Brass bridge pins?

Tannin

I've been playing the Mineur with 4 bone or plastic pins and 2 brass ones on the plain strings as per @sev112 ;It definitely sounds better with the original pins for the 4 wound strings; I'm not sure about the plains - the sound is different and I maybe prefer the brass but I'll need to do some more AB swapping to be sure. 

I also tried one of my just-bought ebony ones. This was a cheap set for $6 and the first one jammed in the guitar top and wouldn't come out. Some moron had made them too short so the old push up from below trick (thanks ICBM!) wasn't much help. I got it in the end, and got it without damaging a lovely near-new hand-made guitar, but there was a struggle and some language.

Mellish

I'm not a fan of wood bridge pins. I'm always nervous that humidity could cause them to expand and crack the bridge. I may be overcautious but I just don't like taking the risk  

Tannin

^ good point!

bertie

Mellish said:

I'm not a fan of wood bridge pins. I'm always nervous that humidity could cause them to expand and crack the bridge. I may be overcautious but I just don't like taking the risk  

surely, by the nature of their shape - they're more likely to "pop out" ?

 also what about any other bit of "untreated wood" - what if the bridge itself expanded ?

Mellish

@bertie ; well it might but it seems like this is heading towards "I want a Rainsong cos I don't trust wood". I dunno, YMMV  

Mellish

To be serious, though, I have seen bridges that were cracked by wood pins. Martin's use of plastic pins, shipping worldwide, very different climates, there may be more to it than tradition/cost  

bertie

mine are made from the teeth of my enemies 

shufflebeat

bertie said:

mine are made from the teeth of my enemies 

Oh, I've not tried that.

Cool.

(Should have a few spares as well).

ICBM

bertie said:

Mellish said:

I'm not a fan of wood bridge pins. I'm always nervous that humidity could cause them to expand and crack the bridge. I may be overcautious but I just don't like taking the risk  

surely, by the nature of their shape - they're more likely to "pop out" ?

No, the taper is far too shallow for that.

It is a theoretical risk, although at least with ebony I would say it's very unlikely - it really isn't affected by humidity to any significant degree.

Tannin

Update: after all the questions and the experiments, I'm back to normal. The brass pins are in the spare parts box and the original ones are back in the guitar. An interesting journey, worth the (small) expense and the (very small) time and trouble factor. 

What will my next whacky idea be? Tune in next week, same bat time, same bat station.

Mellish

Yes, I thought the brass pins would come out

Other materials include FMI, FWI, Ebony, Rosewood, Buffalo Horn, Boxwood, Snakewood.

I prefer bone. Some say there's no tonal difference but I guess there is for you if you  hear it, or if you  *believe* you do  

bertie

I use coprolite,  very vintage 

sev112

Mellish said:

Yes, I thought the brass pins would come out

Other materials include FMI, FWI, Ebony, Rosewood, Buffalo Horn, Boxwood, Snakewood.

I prefer bone. Some say there's no tonal difference but I guess there is for you if you  hear it, or if you  *believe* you do  

Have you tried snake oil wood yet ?

Mellish

@sev112 ; - no mate - have you?  

sev112

I try everything out there, ha ha