect the sound, unless something is not functioning properly. The construction of the guitar itself of course matters.
Dan

Oh boy! Here we go again! How many threads are there on this subject already?
The answer is: if you hear a difference, they make a difference. If you don't hear a difference, they don't.
Theoretically, at least, bone pins should enhance the production of harmonic overtones in your acoustic. Fossilized walrus jawbone will slightly enhance that to a greater degree. Fossilized mammoth ivory to a still greater degree and fossilized walrus ivory to an even greater degree. Hardwood pins, like ebony and snakewood should have the opposite effect, enhancing undertone production, thus making your guitar's basses sound deeper.
Some people hear these differences; some people don't. I think it's pretty much a matter of what make guitar you're playing. Of course, if you do most of your playing plugged-in all bets are off, since your sound is determined by the signal your pickup generates.

I say yes. I've swapped pins many times. There is definitely a difference in sound from various pin materials. If you can't hear a difference, well... I'm not going to argue.

I put camel bone pins on my Tacoma Baritone. Got better note to note separation and clarity, primarily on lower strings. A bit more sustain too. Did not appreciably change tone or volume. In the case of the baritone, definitely worthwhile but not a profound difference.