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  #1  
Old 09-18-2017, 03:34 PM
IndianaStrummer IndianaStrummer is offline
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Default New pins/question...

My new slotted bone pins came in from Stew-Mac today! I put them in without actually changing strings because I wanted to see if there was an audible difference...there may be a slight amount of added sustain and overtone on the higher strings. Really bought them for aesthetic purposes anyways, so not worried about that.

I'm wondering about the height they stick up. At first the low E was up quite far (first pic), so I swapped it with another and they looked more even across the six strings. (2nd pic)
They still sit a little higher than the plastic pins, but they aren't obtrusive, and I don't notice while playing, is there any reason to worry about it?

Thanks!





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Old 09-18-2017, 03:40 PM
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Rev Roy Rev Roy is offline
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Not sure they'll cause a big problem...but they are sitting way too high. I'd either sand these down until they fit or buy a size that does fit.

Sweet guitar, though!
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Last edited by Rev Roy; 09-18-2017 at 04:05 PM.
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Old 09-18-2017, 03:41 PM
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Are they all identical? Some of my guitar pin sets vary from peg hole position treble to bass.
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Last edited by rick-slo; 09-18-2017 at 03:58 PM.
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Old 09-18-2017, 03:46 PM
IndianaStrummer IndianaStrummer is offline
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They are all supposed to be identical...and a 5 degree taper which is supposed to fit this.
I will probably end up trying to sand them a bit for a better fit when I change the strings out.
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Old 09-18-2017, 03:51 PM
ChrisE ChrisE is offline
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That's an easy fix. Just get a power drill and keep drilling the holes until the pins fit properly. Way easier than going through the expense of getting new pins that fit.
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Old 09-18-2017, 03:54 PM
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Pickcity Pickcity is offline
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First, I love the guitar...

Second, they are riding a little high. Compare them to the pins you took out to be sure they are the same size.
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Old 09-18-2017, 03:54 PM
ChalkLitIScream ChalkLitIScream is offline
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That's not a true fit. That little skirt should fit on top of the pin hole, and just the head should stick up.

Either get top he right size, or if you're satisfied with top hehe set, just sand down the pin, spexifically below top he hehe skirt for a better fit
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Old 09-18-2017, 04:03 PM
gfspencer gfspencer is offline
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If it were me I would not enlarge the holes. If you drill the hole too big you can't undo it. Sand down the pins or buy new pins. (It won't take much to sand the pins just a little.)

What a beautiful guitar!!
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Old 09-18-2017, 04:11 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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To enlarge the holes, should you choose to do so, you should use a pin reamer tool. I would shape and sand the pins, or put the old ones back.
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Old 09-18-2017, 04:13 PM
IndianaStrummer IndianaStrummer is offline
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Definitely NOT enlarging the holes!

I will however attempt to sand the pins to fit [emoji1303]

Thanks for the kudos on the guitar too!
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Old 09-18-2017, 04:14 PM
Athens Athens is offline
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Default Uh......

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisE View Post
That's an easy fix. Just get a power drill and keep drilling the holes until the pins fit properly. Way easier than going through the expense of getting new pins that fit.
NOT this....
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Old 09-18-2017, 06:20 PM
j.blay j.blay is offline
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When the pins have that far to go, I gently scrape them with a sharp knife, rotating the pin a little with each scrape. Once I've went all the way around, I check it. Repeat till it almost fits, and then wrap 400 grit sandpaper around the pin and spin the pin a few times. Check and repeat until they fit as desired. Much quicker that just sanding for me.
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Old 09-18-2017, 07:13 PM
Jabberwocky Jabberwocky is offline
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The pins from Stew-Mac are made oversized. They are meant to be custom-fitted for a snug fit.

Some fine grit sandpaperor micromesh should do it. You could scrape it down with a razor blade. If you screw up, it is just the cost of a set of new pins.

Don't take the drill to the pin holes. If you screw up, it is the cost of a new guitar.
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Old 09-18-2017, 10:07 PM
Mr Fingers Mr Fingers is offline
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Those are way too high and fit counts. What you have, currently, are 6 tapered wedges putting too much pressure on the bridge pin holes whenever you press on them. They look wrong and are too obtrusive if you palm mute. It can be maddening to find pins that are properly tapered for your guitar. They are often mis-listed. A good fit with bone pins can be a significant tonal and mechanical advantage. So if you use sandpaper to reduce the diameter, try to be careful and preserve the taper. It's not hard -- bone sands quickly -- but if you're sloppy, you can end up with irregular fit and poor tonal transfer in that area.
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  #15  
Old 09-19-2017, 01:34 AM
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JayBee1404 JayBee1404 is offline
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Get a 5-degree pin-hole reamer and ream the holes until they fit properly - it's the professional way to do the job. It only takes a few seconds per hole, and you'll be surprised how little material needs to be reamed out - usually a couple of thousandths of an inch will do the job. If you get a hole slightly too large, it's easy to tighten it up by swabbing glue inside the hole and allowing it to dry before re-fitting the pin. If you sand or scrape the pins you run the risk of destroying the circularity of the pin (and therefore it still won't fit the hole properly) plus, if you overdo it and make the pin too small, you can't 'make it bigger again'!

Additionally, by reaming, you will be introducing a taper to the holes to match the pin-taper - at least to the top part of the hole...the majority of guitar manufacturers do not taper the pin-holes, they just drill them straight and leave them that way. Putting a tapered pin into a straight hole is a recipe for disaster - the pin can 'wobble' in the hole and be pushed rearwards by the ball-end, which then allows the ball-end to 'creep' up the hole and damage the bridge-plate. Ball-end creep is also a factor in tuning-instability.

It's notable that the builders at the 'better end' of the business, e.g. Collings and Santa Cruz, ream their pin-holes until the pins fit, and CFM have introduced the practice on their 'Authentic' series in the past few years.

Usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.
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Last edited by JayBee1404; 09-19-2017 at 11:24 AM.
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