How many of you actually notice the bridgepins and tuners on other people's guitars?
 

It's one thing to take note of those appointments if you have their guitar in your hands or on your workbench. But how many of you notice them when you're watching someone else play his or her guitar?

There's endless discussion about bridgepins and tuners on this forum, which I don't object to in the slightest, since I often avidly take part in those discussions myself. But what about in real time in real life, when you're watching (and presumably listening to) another guitarist play? Do you even notice at all?

Just curious.


Wade Hampton Miller

Only if I am not engaged. Then my mind starts wandering. :)

Actually, I never look at bridge pins and tuners. But I might look at a rosette, or fret markers, or binding... I have to be pretty bored with an act to do this.

only if the b pin is different

Howdy Wade, if I watch a clip and like what I'm hearing then I often note the guitar brand and model then read through the specs.
I'm interested in what tuners are used by different builders and I'll note bridge pins if they are specified.

I generally don't notice, myself. I'm probably more attuned to tuners than bridgepins, but if the person playing is any good, I'm caught up in the music rather than their gear.

I do tend to notice the brand of their guitars, however, if it's discernible from where I happen to be. But I'm far more of a gearhead than even most other musicians.


whm

Hmmm, I was thinking more in terms of what we notice when we're in the same room as the person playing rather than watching a YouTube clip, but that's equally valid. I probably notice more then, especially during closeups.

I still don't ever think about bridgepins, though, whether the performance is live or canned...


whm

I barely even notice what kind of guitar they're playing. If I'm attending a performance, gear isn't why I'm there.

I don't think I've ever noticed a set of bridge pins in my life when watching someone perform. I've probably noticed tuners if it's a vintage guitar with the wrong tuners on it like a set of Imperials on an old D-18 or something like that but honestly, I can't think of a time in the past 10 years where I've noticed a set of tuners.

When I see a Martin I sometimes (maybe half, or less, of the time) look for ebony pins. Woody tone looking for ebony pins. For Dream Guitar type videos I tend to look at tuners and pins more so than what performers use. If micarta, white tusq, or nylon looked less like bone I would probably look out for that?

I can honestly say I have never noticed.

I was recently considering swapping the tuner buttons on my Lowden with some gorgeous blackwood buttons. I thought it would be a nice touch to an already visually pleasing guitar. About to spend a bit of money on them, I stopped to ask myself the same question, and decided to hold off for that very reason. I rarely notice such details on others' guitars.

However, I do, very often, just stop and look at the details on my own guitars. I find most of them to be breathtaking. I get lost sometime just going from guitar to guitar on the wall and appreciating what I am seeing.

So I just may end up getting those tuner button replacements in time.

I'd be surprised if AGFers didn't notice a set of these babies hanging off the bridge.

https://i.imgur.com/zFTL5X3l.jpg

Can't say that I've ever noticed. I guess the difference lies somewhere between looking at guitars and listening to someone playing guitars.

I know I don't actively look at them. Certainly I've never been bored enough to try to figure out what tuners they had. I generally will check out what brand the guitar is. I don't think I would even notice re: bridge pins. Now if they were a white pin mixed in with black or the inverse, I would notice it and it would probably pique my interest - for a few seconds.:)

I would not notice unless I was interested in his guitar, interested enough to look at it closely. In the audience, you usually can't tell squat.