Bridge pin help and strings

BOOSE · #1 08-26-2018, 03:14 AM

Hi,

I have just recently got hold of a Taylor 410e baritone which i love.

Now i'm not new to baritones having had two in the past but i always wanted a quality one that i could plug in, hence the Taylor.

It came with Elixers on it 70-16, however these are not really my choice so i changed them for some Newtone nickel.

With the Elixers on it the pins sat nicely in the hole but the Newtone's have a slightly fatter ball end wrap so now the low B and the low E pins stick up somewhat.

I don't want to push those pins any further in for obvious reasons so my question is, are there any replacement pins that i can get with a narrow shaft that would enable me to get the pins better sat in the hole?

ps,

Don't want to change my string choice because they are great strings.

JayBee1404 · #2 08-26-2018, 03:33 AM

You could use a Dremel or similar to widen and deepen the slots slightly. That should ease the fit.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

Wade Hampton · #3 08-26-2018, 04:33 AM

Right. If you're going to keep using those strings because you like them, then you've got two choices: either widen the circumference of the pin holes or else file or sand the shafts of the pins to remove some material.

If you decide to open up the holes some more, you're really better off getting a pro to do the work rather than attempt it yourself, unless you've had prior experience executing that procedure. It's a job that a repair tech who owns a pin hole reamer can do in just a few minutes and will charge you no more than his or her shop minimum to do. But the work needs to be done precisely, or else you risk boogering the pin holes up: it's too easy to take off too much wood, especially if you don't have the right tool to do it.

It looks like a simple modification, and it is, but it has to be done exactly right.

Hope that makes sense.

whm

Brucebubs · #4 08-26-2018, 05:56 AM

I ran a thread on this very subject not long ago.
Widened the pin groove with a rasp/file attachment on my dremmel.
Worked like a dream on my ABT-60 baritone so I repeated it recently on my EJ-200.
Here's the attachment I used.

And here's the before and after shots of the EJ-200

westman · #5 08-26-2018, 06:07 AM

anyone mention / consider slotted pins.
I use Newt strings as well as Thomastik-Infeld Spectrum's which have an added silk wrap round the ballend wrap - no issues.

fuman · #6 08-26-2018, 07:59 AM

I've had that issue with my Tacoma baritone. You might try fiddling with your strings a little to see if you can get them to seat properly. Also, are you bending the string at a 45-degree angle? That helps. For what it's worth, I don't like the Elixirs either and usually play Johne Pearse 80/20s.

BOOSE · #7 08-27-2018, 04:26 AM

Thanks for the replies,

I think i will try to find some narrower pins or try and file a bit off the shaft of the B-E pins.

Also the guitar is new so over time if i keep using the same strings i'm sure the pins and the hole will eventually shape themselves to a more comfortable fit.

The other option to drill the hole is a good idea but a bit drastic for me.

Thanks again.

erhino41 · #8 08-27-2018, 07:54 AM

The hole is not the problem if the pins fit well to begin with, I wouldn't do a thing to the hole. The root cause is the pin slot is too small for those strings. The real solution is to widen the pin slot.

I'm not sure where that red thumbs down came from, please disregard.

BOOSE · #9 08-28-2018, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erhino41

The hole is not the problem if the pins fit well to begin with, I wouldn't do a thing to the hole. The root cause is the pin slot is too small for those strings. The real solution is to widen the pin slot.

I'm not sure where that red thumbs down came from, please disregard.

Thanks for this it's exactly what i'm going to do.

As for the red thumb no prob's.

Brucebubs · #10 08-28-2018, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BOOSE

Thanks for this it's exactly what i'm going to do.

As for the red thumb no prob's.

Sometimes extending the slot slightly, like the pin pictured on left, also helps to stop the winding on the string ends binding in the slot and trying to push the pin up.

Otterhound · #11 08-28-2018, 05:42 AM

Using a 1/8" thick piece of Lexan , drill the Lexan to align with your existing pin holes so as to allow the strings to pass , place it beneath the bridge plate and feed your strings through it and the bridge . Set your pins aside for storage . This can be done with no modification/s .
If the appearance of the missing pins bothers you , try some type of a cosmetic solution .