Bridge Pin Shootout: Does Material Matter? | Plastic Metal Ivory | Acoustic Guitar Test
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
- We received so many questions about bridge pins on Alvarez TV in the comments. Would changing the material make a tonal difference to our guitars? So we went out and bought six different types of pins in a range of different materials, to answer the question…do they really make a difference? Watch our highly solicited Viewer Requested Episode on today's episode of #AlvarezTV!
0:00 Bridge Pin Wizards (Intro Jam)
1:52 The Experiment Explained
6:31 First Demo: Two Yairi FYM66HDs, with Bone Pins vs. Standard Ebony Pins
9:06 Second Demo: Two Alvarez Masterworks MD70BGs, with Liquid Metal Pins vs. Brass Pins
11:50 Third Demo: Two Alvarez Masterworks MD66CEs, Alvarez Tusq (Man-Made Ivory) Pins vs. Cheap Plastic Pins
13:42 Parting Thoughts
14:35 Testing All Pins: Hear Every Material in Our A/B/C/D/E/F Test
Featured in this Episode:
Alvarez Yairi FYM66HD Folk/OM: alvarezguitars.com/guitar/fym....
Alvarez Masterworks MD70BG Dreadnought: alvarezguitars.com/guitar/md70bg.
Alvarez Masterworks MD66CE Dreadnought: alvarezguitars.com/guitar/md66ce.
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Ebony for me. I like the combination of Bone nut and saddle with Ebony pins.
I liked the tusq
Love that they are honest and say that it sounds amazing but the looks would stop me using them. This is why guitars are so personal.
When I changed to brass pins on my Alvarez baritone guitar, gosh, what a difference that made from the standard issued ones. The sound is now very much clearer, brighter sounding, with a more pronounced ring to it. A definite improvement.......
Who else plays along with you guys on the intro? I do. It's one of my favorite parts about your videos- you start with a play along and the viewer can join in. It's a great way to practice AND demo the instruments showcased. Please never stop that part of your productions.
Love it. Thanks for strumming along! 👍
That E chord with the added E note on the D string is elegant. @@AlvarezGuitarsOfficial
I have ebony bridge pins in 4 of my 5 acoustic guitars; the other has Tusq "Presentation" pins. I get the ebony pins from Journey Instruments for about $7.99 a set, and they work great.
Martin Liquid Metal and the Ebony for me were the fullest sounding, and the plastic was a huge tonal difference. Great video guys !
Ebony for me
Interresting comparison video!!
In trying different types of bridge pins without any big difference in tone... I decided to not use any bridge pins at all... Instead I drilled 6 string size holes through a 1/4 inch Wood Dowel and have the strings going through it and placed the Wood Dowel on the underside of the bridge.... And that got me the best Volume so far..... And I am also using medium gauge strings to minimize string breakage and offcourse to Maximise Volume... 😀
Great idea, @STRUMMERBOY1975! Thanks for sharing.🙌
Genius. Is it a flat dowel or rounded?? And this just freely rests under the bridge plate from inside guitar? Please. TY. Dean.
What a great idea! And...
You may have a true break-through!
It would seem that having the string attached to top (via the wood dowl) could produce greater vibration and thus volume.
You would need a audio spectrum anylizer to truly determine the difference
that's exactly what I was thinking.....the human ear can only discern so much....👍
If the human ear is what counts. Although my dog may disagree.
@@juliemulie1805 yes, but everyone's ears are different.....at least with analyzing software, we can SEE the distinct scientific audio differences....
@@darrylt1031 good point, I forget that everyone isn't on a level playing ground with hearing.
@@juliemulie1805 Huh? What?
I've been a instrumentalists for over 40 years and have always used bone for the nut, bridge saddle and bridge pins... Either Buffalo, Cow or Camel bone, but whatever I choose I keep consistent with all 3 areas of the instrument, consistently is the key... I find bone gives a warmer, earthy sound with a great natural response once the instrument is set up correctly... Another element that I believe changes response is Machine Heads, there has been a lot of debate about this, however I can honestly say I've changed out Machine Heads from cheap to good quality ones like Grover, Gotoh or Schaller and found a definite change in tone... For starters a good set of quality Machine Heads will help stability with tuning the instrument, the high precision in engineering means no rattles or buzzing and finally I believe the extra weight of the quality Machine Heads at the headstock inproves the sustain, although some say it only subtle differences in sustain, I've changed out Machine Heads on Acoustic/Electric Guitars, Banjos, Ukuleles and Mandolins and noticed improvements in all 🎶🎶🎶🎸🪕
This is a true to life way of determining if bridge pins sound different or the same . Great Guitars ✨✨✨✨✨✨🇺🇸🇨🇦☮️
Perfect timing! I’m reconditioning an old MIJ Alvarez that I recently bought. It came with mismatched, stained old plastic pins. I decided that this was an opportunity to upgrade, but I couldn’t decide which type to get. I’m going to listen to your A-B-C-D-E-F (whew!) comparison a couple more times with good phones, but my ears are pulling me toward ebony. Gentlemen, as always, thanks for these interesting and informative videos. Keep ‘‘em coming! (Build that center block acoustic!)
