Help!! Bridge pin stuck

drofluf

I fit all the strings into the bridge before I tension them.  That way I can put my hand in the sound hole to make sure that the balls are properly seated. 

bertie

ICBM said:

Sloping the end of the pin works well, but I don't even bother with that - I just kink the end of the string with my fingers before I put it in, making sure the bend is then facing towards the neck. Takes about two seconds and works perfectly every time.

yep been doing that for donkeys

BillDL

drofluf said:

I fit all the strings into the bridge before I tension them.  That way I can put my hand in the sound hole to make sure that the balls are properly seated. 

That's precisely how I change acoustic strings also.

Mellish

I always feed the ball into the bridge so that it's standing up. In other words, that it could run up the board if it were a wheel. Hope that makes sense and apologies if I'm repeating someone  

bluecat

This happened to me a number of years ago,five pegs came out easy but one would nut budge.
This may sound a bit brutal,first wrap a few layers of tape around the ball of the peg for protection,then nip the end of the peg (not too tight) with a mole wrench,now very gently twist and pull at the same time,do not rush and it will gradually ease out.

Mellish

Beware of using tools on the outside at the bridge to try to lever out a stuck pin. I've seen an high end acoustic with several small dings in the top caused by this

ICBM

bluecat said:

This happened to me a number of years ago,five pegs came out easy but one would nut budge.
This may sound a bit brutal,first wrap a few layers of tape around the ball of the peg for protection,then nip the end of the peg (not too tight) with a mole wrench,now very gently twist and pull at the same time,do not rush and it will gradually ease out.

Don't do that. You're more likely to snap the head of the pin off, and it really is much better as well as easier to push it out from the inside.

Mellish said:

Beware of using tools on the outside at the bridge to try to lever out a stuck pin. I've seen an high end acoustic with several small dings in the top caused by this

When I was very young and before I'd started working on guitars professionally, so I didn't feel able to intervene and tell him not to, I actually saw a shop manager drive a screwdriver straight through the top of a guitar just behind the bridge trying to do that.

That was quite an authoritative learning experience...

Mellish

@ICBM ; Yep, it's easy to cause damage by not thinking. Pushing the string down into the bridge (if you can) is often enough to free the pin, or a coin from below. If still no joy, best to pop the instrument along to a luthier/tech  

bertie

you need one of these

Zonular

Lol!! Tbh I chickened out and dropped into the local guitar shop as I'm afraid, I'd get frustrated and wreck it

shufflebeat

For future reference - in the past I've managed to release the string by reaching inside with a normal dinner fork, slip that onto the hole in the ball end (assuming there is one) and pulling the string further into the guitar. If necessary the curve of the fork can be used for leverage.

BillDL

Zonular said:

Lol!! Tbh I chickened out and dropped into the local guitar shop as I'm afraid, I'd get frustrated and wreck it

Did the tech allow you to hang over his/her shoulder watching him/her using the tine of a dinner fork to hook through the ball end inside the guitar?

Zonular

I'm slightly worried as I haven't gotten It back yet....
The only thing keeping the worries at bay is the fact I picked up a faith mars all mahogany guitar on the cheap, never had an acoustic of this quality, I'm floored with the playability and the sound of it.

BillDL

I think this would be a good topic for Gerry Hayes to discuss in depth on his blog:

https://hazeguitars.com/blog/