Want to upgrade me bridge pins

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Why not just buy Fender bridge pins?

Fender Bridge Pin Set - Black w/ White Dot

Genuine Fender Bridge Pin Set for Acoustic Guitar - Cream

Fender Acoustic Bridge Pins Ivory Black Dots

I agree with Jim - that is what I would do if I was faced with the same situation.


whm

[dwasifar]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

What kind of guitar is that, Bruce? The headstock is reminiscent of a Larrivée, but I've never seen a blank one.

Or did those pictures themselves come from eBay?

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by MinorKey

Purely for aesthetic reasons, and its only a cheap guitar-I can't afford an expensive guitar, but this is a pretty good dread. Anyway I thought of getting some better looking pins, not fancy exotic materials, just not plain black which it has now. But it seems there is a sizing issue, and you can't just get any old pin and push it in.
The guitar is a 15 year old Fender DG5 and I'm in the UK.

For what it's worth, I like the plain black pins on that pretty much bling-free guitar.

PS - Nice door!

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

What kind of guitar is that, Bruce? The headstock is reminiscent of a Larrivée, but I've never seen a blank one.

Or did those pictures themselves come from eBay?

Taken from Ebay listing and yes, it does look like a Larrivee headstock.

[MinorKey]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

For what it's worth, I like the plain black pins on that pretty much bling-free guitar.

PS - Nice door!

Lol that's from our old house

[MinorKey]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I agree with Jim - that is what I would do if I was faced with the same situation.


whm

Hmm, never thought of looking at Fender pins. I assumed someone else made them. But pricey mind

[Bridgepin]

Originally Posted by MinorKey

How do I know which is the right taper?

You measure the circumference at the collar and at the end of the pin.

https://www.maurysmusic.com/fossiliz...idge_pin_sizes

Scroll down to see how to measure

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by MinorKey

Purely for aesthetic reasons, and its only a cheap guitar-I can't afford an expensive guitar, but this is a pretty good dread. Anyway I thought of getting some better looking pins, not fancy exotic materials, just not plain black which it has now. But it seems there is a sizing issue, and you can't just get any old pin and push it in.
The guitar is a 15 year old Fender DG5 and I'm in the UK.

As long as you're committed to changing the bridge pins, you might want to consider which bridge pins you want to put in it from a sonic standpoint. The two most common materials are, of course, bone and ebony. Neither will change the basic tone of the guitar but will add (or subtract) from the hamonic resonance and harmonic sustain. Ebony will be a little livelier and help increase the sustain of the harmonics. Bone will dry up (decay) the harmonics a little quicker, emphasizing the articulation of the fundamentals a little more. Which is preferable is largely dependent on the strings that you use in conjunction with the specific guitar. I suspect (with no evidence whatsoever beyond speculation) that less expensive guitars will benefit more from bone pins as my hypothesis is that ebony might emphasize some unwanted harmonics from the body. I don't know.. Again, just speculation.

Also, it is important to note that sometimes bridge pins need some "fitting" (iow- sanding) to get them to fit they should be snug, but not too tight to allow for some expansion without cracking the bridge. I happen to like Luthiers Mercantile as their pins are not expensive and of good quality.
https://www.lmii.com/144-bridge-pins-and-end-pins

Originally Posted by Bridgepin

You measure the circumference at the collar and at the end of the pin.
https://www.maurysmusic.com/fossiliz...idge_pin_sizes
Scroll down to see how to measure

Thanks for the link BP. Luthiers Mercantile Intl used to have an easy way to determine the taper but they've complicated it a bit by putting separating the instructions and the chart separated from each other.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by MinorKey

How do I know which is the right taper?

Simply buy a set of both.
You will likely be sanding them to fit.

You should buy two set either way.
If you ream the holes so the pins fit, having an extra set already on hand for if you lose one is great planning, as you’ll have extras (and likely balance the universe such that you simply will be unable to lose a pin BECAUSE you have extras on hand).