Slotting Bridges as an Upgrade?

[wooglins]

A counter argument to the slotted bridge is just string up you guitar the right way. Nothing against slotted bridges.

When I string up my guitars my mirror reveals that the balls are seated in front of the pin 100% against the bridge plate. You have to slight bend the end of the sting and also pay attention to assure the ball end is at the correct angle. I can remove my pins and the stings stay put.

[DanPanther]

To do this modification, you need un-slotted pins correct ?
Dan

[wooglins]

Originally Posted by DanPanther

To do this modification, you need un-slotted pins correct ?
Dan

Or you can turn your pins backwards.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by wooglins

Or you can turn your pins backwards.

You don't even have to slot the bridge to turn slotted pins backwards. On several of my older guitars, where there has been a bit of wear but nothing so severe as to require repair work, I simply turn the slotted pins backwards.

Even the cheapest softer plastic slotted bridge pins so despised by the retailers of fancy bridge pins are generally good for an additional six or seven years of use once you turn them around and use them that way.


Wade Hampton Miller

[wrench68]

I am curioius about something. Has anyone tried slotting the bridge, then using straight bridge pins in straight holes? It seems to me this would provide the maximum string ball engagement onto the bridgeplate, and takes care of the gap problem without reaming.

Good job with the drawings and photos, too. Thanks for that.

Does anyone who supports bridge slotting believe it improves tone?

I don't recall ever hearing of straight bridge pins. In a hundred years of steel strings, it must have been tried before. Anyone? Buehler?

[Misty44]

Originally Posted by wrench68

I am curioius about something. Has anyone tried slotting the bridge, then using straight bridge pins in straight holes? It seems to me this would provide the maximum string ball engagement onto the bridgeplate, and takes care of the gap problem without reaming.

Good job with the drawings and photos, too. Thanks for that.

Does anyone who supports bridge slotting believe it improves tone?

I don't recall ever hearing of straight bridge pins. In a hundred years of steel strings, it must have been tried before. Anyone? Buehler?

If pins fit the holes precisely (tapered or straight), they'd be extremely difficult to remove, especially in humid weather when wood swells. Therefore, having a slight differential between the tapers of the pin and hole minimizes this problem. While there may be a gap at the plate as a result, with a slotted bridge system it will be insignificant since the mass of the string ball will be firmly seated on the plate up against the body of the pin and not the edges of a slotted pin groove (as illustrated in Bryan Kimsey's photograph above).

As for tone, I don't think many people believe slotting a bridge changes the tone at all, which of course is not the purpose as explained earlier. However, some believe that when the string balls are fully pulled up against the plate and not wedged into a pin slot, it produces better clarity and sustain. Maybe, maybe not, I don't know. But from an overall perspective, I like the idea of a solid, secure saddle, bridge, plate system that won't damage plate or pins.

[Garbagebelly]

I've posted this on other threads & got some good feedback. I just slotted my six string and I like the difference. I want to slot my 12 string, but with the six holes in the back (lower octave strings) I'm concerned about the slot getting too close to the six holes in the front and breaking the In between the holes. Any thoughts? Am I worrying too much? Thanks.

[Russ C]

Originally Posted by DanPanther

How is that slot, going to prevent bridge plate damage ? The ball end is still going to be against the bridge plate, under the same tension, isn't it ? It does is reduce string break angle at the bridge.
Dan

Yes and while numerous repairs show that slotting reduces how quickly bridge plate wear occurs, on average at least, it still happens.
The wear must be largely proportional to the area of bridge plate the ball end is seated against and I reason this won’t bode well for 6th strings where much of the available area has already been cut away for the string thickness rather than letting that fit in a pin slot.
I’m not experienced with bridge plate repairs so I won’t argue this more than to question if it couldn’t be better to use good slotted pins and put a bend in the the string as has been suggested - with the option of slotting later.