Anyone Prefer Plastic Bridge Pins on Some Martin Guitars?

[hearsedriver]

Im usually all about upgrading the factory plastic bridge pins on my Martins and, in some cases, a nice set of bone pins can make a huge difference but, with my LSV, I actually think I prefer the stock plastic ones. I have not tried ebony or horn pins on it though. Anyone else prefer the plastic pins on your Martin?

[MrDB]

My 000-28 still has the stock plastic pins. I've thought often about changing them but have never gotten around to it. I won't assume that changing would affect the tone but would be an appearance upgrade.

[DenverSteve]

Prefer, no. However, if the guitar has pins, and I enjoy the guitar's sound, I find no reason to replace them. If one gets broken, damaged or needs to be replaced I usually order bone as they are so inexpensive.

[L20A]

I replace pins for cosmetic upgrade, not sound improvement.
All of my guitars that had plastic pins have had them replaced with bone or ebony with a MOP dot.
I just like the look better.

I did replace a set of bone pins with a set of brass pins on my Alvarez baritone to try to get more balance between strings. It helped a little but not much.

[vindibona1]

Finding bridge pins that may or may not change the tone or attack of your guitar is an individual thing. I've messed around with bridge pins with my Taylor guitars, but the only experience I had with my D35 was to replace them with bone. So no comparison available there.

In my Taylor guitars, I've found that the original ebony pins provide the best warmth while retaining clarity. I did hear a difference with Buffalo horn pins, which gave a more piano-like sound, but the warmth diminished. I didn't hear a lot of difference with bone. JME

I bought my pins from Luthiers Mercantile Exchange because they were relatively inexpensive. Bob Colosi has a good reputation but his pins are more expensive and I wanted to try a few different sets... and other than my D35 stayed with the original pins.

I don't see any other way around doing your own testing and experimentation.

[Athens]

I've changed the original plastic pins on some old Guilds and actually went back to the plastic.

All you know is the different pin materials "might" sound better.

But it's a cheap experiment and easily reversed if you don't like the outcome.

[hearsedriver]

I agree with everyone. On my D-28, I installed Bob's bone pins and they made a tremendous difference to the guitar. Maybe because it is so new? I think a lot of the "upgrades" that we do seem to benefit newer, greener guitars and not so much with older ones.

[muscmp]

really just a subtle amount of difference in the sound, so i went with ebony pins on the 0015m and bone on the hd28 for the looks.

play music!

[JayBee1404]

I don't swap out the OEM plastic pins for 'sonic improvement' purposes, I'm not even convinced that there are significant changes to an instrument's tone. I replace them with unslotted bone, ebony, or Antique Acoustics pins and slot the pin-holes in order to protect the bridgeplate and achieve better tuning stability.

[DukeX]

I still have the original plastic pins in my 1995 Webber OM. I'll probably try something else at some point (I've been saying that for at least a decade).

[zombywoof]

I have guitars with their original ebony, celluloid, and plastic pins and a couple with bone pins usually acquired when work was done on the instrument. It makes no matter to me as I have never heard any noticeable difference no matter what is stuck in there as long as they fit properly. When the ends of the pins splay out (so you have to cut them off to remove the pins) or something, I tend to replace them with the Antique Acoustics hard plastic pins.

[AndrewG]

Here's my take; when you swap out bridge pins you will do one of two things-put a new set of strings on or re-use your original set. If it's the latter the de-tuning and re-tuning to pitch will introduce some temporary brightness which might fool you into believing you've achieved some miraculous tonal improvement. I've been buying, selling and playing guitar for 50 years, and as far as I am concerned bridge pins do two things; they look pretty and hold strings in place. Nothing more, nothing less. There's so little mass in the things that I have yet to be persuaded that they have any effect on tone whatsoever.

[Rev Roy]

I always swap out plastic pins for bone...but just for bling. Only time I’ve noticed a change in tone was when I upgraded my J-45 from slotted plastic pins to unslotted bone. Seemed to add some zing to the 45’s natural woody tone. Suspect being unslotted may have had more to do with the effect on tone than the bone...but can’t be sure.

[MrDB]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Here's my take; when you swap out bridge pins you will do one of two things-put a new set of strings on or re-use your original set. If it's the latter the de-tuning and re-tuning to pitch will introduce some temporary brightness which might fool you into believing you've achieved some miraculous tonal improvement. I've been buying, selling and playing guitar for 50 years, and as far as I am concerned bridge pins do two things; they look pretty and hold strings in place. Nothing more, nothing less. There's so little mass in the things that I have yet to be persuaded that they have any effect on tone whatsoever.

This is my belief as well. Most mass producers ship their guitars with plastic pins, even their high dollar models. On a guitar with an MSRP of $5000 if a $20 upgrade in bridge pins made a significant difference in sound they would be on the guitar already. JMO.

There's plastic, and then there's plastic. I hold an unfavorable view of the soft, slotted thermoset plastic pins that are standard with nearly all acoustic guitars. They deform easily and lead to unncessary bridge plate wear. I replace those immediately.

I favor light weight pins and avoid heavy pins. That rules out bone or fossil ivory on my guitars. I use high quality plastic pins like those from Antique Acoustics or Waverly, or ebony pins, also Waverly. And more importantly I ALWAYS use solid pins and slotted bridges. It is simply the better way.