Emerald pinless bridge

[redi]

Chopstick works. Bending a J hook on the ball end helps. Someone mentioned a capo to hold the string up by the nut is also handy to snug it up on the pinless bridge while you fiddle with threading the winder.

Another mentioned that locking tuners would would also make the pinless bridge easier to deal with if you only had two hands.

[Warren01]

I just completed my first string change on a X7, one that I've been postponing for months. Turned out to be easier and faster than before. I did cheat a bit by using an electric string winder (first time) and that tapered dowel someone suggested. Took about 15 minutes in total, and that including finding my mat and neck cradle, cleaning off the kitchen table and spending some time looking for the cut off's on my floor.

[Godfather]

Originally Posted by Warren01

I just completed my first string change on a X7, one that I've been postponing for months. Turned out to be easier and faster than before. I did cheat a bit by using an electric string winder (first time) and that tapered dowel someone suggested. Took about 15 minutes in total, and that including finding my mat and neck cradle, cleaning off the kitchen table and spending some time looking for the cut off's on my floor.

NICE! With the afore mentioned tips I am confident my next string change will go smooth and quick. Thanks for the reassuring post.

[David Eastwood]

I’m going to have to tackle a string change on my pinless Amicus before long. I’ll have golf tees, ballpoint pen caps, chopsticks and a handcrafted dowel or two within reach

I’m encouraged by the fact that the spellchecker changed ‘pinless’ to ‘painless’.

We shall see

[RP]

Originally Posted by Mark L

In German there is a perfect term for this: schlimm verbesserung.

“An improvement which makes things worse”

It’s a term all engineers and tinkerers should encounter, and pay heed to.

I've got to ask, what problem with pinned bridges was switching to pinless bridges supposed to solve???

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

I’m going to have to tackle a string change on my pinless Amicus before long. I’ll have golf tees, ballpoint pen caps, chopsticks and a handcrafted dowel or two within reach

I’m encouraged by the fact that the spellchecker changed ‘pinless’ to ‘painless’.

We shall see

Superglue! Yeah, that's the trick!

Tony

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by RP

I've got ask, what problem with pinned bridges was switching to pinless bridges supposed to solve???

Maybe as we age and our minds slip away, people are complaining that they are losing their bridge pins?

Guitar for the elderly...new design concepts.

Tony

[redi]

Originally Posted by RP

I've got ask, what problem with pinned bridges was switching to pinless bridges supposed to solve???

Somewhere between 6 and 12 less parts. And a few associated bob.

Possibly some additional direct string to top contact/tension... theoretically.

Plus a different cf look on the bridge.

[steelvibe]

Alistair said he likes the clean look and feels it transfers string energy into the top better.

I’ve also read in other threads that the less mass there is in pins the more efficient the sound transfer to the top; zero pins= zero mass. I don’t make any claim to the truth of this as I’ve never paid much attention to pin material or their presence. My first decent acoustic was a pinless bridge Breedlove, remembering that the best part of that was easy string changes.

[Godfather]

Here is a follow up to this, my original post.....

Is there a trick or secret to easily restring my new pinless bridge Emerald X7?

I fumbled and messed around trying to hold the ball end in the bridge position with one hand then cut and and thread the string into the tuning machine, hold tension on said string while picking up the cordless winder and winding the string enough to take up the slack…..PING…a broken G string and a ruined set of Thoma$tik Infeld Plectrum$, a lot of cussing and frustration ensued. (Just when I thought my patience was really improving, I get tested. LOL)
I walked away for a while before a restart with a set of DR Sunbeams. 55 minutes later its re strung. What is usually a 15 minute project turned into an afternoon I hope to never experience again.

Originally Posted by seannx

I use a 2” piece of 3/16” wood dowel, tapered down to 1/8” over 1” on one end. It does a perfect job of holding the ball end in position until there is enough tension on the string to keep it in place. Bending the string on the ball end on enough of an angle is critical, too, to keep it in the slot.
Using the simple dowel tool makes changing strings on my X20 easy and hassle free.
Before I had the dowel, I tried a capo, which was helpful, but it was still awkward, and not a good solution.

Due to the DR Sunbeams not being what I had hoped, a dead g and b strings from the get go and E sounding way too bass heavy, it was time to change them out.
With a little trepidation, I changed my X7’s strings to Martin Lifespan 2.0 treated P/B MA540T 12/54 lights today using the (above) tapered dowel trick... Wow, only 15 minutes start to finish. It really worked! I am sure the chopsticks or golf tee mentioned in a few other posts will work equally well.

If you are having doubts about buying an Emerald due to the pinless bridge, put them aside.... with this handy little piece of wood holding the ball end in place, the system really works!

Thanks for all of the tips and help.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Godfather

Here is a follow up to this, my original post.....

Is there a trick or secret to easily restring my new pinless bridge Emerald X7?

I fumbled and messed around trying to hold the ball end in the bridge position with one hand then cut and and thread the string into the tuning machine, hold tension on said string while picking up the cordless winder and winding the string enough to take up the slack…..PING…a broken G string and a ruined set of Thoma$tik Infeld Plectrum$, a lot of cussing and frustration ensued. (Just when I thought my patience was really improving, I get tested. LOL)

I walked away for a while before a restart with a set of DR Sunbeams. 55 minutes later its re strung. What is usually a 15 minute project turned into an afternoon I hope to never experience again.

Just know you are not alone. I've tried to love them but simply cannot, and I've tried...3 times. I was skeptical of the negative Amazon reviews stating this same thing with string breakage. I thought, "people must not be installing them right", or, "what do they know about stringing a guitar? They are probably just trying to make a $150 Michell sound like a $1500 Taylor".

Thoma$tik Infelds are probably the most expensive strings on the market next to SCGC and the new D'addario XS, so breaking a string is an awful thing to experience, and yes it happened to me too. Luckily I had some singles purchased to pair with other sets and was able to replace. If I had to throw away a whole set I would be miffed man!

I find them lacking projection, tension and that wound low E on the set of 12s is ridiculous. I don't understand at all why TI cannot make say a .056? And then their "Light" set has a mealy .050 for a low E? Come on man!