Bridge Pin Tools?

smudge_lad

What’s good?

The one I’ve had for years is really quite poor, on the end of a string winder. 

Don’t want to damage the pins on my J45.

On that note also, is there such a thing as upgrading the pins? Might buy a whole new set to keep the originals in tact

bertie

never had a problem with the string winder ones TBH - stick a cloth/hankie under to protect the wood...........job done

as far as the pin material?................worms...........of................can   

the main guru on that, is alas no longer with us,   dear Mellish was a bit of sage WRT  pins of all materials (brass, wood, bone........... dllithium crystal)  

maltingsaudio

I use the one on my stringwinder or my leatherman but I’m not that fussy just careful.

Replacing the pins or upgrading them is a fantastic rabbit hole to go down , so I would recommend put the originals in a bag and buy some brass ones to start with, then some ebony etc

Fingers657

A soft Cloth and two tea spoons work well together.

thermionic

I now use a Music Nomad one.

Kittyfrisk

Are the pins stuck?
De-tension or remove the strings, hand inside & push the pins out. Might even need a tool to press or gently knock to free them.
No chance of damage to the guitar top or upper part of the pins.

drofluf

If the pin is really tight I do as @Kittyfrisk suggests but use a coin on my fingertip so I can push a little harder. 

Ideally the pins shouldn’t be in that tightly to begin with…

ICBM

Kittyfrisk said:

Are the pins stuck?
De-tension or remove the strings, hand inside & push the pins out. Might even need a tool to press or gently knock to free them.
No chance of damage to the guitar top or upper part of the pins.

This.

Never force the pins out from the outside. If they won’t come out with your fingers, you need to push them out from the inside with a coin or a pick. Any tool on the outside risks marking the bridge, or snapping the head off the pin if you’re unlucky, and it’s simply unnecessary.

Tannin

^ @ICBM gave me that advice a couple of years ago, and it was some of the best advice I've ever had. In my string-change kit now I keep a thimble to use once in a while when a pin is very stiff. Mostly bridge pins come out just with my fingers pushing up from inside. When they don't, I push from inside and VERY GENTLY lever from outside at the same time, using a non-scratch plastic tool and a soft cloth. 

Note that to be properly gentle, when you push up on a bridge pin, you should press down near the bridge with your other hand so as to put minimum strain on the top.

Some guitars don't have orthodox soundholes: with these instruments you HAVE to remove pins from the top. 

bertie

quite literally just saw this ............ no idea how good/bad  it is

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M8K00RL?ref_=pfb_spv01_dd2537153b94e7f8415d0344c6c9d918&tag=fbcmapntv-21&ascsubtag=pfb-NTA-P11-V01-O3-curazp-KDYWPF&mcid=06feb31f87bc3e458f656f9182ad493d&fbclid=IwAR2INacDtN3kB_7BvU-B5DHsh7Sicvl6qQmPGyXxn-IhsUqRr4SmSw7WPWM&th=1

Kittyfrisk

^ I'd save the money & buy some strings or beer

bertie

Kittyfrisk said:

^ I'd save the money & buy some strings or beer

I use me teeth

smudge_lad

Thanks for all the info guys.

They’re not stuck at all, I just know the mess that my Takamine pins are in from years of use so wanted to avoid any damage on the J45.

I do already try and push them out from the bottom/inside the guitar as well as using a tool on the top. Will just be extra careful

Might try some brass pins, sounds like they brighten up the tone a little, and a do like a bright acoustic sound

rustneversleeps

bertie said:

quite literally just saw this ............ no idea how good/bad  it is

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M8K00RL?ref_=pfb_spv01_dd2537153b94e7f8415d0344c6c9d918&tag=fbcmapntv-21&ascsubtag=pfb-NTA-P11-V01-O3-curazp-KDYWPF&mcid=06feb31f87bc3e458f656f9182ad493d&fbclid=IwAR2INacDtN3kB_7BvU-B5DHsh7Sicvl6qQmPGyXxn-IhsUqRr4SmSw7WPWM&th=1

I used these for years.Highly recommended.When I got mine they were only available in the USA.They work on all my acoustics without any marking.The best accessorie that I’ve brought.

Kittyfrisk

smudge_lad said:

Thanks for all the info guys.

They’re not stuck at all, I just know the mess that my Takamine pins are in from years of use so wanted to avoid any damage on the J45.

I do already try and push them out from the bottom/inside the guitar as well as using a tool on the top. Will just be extra careful

Might try some brass pins, sounds like they brighten up the tone a little, and a do like a bright acoustic sound

Make sure you get the right taper for your particular guitar, or the pins won't seat properly.
Might be stating the bleeding obvious, but I have  an idiot I know bought pins & found they were useless.

BigPaulie

Am I missing something?

I just just pliers. They work perfectly.

If you're worried about damaging the pins put a bit of cloth over them. But bridge pins are easily replaced if damaged, unless they're vintage of course.

ICBM

If you absolutely must use a tool from above - eg if there’s no soundhole big enough to put your hand inside - the best method is actually to use a pair of side-cutting wire-cutters to gently hold the pin under the head (not to actually grip it) and use the bridge saddle as the fulcrum to lever it out, protected with something like an old lollipop stick. Probably easier to do than describe! If you’re careful the cutters won’t even touch the wood of the bridge, and the only risk is the head of the pin coming off if it’s really stuck.