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 Post subject: Unslotted Bridge Pins
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 11:26 am 
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Where are folks getting their unslotted bone bridge pins? Paying for Waverly pins seems insane when you can get good slotted pins at half the price. Looking for 3 degree taper.

Thanks!

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 11:46 am 
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My stock came from LMI - https://www.lmii.com/search?controller=search&s=bridge+pins+3+degree+unslotted
Search results not specifically unslotted, but they are in there.
Got some from bone ones china via ebay too.
Used to be a supplier in the States or Canada selling 3 degree unslotted wooden pins on ebay.com in bulk, but can't find him at the moment

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 12:21 pm 
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I had an OLFer make mine and he did outstanding work. I'm trying to remember his name and it's escaping me but if you search on bridge pins and me as the author we may find it. Mine were unslotted, 3 degree and I would send him BRW and cocobolo to make mine and one time some African Blackwood.

All my guitars were 3 degree unslotted and every one of them the bridge plates look like new still.

Each one was individually made on his lathe and I don't think he was CNC either. Old school baby! :)



These users thanked the author Hesh for the post: Pmaj7 (Sun Apr 24, 2022 2:49 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 12:35 pm 
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I just fill the slots with little slips of Corian. Small slips of hardwood might work as well and give a "designer" element to the pin.



These users thanked the author Clay S. for the post: Pmaj7 (Sun Apr 24, 2022 2:49 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 1:54 pm 
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 4:59 pm 
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 6:47 pm 
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I bought a couple of gross from Michael Gurian (gurianinstruments.com). I sent him a block of Persimmon and he turned them into pins. He said he had a machine that popped out one every 7 seconds. The cost was quite affordable. You have to contact them and work out your specifics.

Before that, I turned some myself. You know how to make a set of matching pins? You make a whole bunch and then sort them into sets where 6 sort of match. I still turn my own end pins and the larger bridge pins for acoustic basses.



These users thanked the author bobgramann for the post: CraigG (Sun Apr 24, 2022 8:13 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2022 8:57 pm 
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You can just turn the slot towards the back and the unslotted side towards the saddle.


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:28 am 
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Mark Mc wrote:
You can just turn the slot towards the back and the unslotted side towards the saddle.


Mark no offense intended but I would advise against this.

Presumably someone asking for 3 degree, unslotted pins is going to do what you have to do when you use unslotted pins and that is slot the bridge plate, top and bridge. If you prepare the guitar, convert it or build it for unslotted pins and slotted pins are used and the slot is forward the string and string ball will damage the bridge plate very, very quickly. It's effectively doubling the clearance for the wrapped and ball end of the string and that permits the string ball to be pulled up the pin hole and lodge wherever it chews it's way to.

We've seen this before and the damage is so extensive to the bridge plate that capping was not appropriate and the plate had to be replaced or should have been replaced so that's what we did.

So sure you can turn the slots around but if you ever forget or someone else services the guitar or even restrings it and is not knowledgable about slotless conversions substantial and expensive damage to the guitar can result.

Just better to use unslotted pins and keep it simple.


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:30 am 
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I hear that Hesh, but I have noticed I can remove my unslotted bridge pins and still have the strings under tension.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.



These users thanked the author Colin North for the post: Hesh (Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:17 am)
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:12 am 
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Thanks for the ideas, all. I sure can't find any bone unslotted pins on LMII. They are my usual go to for pins, but since finally getting on the slotted bridge bandwagon, I can't find any for a reasonable price from the standard sources. Seems that unslotted should be cheaper than the slotted! I sent LMI a message to see if they are hidden somewhere. And it seems their out of stock for a lot of Bone pins. Perhaps I'll try some wood ones.

For now I'll turn my pins backwards until I can track down some unslotted pins.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 1:39 pm 
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Japarts in Vancouver Canada has them.
japarts.ca


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 3:07 pm 
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Hesh wrote:
I had an OLFer make mine and he did outstanding work. I'm trying to remember his name and it's escaping me but if you search on bridge pins and me as the author we may find it. Mine were unslotted, 3 degree and I would send him BRW and cocobolo to make mine and one time some African Blackwood.