Hi - A believer in material-differences here and I personally tune with various materials after each individual string and each individual guitar. Typically with brass in the bottom, then some mid-bone and bone, plast or wood for the top.
I sense you accept the thought that it matters. However it's best heard when the strings begin to fade. New strings shout too loud to really allow the nuances across.
The final strumming told a lot. Plastic lost while brass & bone were blooming.
Thanx for testing.
Keep having fun
Great point! Thanks for sharing. 🙌
I put ebony pins and bone saddle and headstock nuts on my AJ60SC. I made a big difference, it projects better across the the tonal spectrum.
Thank you for another great and helpful analysis. A step in a neverending chase of the "ideal" sound.
Looking forward to the next Alvarez video.
I listened with my studio headphones and studio monitors quite a few times and one thing that was noticeable was the plastic pins were quieter.
After listening a few times the difference is quite subtle but I liked the ebony pins probably best. The liquid metal made the guitar louder and boomier. I use bone nuts and saddles on all my acoustics and wont be changing them. Sound is subjective and what one person likes someone else doesn't.
We agree and love hearing that. Thanks for playing Alvarez!
Hey guys, Thanks for another great informative video. We all appreciate the hard work you put in to making these. Always something new to discover and fun to watch.
We love hearing that! Thanks for watching, we're glad you enjoyed. 👍
Clearly Martin liquid metal and especially the Ebony result in a bigger sound, slightly more amplified and with better definition, both with individual notes and/or strumming. But I was really surprised to hear such a distinctive degradation of the sound (e.g. less volume, not so well pronounced) with the plastic pins which was somewhat expected I guess. Great video thanks Alvarez!
Thank you for watching Dimitrios!
Bone VS Ebony VS Brass nut?
I love this video and I'm a huge fan of Alvarez but did I miss the part when you mention the strings you're using in each comparison. Not to hate on the content but I think it'll really come down to the guitar chosen and string selection of each individual guitarist.
13:15 little anecdote. easiest to watch the video i made, but, i bought some "olympia" strings, that i'd never heard of until a few weeks ago, and i put them on my 66 j45, they were decent enough but the strings and the guitar weren't particularly special, and back in the case it went for a while. then it's turn came up again to be played and it blew me away, it sounds at the moment, better than it ever has in the forty five years i had this guitar.
same thing happened with the maton i have, strung it up, played it, okay but nothing special, then it's turn to be played came up again, and to be honest i was even thinking of selling it, and bingo - it too sounds amazing.
guitars have minds of their own.
Great news! Thanks for sharing.
I love the wood pins that come in the Alvarez Masterworks series ... They look better than bone or plastic in appearance . I want to say they sound better but I have no idea .
Wooden pins are the lightest, and that makes guitars more responsive in my experience. Bone is more articulate, but a bit harsher.
Another great and helpful video, and I always look forward to your videos. Very interesting and entertaining and I love that you did one of the comparisons on the FMY66HD, my new favorite guitar. However I am happy with the ebony pins in my two Yairi's and my Alvarez Mahogany parlor. Thanks again and keep it up.
We always love hearing that. Thanks for playing Alvarez. 🙌.
Good video - thanks. Was surprised how bad the plastic ones sounded. Everything else sounded better!
Ebony sounded best to me with individual strings being played. Strumming wise anything except the plastic was good.
Thanks for watching!
I actually like the sound of the liquid metal. To me it was a toss up between them and the bone. One thing I got from this, is I only really heard a difference when it came to the plastic pins. There was a big decrease in sound and clarity to me, where all the others were pretty close in sound and tone.
I agree that the plastic did sound different. I didn't really hear much between the others. I guess the take home message is that anything other than plastic is an upgrade.
Had to turn off the video after the guy said he liked the brass more than the liquid metal. Wtf? Sounded muffled and flat compared to the loud clear liquid metal u couldn't even hear any difference between any other pins.
@@cooloutaceach person to their own I've got to say I can't hear $100 different to the others apart from the plastic pins. Martin liquid pins looks nice 😊
@MyZxcvb12 maybe not $100 difference but obvious difference in Improvement and sound quality in my opinion. Man I find it ironic people pay $1,000 more for all wood guitar that maybe sounds slightly better than something that's laminated and then scoff at these Bridge pins which again in my opinion have a clear difference in sound.
