0 Taper Bridge Pins

[Taylor]

G'day all,

First time acoustic guitar builder here. I searched the forum as best I could and couldn't find anything on this subject so sorry if it has been addressed before.

I'm up to making and attaching my bridge and upon inspecting the pins I was given in the pack I bought, I discovered that they seem to be quite unusual, so far as I can find with my Google searches. They are slotted pins, but they have a hole that continues right through the pin shaft right under the head. They also have no taper at all, the shaft measures 4.7mm the whole length. As such, neither my 4.5mm or 5mm drill bits are suitable.

Anyone have any idea how I would be supposed to proceed with these? Or should I just cave and buy new, tapered pins and a reamer?

Thanks everyone

[kiwigeo]

Welcome to the forum mate.

Re photos...jpegs/jpgs should load up fine. Try again and if you have problems email me the pics (email address PM'ed to you).

Pins without a taper? Ive never used them....I always use tapered pins and ream out pin holes to fit same.

[Taylor]

Thanks Kiwigeo,

Tried them again cropped down so the file size wasn't so large and same issue, I'll send them through to you.

In all my searching online I couldn't even find them available for purchase let alone anyone talking about them.

Looking at the hole in the pins, the first thought that occurred to me was that they were made for the string ball to stop on the other side of the pin rather than inside the guitar against the bridge plate, but if that were the case, they wouldn't need to be slotted on the front would they? I did some searching for people doing it this way and the closest I found were people making them such that the string was fed through the back of the bridge with the string ball stopping there, but no pins were involved of course. The general consensus there seemed to be that it wasn't as strong and the bridge glue joint failing was more likely.

Wasn't able to find a whiff of bridge pins with a hole right through them anywhere.

[56nortondomy]

Buy some proper pins and save yourself a hassle.
Wayne

[Taylor]

Thanks Wayne, I was definitely leaning that way, but the scarcity of information on these straight ones got me curious.

[WJ Guitars]

Generally, there are two taper angles 3 degrees and 5 degrees. I like using bone pins with a 3 degree taper or you can use timber ebony or rosewood depending whether you want a more brighter response that bone pins have.

Wayne

[WJ Guitars]

Forgot to mention that tapered slotted or unslotted pins can be purchased. There are various views around which is the best. Unslotted pins keep the string touching all of the bridge area within the pin hole. You need to file a 45 degree angle on the bridge pin to lock the string ball.
Using unslotted bridge pins may assist in maximizing the transfer from the bridge to the soundboard. I have used both slotted and unslotted and have not noticeable any significant differences. I also file a groove in the pin hole for the string to fit into and file a ramp on the bridge leading up to the saddle.

Wayne

[kiwigeo]

Ive just uploaded the photos with original post. Dont know what was issue but forum refused to load the original jpgs. I imported into my Mac photo app and then exported them as jpgs and they loaded up.

The pins in the photos......they look like nothing I've ever seen before. I'd chuck them and get some tapered pins and invest in a reamer. All my pins are rosewood or ebony and unslotted and made by Gurian.....got a large stock of them during a forum bulk buy many years back.

[Taylor]

Thanks very much for your help guys, new pins it is. I'll probably go with some ebony pins, Australian Luthier supplies only seems to have slotted ones, so I guess I'll be going with those. While I'm here, any other good websites for either timber or tools you would recommend?

[kiwigeo]

Tools...most of mine come from Stewmac, LMI, Carbatec or Lee Valley.

Wood....I built up most of my stash a few years back.....buying mainly from Tim at Australian Tonewoods and a couple of Canadian spruce suppliers..High Mountain Tonewood and Graham Hein (Kootenay Tonewood).

Thanks very much for your help guys, new pins it is. I'll probably go with some ebony pins, Australian Luthier supplies only seems to have slotted ones, so I guess I'll be going with those. While I'm here, any other good websites for either timber or tools you would recommend?

[Taylor]

No worries, thanks again!

[WJ Guitars]

LMI and Stewmac have a wide range of bridge pins plus Soundboard, Back and Sides, tools. Stewmac offer free shipping with a joining fee. Worthwhile if you intend to make a number of orders during the year. Worth a look at their website.

Australian Guitar Timbers in Maleny, QLD, supply Backs And Sides, Soundboards Necks. Worth a look at their website.

Elevate Lutherie in QLD, interesting range of tools and some timber.

Tasmanian Acoustic Tonewood supply high quality Back and sides of Blackwood and Tiger Myrtle.

Australian Tonewoods in W.A. is temporary closed. They are relocating and will reopen in 2023.

Wayne

[Trevor Gore]

They also have no taper at all, the shaft measures 4.7mm the whole length. As such, neither my 4.5mm or 5mm drill bits are suitable...

4.7mm is 3/16". You should have no trouble finding a 3/16" drill if you want to use the supplied pins. A 3/16" drill is also a good size to use as a pilot hole for a reamer for both 3 degree and 5 degree taper pins.

[Taylor]

Thanks Wayne, those are some good websites. Looks like Stewmac's joining fee would already be paid for and them some with just a back and sides set! More affordable than I would have guessed.

Thanks Trevor, I'll dig around, I'm sure I've got imperial bits somewhere!

[kiwigeo]

Tasmanian Acoustic Tonewood supply high quality Back and sides of Blackwood and Tiger Myrtle.

Wayne

Wayne, who's behind this company? I'ts not old Robert McCrae is it?

[56nortondomy]

Timbecom in Melbourne are good for tools, I like the Incra centre ruler and protractor, they're fairly reasonable for quality stuff and have a large range.
Wayne

[Taylor]

I've actually bought from Timbecon quite a few times before, both for this project and general woodworking before that, always had a good experience with them.

[WJ Guitars]

Wayne, who's behind this company? I'ts not old Robert McCrae is it?

I just returned home from a 5 day break today and looking forward to starting the next guitar project. However, in regards to who is behind 'Tasmanian Acoustic Tonewood', I'm not sure. I have only had contact with Bentley Cross.

Wayne

[joolstacho]

I've used these pins in the past and they are really, really good! BUT!
They fit 180 degrees opposite to normal pins, - the string runs in the slot which is fitted to the rear, and then goes through the hole and out to the front and over the saddle.
BUT... do be careful when you remove a pin to change a string, because it's too easy to break a head off due to the thin-ness of the pin where the drilling for the string goes through. I'd always use vaseline on them so they don't stick/bind on removal.

[Taylor]

That's interesting. Do they have any particular name or something? Where did you get them from? I wasn't able to find a trace of them on the internet.