All my guitars were 3 degree unslotted and every one of them the bridge plates look like new still.

Each one was individually made on his lathe and I don't think he was CNC either. Old school baby! :)


Might have been Burton LeGeyt.

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These users thanked the author Pat Foster for the post: Hesh (Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:15 am)
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2022 5:29 pm 
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If you turn them 1/4 turn instead of halfway the tip doesn't collapse as easily.
Hey! Just searched for "unslotted" pins at LMII and they listed Ebony and Rosewood 3 degree pins. bliss


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 1:29 am 
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CarlD wrote:
......................... Hey! Just searched for "unslotted" pins at LMII and they listed Ebony and Rosewood 3 degree pins. bliss

Wish I'd said that laughing6-hehe

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:16 am 
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Pat Foster wrote:
Hesh wrote:
I had an OLFer make mine and he did outstanding work. I'm trying to remember his name and it's escaping me but if you search on bridge pins and me as the author we may find it. Mine were unslotted, 3 degree and I would send him BRW and cocobolo to make mine and one time some African Blackwood.

All my guitars were 3 degree unslotted and every one of them the bridge plates look like new still.

Each one was individually made on his lathe and I don't think he was CNC either. Old school baby! :)


Might have been Burton LeGeyt.


Nope not Burton and I'm still trying to remember who it was they did great work.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:23 am 
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Colin North wrote:
I hear that Hesh, but I have noticed I can remove my unslotted bridge pins and still have the strings under tension.


Sure that's because the string balls are over the slots and not between the pin and the slot from an unslotted pin. It's very possible for an slotted pin slot forward to not push the string ball back into the slot in the plate, top and bridge and when that happens if you pull that pin the string comes up too. This is when the string ball does the most damage to the bridge plate when it's slotted for unslotted pins and slotted pins are used.

Dave Collins did a presentation on this at the Northwood Seminar using examples of bridge plates going back to 1870. It's an interesting subject how with the advent of cheap, molded bridge pins this part of guitar construction changed.

If I remember I'll take some pics of his presentation that is on our wall and post it.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 6:34 pm 
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I would offer that Hesh may be thinking of Custom Inlay for bridge pins
https://custominlay.com/shop/ols/produc ... dot-inlays



These users thanked the author Mike Franks for the post: Hesh (Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:04 am)
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:03 am 
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Mike Franks wrote:
I would offer that Hesh may be thinking of Custom Inlay for bridge pins
https://custominlay.com/shop/ols/produc ... dot-inlays


Hey Mike, hope you are doing great.

No not them who made mine was just a member here and he did not have a company of sorts or was affiliated with one. A man with a lathe so-to-speak :)


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:07 am 
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Found it, it was Louis!!! Louis sorry for my bad memory I'm like WIllie Nelson and a life long pot smoker. :)

http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=14415&hilit=+BRW+bridge+pins+

So no clue what-ups up with Louis these days it's been a long time since we were in touch.


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 4:09 am 
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Image



These users thanked the author Hesh for the post: Burton LeGeyt (Wed Apr 27, 2022 1:03 pm)
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 5:57 am 
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Hey Chris Ensor, after reading that thread Hesh linked, I think we have a new Elevate tool for you to make :) One-pass bridge pin head cutter for lathe. I know I'd like to have one.

My favorite material for bridge pins is sycamore sticks from the back yard. They have a nice radial pattern, and similar color to the boxwood pins LMI sells. Fairly soft, but with a slotted bridge the strings aren't bearing on the pins when under tension.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2022 6:57 am 
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Hesh wrote:
Image

They look real nice, Hesh. The unslotted pins I use (Gurian) aren’t as nicely finished as those.



These users thanked the author joshnothing for the post: Hesh (Wed Apr 27, 2022 1:18 pm)
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2022 9:44 pm 
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Hesh wrote:
I had an OLFer make mine and he did outstanding work. I'm trying to remember his name and it's escaping me :)


There was an OLF gathering 8 or 10 years ago that was hosted in someone's buisness in Lake Zurich, Illinois. I don't recall his name but he was making bridge pins.
Kent



These users thanked the author kfish for the post: Hesh (Sun May 01, 2022 11:09 am)
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