@@cooloutac yeah each to their own if you like the sound then good in the early years of my guitar journey I tried all different strings and martin strings was for sound better and lasted better than the others and I still use them today.
Liquid Metal and Ebony sounds almost similar, then comes Tusq and Bone. Considering the availability and price, I would go for Bone
Surprisingly, I liked the sound of the brass pins. I thought it would be more metallic, but it sounded warm and round to my ear with good note seperation. Maybe since the strings are metal and the pins are metal, there is less of a dampening effect on the vibration...maybe brass pins allow a more direct transference of the string vibration into the top, verses a softer non-metallic material?
I don't care for the aesthetic of brass pins either.
Great observation! We thank you for your opinion, glad you enjoyed :)
As soon as I hear people say brass pins are "metallic" I know they are just biased, there is no metal factor in it, it is ALL density allowing the vibrations to get from strings to top and body. This video proves the density of the brass is the factor, not that they are metal.
Always love the lessons learned from watching Alvarez TV. I have installed liquid metal pins on my DYMR70SB and it went from a cannon to a howitzer. For fingerpicking it is a perfect fit. Might project a little too much with heavy pick use, but they are staying on my guitar for my style of playing. In addition to the booming effect, the liquid metal pins allow each string to ring true and long.
Thank you. Enjoyed. I liked Ebony and then Tusq. Love my Alvarez Lefty Parlor and Baritone
Ebony, then Tusq for myself. One of my guitars, Oregon Breedlove, has an ebony string though bridge and I've wondered if it isn't better to skip the pins all together. Sure makes restringing easier. It's sitka on myrtlewood and is completely different in voice than my Alvarez cedar on acacia. Love them both.
I have the same guitar & I love the string through bridge design & the myrtlewood tone is truly wonderful, now if I could just replace the thin neck with a more substantial v or modified v, it would be the perfect guitar.
@@jertexjertex7880 my Breedlove is the concertina model, so the neck seems to be perfectly suited to it, while my Alvarez is a OM and comfortable as well. That myrtlewood has really become fabulous over the 4 years that I've owned it.
Nice comparison guys.
I have a dark mahogany guitar, has a nice deep low end tone, was thinking of going for brass pins then it'll brighten up top end but hopefully keep the deep tone as well.
Thanks for the comparison. I do wish you also demo'd rosewood pins. Seeing those online and I'm curious
I like wood pins in my wood guitars.
I have a CF that I’ve got Brass pins in.
But it’s a parlor for all intents and the purposes. And it adds volume.
I used to use them in my old 5013 with 10-50 gauge strings years ago. It was every bit as loud as wood pins with 12-53’s.
In listening to the comparo. I liked the ebony best.
Wonderful video. Love your acoustics.
I love watching, and listening, to you two play at the beginning of the videos. Oh, and I enjoy those, too!
We love hearing that!
I've tried several materials looking for the right one.
Of course it depends on more than one factor, but I like how the rosewood and ebony pins works great in combination with bone saddle and nut.
But in the other hand, I've tried ebony saddle and nut as well, if I want a darker sound.
But in matter of tastes there's nothing written.
Thanks for sharing this video!
two different guitars played by two different players and hands, in different ways (obviously!). FANTASTIC COMPARISON guys... excellent
Came back a day later and listened to the video again. My perceptions stayed the same. MIssing, though, is Bison/Buffalo horn and fossilized ivory. You can get fossilized ivory in either walrus or mammoth varieties. Would also like to hear comparisons between bone, tusq, and fossilized ivory saddles.
Ok I’m going to say right off that I wear hearing aids. The differences in all of the pins were very subtle to my old ears. I’m not sure I could pick out any one better than the other but I think the bone was my favorite. They seemed cleaner to me. Saying that though the ebony look the best. I just purchased one of your Alvarez MG75ce models. I would like to see you compare the cedar top with your other models. I really like the warm sound, but my ears have trouble with the highs anyway. Thanks for doing these videos.
Thanks for your suggestion @daviddickmeyer5231! We appreciate your kind words ❤️
Tusq for me. thanks for another great video.
Wow I didn't think the difference would be that audible! Another great video 🔥
Glad you liked it!
My wife patiently listed to me describe your guitar videos. THAT is an accomplishment!
