Bridge pin won't stay. HELP!

harles · #1 March 23rd, 2006

Dear anyone who can help............

I have a problem, but lets talk about the problem with my guitar, yeah?

I have just bought some nice strings, real nice. So i change them, but wait....what is this?

The bridge pin will not fit in the hole of the bridge for the 6th string anymore, make sense?

It keeps popping out and quite frankly i am a nervous wreck. I tune it to about about a Dbb and then BANG, it pops out. i have tried replacement pins, and old E strings, does anybody know what the problem is, or how i can solve it?

Surely the bridge holes can't be worn down can they? My steel string guitar is a year old this week, but i ain't gettin it no cake, and this is the 4th set of strings it has had.

Any help would be much appreciated....... oh how it would.

yours gratefully

Harles (was supposed to be charles, nevermind........)

6string · #2 March 23rd, 2006

temporary fix is put a little piece of paper in the hole with the pin until someone like UGB comes along to the rescue.

probably need bigger pins

allthumbs · #3 March 23rd, 2006

Try this. Hold the pin down with one hand while you tune up with the other. Sometimes you just have to get past a certain point in the string tension for the pin to stay. Happens to me occasionally.

Lcjones · #4 March 23rd, 2006

Just a trick I do ....

When I insert the ball of the string into the pin-hole, I thread it in fairly deep. At least a couple of inches. Then, as allthumbs says, I press the pin down with my thumb and pull up on the string at the same time. This locks the ball into the pin and helps keep it from popping up while tuning up. It's not an uncommon thing.

Les

Ultimate Garage Band · #5 March 24th, 2006

I've noticed Seagull guitars seem to be particularly picky about this and what you're experiencing is quite common and it's one of the #1 reasons acoustic players don't change their own strings. They can't figure out how to keep the pins in. And the 6th string, the thick E, is the worst by far.

I take the string and about 1 inch up from the ball end I bend the string about 90 degrees. I then insert the ball into the hole and feed it in so the back of the bend is towards the end pin/strap button and the ball is pointing towards the sound hole. I then line up the pin with the groove over the string and push it in. Just before it snugs up I begin to pull the string up. So I'm pulling the string up with my left hand and pushing the pin down with my right hand. 99% of the time I can get a fit so snug that at this point I could actually lift the guitar up by the string in my left hand. However, some guitars NEVER get that snug so I go ahead and thread the string onto the peg winder and begin to tighten it. As the tension comes up I'll push down on the pin with my right hand. Like Marty said, at a certain point the pin ceases to want to come out and it holds.

There's only one guitar I own that I've had to replace the pins on because the holes were getting so worn and it's not that they had a hard time keeping the strings in. Quite the opposite. The ball end of the pins were getting so low into the bridge it made string changes take forever because I could ONLY push the pins out from inside the guitar up. There was no room to grab the pin ball end. I put a set of those D'Andrea 'Tone Pins' or whatever they're called, brass, and they're bigger and much easier to deal with.

Rockerbob · #6 March 24th, 2006

Remember, the pin does not take the strings tension, or really even hold the string in at all. What the pin does is push the ball end over (toward the neck) so it can lock up against the underside of the bridge (bridge plate). The pins should never need to be pushed in hard at all. Make sure the ball end is not stuck on the bottom of the pin, but instead in front of the pin, towards the neck. Here are some tips from Frank Ford at frets.com

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musi...tringing1.html

harles · #7 March 24th, 2006

Thanks for the help everyone, it really helped. Problem solved and strings sound great, oh yeah! Thanks.

D-Dawn · #8 November 6th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultimate Garage Band

I've noticed Seagull guitars seem to be particularly picky about this and what you're experiencing is quite common and it's one of the #1 reasons acoustic players don't change their own strings. They can't figure out how to keep the pins in. And the 6th string, the thick E, is the worst by far.

I take the string and about 1 inch up from the ball end I bend the string about 90 degrees. I then insert the ball into the hole and feed it in so the back of the bend is towards the end pin/strap button and the ball is pointing towards the sound hole. I then line up the pin with the groove over the string and push it in. Just before it snugs up I begin to pull the string up. So I'm pulling the string up with my left hand and pushing the pin down with my right hand. 99% of the time I can get a fit so snug that at this point I could actually lift the guitar up by the string in my left hand. However, some guitars NEVER get that snug so I go ahead and thread the string onto the peg winder and begin to tighten it. As the tension comes up I'll push down on the pin with my right hand. Like Marty said, at a certain point the pin ceases to want to come out and it holds.

There's only one guitar I own that I've had to replace the pins on because the holes were getting so worn and it's not that they had a hard time keeping the strings in. Quite the opposite. The ball end of the pins were getting so low into the bridge it made string changes take forever because I could ONLY push the pins out from inside the guitar up. There was no room to grab the pin ball end. I put a set of those D'Andrea 'Tone Pins' or whatever they're called, brass, and they're bigger and much easier to deal with.

Definately easier getting them to seat when you bend a the string a bit! Where it took me an hour before doing this, now its a 15 minute process and I am done! Great advice

Ultimate Garage Band · #9 November 7th, 2006

way to go!!!

737blues · #10 November 7th, 2006

If the pressing with thumb technique does not work, this is guaranteed. (Hot tip: Ensure thumb is removed first)

D-Dawn · #11 November 7th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by 737blues

If the pressing with thumb technique does not work, this is guaranteed. (Hot tip: Ensure thumb is removed first)

I have been tempted to use one of those, but UGB's advice worked

Hiram · #12 November 7th, 2006

My Seagull does this on the E string and the only to way overcome it is to insert the string and pin, start winding the string when it's almost tight I put the chromatic tuner on, push down on the pin and hold it while while I tune the string. Once it's in tune you can let go of the pin.

6string · #13 November 7th, 2006

I once changed the strings on a 12 string I used to have and one of the pins wouldn't stay in, so, I put a little piece of paper around the bottom of the pin when I inserted it into the bridge, it worked and it stayed with absolutely no problems.

ooops i sort of said that already didnt I

OldG · #14 November 8th, 2006

For this job, I use a rizla ( cigarette paper) wrapped around the pin... they are folded over to the ideal size staight outta the packet, just adjust the length to suit. It always works for me ,even on the loosest pins