While noodling around the other day, I began to think about bridge pins (dangerous, I know). We at the forum love to discuss them, especially the various materials they can be made from at the resulting effect on tone. Some discount their effect on tone altogether.

So while playing, I pulled all six out to see if bridge pins have an effect at all. To my surprise, the guitar went seriously out of tune and the tone went completely lifeless-just from the pins!

This isn't an arguement for any particular type of bridge pin, just an observation to consider. You might try it yourself and see if you have similar results.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MaRio,

MaRio,

What you experienced seems less an issue of what kind of bridge pins, and more a matter of the purpose that bridge pins serve. Luthiers and others will tell you that if strings are properly seated, the bridge pins do nothing to hold the string in place. It is the tension that keeps them there.

In my experience, I have never found this to be true, and MaRio's report bears this out (of course, maybe neither one of us knows how to string a guitar properly, but I have a hard time accepting that). It seems to me that bridge pins are necessary to hold the string in place, and that without them the string end is bound to slip (hence the tuning problems that MaRio experienced) and/or lose contact with the bridge (hence the loss of tone that MaRio experienced).

Now, assuming that bridge pins are necessary because they hold the string end in place and in proper contact with the bridge itself, it seems logical to conclude that the material used will affect how the string vibration is transmitted to the bridge and, therefore, the tone. It's not as crucial a contact point as the saddle, to be sure, but it does make some difference, and my ears have confirmed this by playing around with different bridge pins on various guitars over the years.

Ya know,

I just got a used D1ASB and while changing strings noticed the pins were loose. They would fall right out if installed without strings. Having lost a bridge pin in the worst circumstances one time I decided to wrap a bit of scotch tape around each one to make them hold better. It took 2 layers. So all's well but then I notice the pins are being pulled up as the tape must be too slippery. I figure what the heck I just pull one out and take the tape off, strings are "supposed" to stay in place. Which it did, so I pulled all of 'em out with the guitar tuned up and all the strings held and seemed to hold pitch. I didn't start jamming figuring I was tempting fate at that point but I was able to pull the strings and they stayed.

Just like I've always heard should be true of a properly set up guitar!

Warren