Power Pins

mrleon83

F what I understand, Taylor used a electric style string fitting bridge which was aborted due to damaging the top? Something to do with the pull and pressure?

midlifecrisis

I confess to also wrongly fitting with the ball-end at the bottom of the pin, will not correct until I restring next.

am I affecting tone or volume doing it this way?

ICBM

mrleon83 said:

F what I understand, Taylor used a electric style string fitting bridge which was aborted due to damaging the top? Something to do with the pull and pressure?

Yes - the twisting force on the top is greater even though the break angle is lower, because the string tension is trying to pull the back of the bridge up. That said some other makers (eg Lowden) have done it that way without apparent problems.

midlifecrisis said:

I confess to also wrongly fitting with the ball-end at the bottom of the pin, will not correct until I restring next.

am I affecting tone or volume doing it this way?

Maybe, but probably not much if so. If the pin is in tight enough that the string tension won't pop it out, it's also in tight enough to transfer the vibration pretty well to the bridge.

You're right not to try to fix it until you restring, since if you do the kink made by the bridge saddle will now be forward of it, cause intonation problems and you'll just have to restring it anyway . I used to try to save the strings if I found one done like that and they were in good condition, but had to give up.

robwright

ICBM is my hero! 

I never knew this and every time I string an acoustic, I'm fighting with the pin (which is usually trying to mimic a champagne cork!) whilst trying to keep the string on the tuner! It looks faintly ridiculous! 

No, make that absolutely hysterical!

robwright

I've given ICBM a wisdom AND a wow! 

Now seriously considering offering sexual favours, its been such a revelation!

DiscoStu

I was the same, @robwright! I felt just a little bit stupid!

ICBM

lol

I'm only the messenger . That's not my diagram - I just found it online, although it is a very clear and helpful one.

Tune in next time for: how to string a Bigsby .

(Same sort of issue - a lot of people really struggle with it and come up with all sorts of complicated methods to make it easier, whereas in reality all you really need to do is pre-bend the end of the string, and then it all just falls into place…)

ThorpyFX

ICBM said:

lol

I'm only the messenger . That's not my diagram - I just found it online, although it is a very clear and helpful one.

Tune in next time for: how to string a Bigsby .

(Same sort of issue - a lot of people really struggle with it and come up with all sorts of complicated methods to make it easier, whereas in reality all you really need to do is pre-bend the end of the string, and then it all just falls into place…)

well I still like the power pins but that diagram has shown me that I was stringing my acoustic up badly hence why I thought I needed the power pins. Ah well, the pennies are spent now. Lol

ICBM

If the Power Pins change the sound in a way you like, then they're a good thing and money well spent. I do think that reducing the string break angle on that particular guitar is a good thing - the saddle is really tall. (That is also not necessarily a bad thing when the guitar is new, since over time you generally have to reduce the height as the soundboard rises, so you don't want to start with it too low or you eventually need to do more drastic surgery.)

I just don't agree with the claim that they improve the string coupling to the top, or that they're actually "easier" to restring - to me that's marketing hype.

There's another type of metal pins I've seen which do it a different way - you thread the string through the pin itself which is hollow, and the ball end goes (I think, from memory) behind the pin inside the guitar instead of in front. I can't remember what they're called - when I first saw them I thought they were another solution looking for a problem as well, but some people like the sound they give so again that may be the true benefit.