I have used these in 2 of my builds with no problem. Then on my latest build I used them and they just pulled themselves out. The other 2 builds had the saddle close to the pins, this last one the saddle was about 3" away. does this play a role in the pin function? Or is there another factor yet for me to discover? They were put in correct sized holes too.
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The holes are tapered so I guess the bottom ones are smaller, I dont own a reamer so I drilled the hole straight and used the pointy handle end of a file as a reamer and it did a great job
colin mcgrath said:
Tom, that looks cool. Are the holes at top and bottom of the horizontal hole different sizes?
I've used bridge pins with two of my builds and have designed what I think is a pretty good bridge assembly. The pins are drilled into a block of timber at the heel of the guitar which has horisontal holes meeting up with the vertical ones, this creates a void in which the end of the string gets stuck.
are you useing a tapered reamer to make the hole fit the taper of the pin? a hole drilled will only offer a small part of the hole to contact the taper of the pin. A hole tapered with a tapered reamer will contact the entire length of the pin, thus a tight fit....
I did drill the hole too big the first time. I used dowel and wood glue to fill the hole. When I installed the string/pin combo the first time all was okay, I did not tighten the strings to tune though. Later, while tuning the guitar the end almost smacked me in the face. There was a groove formed in the wood already...maybe just too soft of wood? I will have to experiment...I was just wondering if anyone has already gone through these same steps, to avoid my fooling around.
And by the way thank you for the response. I do try to look most of my questions up in the search. Sometimes, however, I cannot seem to get the right nomenclature.
I just noticed this has gone unanswered. Sorry about that! Did you find a solution?
I have never had this particular problem so I am not sure I have much to offer. All the pin style bridges I have messed with are on standard acoustic bridges.
I dont see how the distance of the string from saddle to pin would have as much influence as the angle of pull. It should be a sharp angle. If I were looking at it the first thing I would check is for a good pin fit. The taper of the pin should match the taper of the hole. There are two standard tapers as I recall, 3 and 5 degrees. Most modern guitars use 3, but I think Martin might be the exception.
Also, the pin should extend through the top and some amount of material used to brace the area. Perhaps a bit of rosin on the pin would add a little friction to the fit? I would also look for a notch in the hole to allow for the string, so the pin can fit snuggly in its bore.
Replies
colin mcgrath said:
I've used bridge pins with two of my builds and have designed what I think is a pretty good bridge assembly. The pins are drilled into a block of timber at the heel of the guitar which has horisontal holes meeting up with the vertical ones, this creates a void in which the end of the string gets stuck.
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No, I do not have one. It is on my to get list, it seems that more and more tools get added to that list with each build. 8v)
Thank you
C-
are you useing a tapered reamer to make the hole fit the taper of the pin? a hole drilled will only offer a small part of the hole to contact the taper of the pin. A hole tapered with a tapered reamer will contact the entire length of the pin, thus a tight fit....
hope this helps,
the best,
Wichita Sam
I did drill the hole too big the first time. I used dowel and wood glue to fill the hole. When I installed the string/pin combo the first time all was okay, I did not tighten the strings to tune though. Later, while tuning the guitar the end almost smacked me in the face. There was a groove formed in the wood already...maybe just too soft of wood? I will have to experiment...I was just wondering if anyone has already gone through these same steps, to avoid my fooling around.
And by the way thank you for the response. I do try to look most of my questions up in the search. Sometimes, however, I cannot seem to get the right nomenclature.
Hey Colin,
I just noticed this has gone unanswered. Sorry about that! Did you find a solution?
I have never had this particular problem so I am not sure I have much to offer. All the pin style bridges I have messed with are on standard acoustic bridges.
I dont see how the distance of the string from saddle to pin would have as much influence as the angle of pull. It should be a sharp angle. If I were looking at it the first thing I would check is for a good pin fit. The taper of the pin should match the taper of the hole. There are two standard tapers as I recall, 3 and 5 degrees. Most modern guitars use 3, but I think Martin might be the exception.
Also, the pin should extend through the top and some amount of material used to brace the area. Perhaps a bit of rosin on the pin would add a little friction to the fit? I would also look for a notch in the hole to allow for the string, so the pin can fit snuggly in its bore.
Hope that helps!
Mark