Ivory vs. bone vs. plastic bridge pins

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Permalink Reply by Ship of fools on August 30, 2010 at 7:54am

They are for looks only and I am still waiting for anyone to prove me wrong, I have had almost every type made from wood to plastic to bone,ivory and they always sound the same if they are seated right.
So unless you are trying to make it look nicer don't bother or if the pins have worn then find something you like the looks of and then change them out.
Ship........................and after 40+ years I still haven't found any real proof of any sound change to the guitar except what other folks say they hear and unfortunately thats not proof.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on August 30, 2010 at 8:22pm

I agree. The vibrating portion of the string is between saddle and nut, or saddle and fretted note. The bridge pins merely become part of the total mass of the top of the guitar.
Any effect would be imperceptible to human ears.

Still, folks will swear they stuck in ebony pins and greatly improved the sound of their instrument. They hear what they want to hear.
Better quality pins are more durable than plastic and won't get chewed up as much.
I had some nice ones in my Martin D-18 with mother-of-pearl inlays. They did look nice.

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Permalink Reply by Ken on October 11, 2011 at 9:29am

R

 

This reminds me of the hype about "monster" speaker cables. That is, if you use giant wires, like from an arc welder, your speakers will sound better. What about that tiny wire that goes to and from the transistors? Companies have been built on this myth, and more than a few bucks spent on ivory pins. I can't speak to guitar pins, but I can speak to superstition, suggestibility and gullability.

I use bone - a nice compromise between looks, cost and functionality. Besides, it's green. Making plastic is a nasty business.

Be well, practice a lot and enjoy your guitar.

Ken

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