#31
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Thanks, Wade. That’s good enough reason for me. |
#32
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In my experience, in reality the tonal effect of most bridge pins is tiny if it even exists at all. It certainly doesn’t to the degree that’s sometimes claimed.
whm |
#33
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I think the tonal changes in my two sets changed were subtractive. I replaced loose pins in both cases. Little resonant noises seemed to cut down. The first one surprised me for whatever reason. In both of my cases, the argument could have easily been fitment, not material.
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2021 Bourgeois Slope D Natural HS (IBMA Collection W/ Sinker-Hog, BK Bracing) 2021 Gibson CS 1942 Banner J-45 Historic 2020 Gibson Frank Hannon Love Dove 2020 Gibson SJ-200 Pre-War Collection Rosewood 2018 Martin D-41 2018 Gibson Hummingbird Standard 2021 Gibson Les Paul (Wildwood Spec) 2021 Gibson ES-335 Figured Maple Cherry 2021 Fender CS Ltd 1951 Broadcaster 70th 2020 PRS Vela HB |
#34
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I agree that fit probably has a lot more to do with tone than bridge pin material. Many will strenuously disagree with me, I’m sure, but the only bridge pins I’ve ever dealt with that unquestionably change the tone are brass ones, and they don’t change the sound for the better. Just the opposite.
whm |
#35
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I was going to mention if folks need convincing that bridge pins have some effect on sound, try a set of brass pins.
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#36
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For me, brass bridge pins are the exception that proves the rule. They add SO much extra weight to the bridge (and through it to the top,) that it would be very strange if there wasn’t an audible effect.
Bone pins versus hard ivoroid pins, though? If there’s an audible difference between those two, I sure can’t hear it. whm |
#37
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If they look good. They got'ta make it sound better.
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#38
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Well, think about it this way; all the vibration in the string at the pitch of the note you are playing must go through the saddle/nut(/fret) or be lost; pick the string between the saddle and the bridge pin. That is the pitch that that part of it will resonate at -- doesn't matter what your fretting hand is doing; that part of the string simply cannot resonate at the pitch of the rest of the string - it's not possible.
You hear this on guitars that ring above the nut -- they don't ring at the played pitch, they ring at the pitch determined by the distance from the nut to the tuner post -- which is an annoying high-pitched ring. What the string can potentially carry past the saddle are the high-pitched harmonics of a string, ie the zing from your nice new PBs. So I could be convinced that it could make a difference in that part of the spectrum... BUT the string is in full contact with the wood of the saddle and bridge plate, and it's pulled against the wood of your guitar pretty freakin hard. There could perhaps be some deadening effect from a plastic pin being pressed against it, but it must be very minimal -- with a slotted pin, the only place it's even touching the string is at the ball-end, and after making 25lbs of contact with the wood of the bridge as it does it's 90 degree bend, how much vibrational energy is the string really able to carry past the saddle, that wood contact, and all the way to the ball-end? Near none i'd have thought. So to my mind, it's about looks and durability. I have titanium pins on my GS mini. Does it sound different to plastic? I honestly thought when I put them on I could hear a tiny bit more 'air' in the sound - like the real 8khz+ part of the spectrum, but I don't know how much of that was placebo effect -- probably all of it. I think you may just as well say you don't like plastic binding because it soaks up vibrational energy. But they look cool, and being much harder than the strings, they will literally outlive me or my children or my grandkids -- they've been in there 5 years and they still look like new. And because they're so hard, the ball end doesn't dig into them at all and they don't get jammed in the holes -- they literally fall out once the string tension is gone, which is nice.
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Gibson Customshop Hummingbird (Review) Last edited by RalphH; 04-22-2021 at 03:25 AM. |
#39
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When I was a kid (whenever that was), and couldn't afford to replace strings regularly I would pull up on the strings and allow them to snap back hard onto the fretboard. This loosened the tone-killing crud between the windings and temporary brightness was restored.
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Faith Mars FRMG Faith Neptune FKN Epiphone Masterbilt Texan |
#40
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I always thought that glueing a huge sheet of plastic to the soundboard would have har more effect upon tone than pin materiel. Essentially making a wood-plastic laminate.
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Dave F ************* Martins Guilds Gibsons A few others 2020 macbook pro i5 8GB Scarlett 18i20 Reaper 7 |
#41
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It might have brightened up a mellow guitar But basically not much change if any !
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Classical guitars, flat top steel string A few banjos and mandolins Accrued over 59 years of playing |
#42
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#43
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I have tried bone in various Martin’s over the years and to my ears the bone pins just bring everything down a notch. All of my Martin’s have Antique Acoustic pins from Elderly or the (Ivoroid) from Waverly. It’s hard to find black as there always out of stock so I went with Buffalo Horn from Colosi on my D-18 Sinker.
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2021 Martin 000-28 12F Custom Adirondack/EIR 2021 Martin OM-28 LSH Custom Adirondack/EIR SB 2006 Martin 000-18GE Adirondack/Mahogany SB 1968 Ovation 1111-4 RIP 1968-2021 |
#44
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When I changed the bridge pins from the original plastic to bone on the 12-string and ebony on the six, I noticed no difference in tone or sustain, but I felt that my "customized" guitars were way more posh.
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1986 Alvarez Yairi DY-76 (twelve-string) "The Twin Six" 1989 Alvarez Yairi DY-39 (six-string) 1993 Hiren Roy & Sons sitar |
#45
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...I have had various experiences swapping out bone and ebony pins...on some guitars little to no change and noticeable difference on others....when they do make a difference I find that bone pins can brighten the tone a bit compared to ebony....nothing earth shattering though...
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...Grasshopper...high is high...low is low....but the middle...lies in between...Master Po |