I've been experimenting with pins for about 40 years, and, of course have heard a lot of argument. Apart from appearance, I have never found a convincing difference between them. Now it may just be I have tin ears (or plastic?), but here are a couple of thoughts. It's generally agreed that lighter bridges convey sound better than heavier ones, meaning that the guitar is more responsive. What is not agreed is how big a difference in bridge weight or density leads to a discernible difference in responsiveness. However, changing out pins won't change the overall wei ghtof the bridge by much (the weight difference between pins is a small percentage of the total bridge weight). Also the sound is being transferred via the saddle, further reducing the impact of bridge material and pin material. Finally. there are several pinless bridge designs on high end guitars which seem to work just fine. That said, the saddle material makes a massive difference. If you get hold of a bunch of saddles (say all bone) and drop them onto a hard surface (I use a granite countertop) they all sound different. Since this is the point at which the sound is transferred to the top, that's where the smart money is. However, as I said in response to a different post, what really counts is if YOU prefer one to another. You'll be happier with the sound and you'll play better because of it.
Hi, great test about materials, but slotted vs unslotted ? thank you
I had several guitars and always used bone or tusq nut and saddle and Martin or Elixir strings. For all mahagony guitars used rosewood or for the second one with blackwood bridge ebony pins, for spruce-rosewood guitar with rosewood bridge I used rosewood pins and interesting for spruce top - pau ferro back and sides guitar with rosewood and the second one with laurel bridge obtained for both best sound with some brass pins.
This is my personal experience with the bridge pins. Greatings.
love the comparisons and tests with different materials! the only thing i would ask for is that you play some lead lines or some scales so we can hear the sounds on different frets positions on the fingerboard. keep it up guys. i bought 3 of your guitars in the last year
Great suggestion, @markmacalik9693! We'll pass that on, thanks for watching. ❤️
Ebony, then tusq, then bone. Really noticed a drop off in volume with the plastic.
Great content! Appreciate the time and effort put into this presentation!
I liked the Tusq and Ebony the most. Perhaps because I'm used to that sound ( my Furch Yellow Master's Choice Gc-CR has ebony and my others have Tusq. Well definitely Tusq nut and saddle actually need to double check the pins.
But in any case those were my preferences for this comparison.
I would definitely love to see a demonstration of those types of material for the nut and saddle.
While my Furch has Ebony pins, the nut and saddle on my guitars are all Nubone/ Tusq.
Great idea, thank you for sharing!
Have been messing with my Martin 000 28 EC ,Taylor 810 , and Gibson Maestro and have done bone and wood pins in all. The guitars sound best to me with ebony,,,, too bright with bone... one guitar worked on was an Alvares MF 610..... My original PLASTIC MARTIN PINS WORKED BEST IN IT. SOUNDED AMAZING WITH those pins and Daddario white coated strings..
Slotting the pin hole makes all sound better, the pin string fully rests on the bridge.
Pins do make a difference good to have several sets to try out, most are in the range of the price of strings. $10 to $40 all make a difference, each guitar and ear is different. play around and make your guitar better, takes a while but is fun......................
Thanks for great thoughts @BigBirdFliesAgain 👍
Those Alvarez guitars sound amazing!!’ Gotta get one now. Thanks guys! Lol
Hey guys....informative video, but what would really indicate true differences between pins would be some type of audio analyzing software.....the human ear can only discern so much....
You could always paint the heads of the brass pins. Those mahogany models remind me of the old Cris Craft speed boats.
I think i prefer the ebony ones, but it's not too easy to determine the differences between some of them! Does somebody know which is the size of the pins for the Alvarez guitars? I'm thinking about buying an AGE95CESHB and I don't know if the Planet waves PWPS1 could fit OOB or if they'd need some additional work to make them fit. Thank you for the videos !! they're really helpful
Great episode, I made 6 individual antler saddles and bought bone pins for my 1989 Washburn Stephen Davies Lexington extended cutaway 6 string and it woke it up. Was fun as well
Sounds great @paulechols!
@AlvarezGuitarsOfficial nothing sounds like my Yairi DYM60HDE though!!!!
Awesome video!
Thank you for the demonstration. Just curious, are all these bridge pins unmodified (for example, beveling the bottom of the pin for better seating of the ball end of the string)? Also, are these slotted or unslotted bridge pins? The guitars sound great!
Great video!
FYM66HD, absolutely my dream guitar! Great video!
Holy buckets! The difference between the liquid metal and brass pins was nuts! The liquid metal had a very full sound! I am a big fan of ebony, but would try Tusq if they offered unslotted pins.
I checked Tusq like you, couldn't find any unslotted, you can of course just turn them around but not the same!
@@sununtaschnittker6469 After watching this I bought a set of oversized bone pins for my 37 D-28 to try as my new replacement for my original ebony pins that were way to loose. For my guitar the ebony pins sound the best. It has great mids and highs, and the ebony pins give the ol’ girl a perfectly balanced tone. There was a noticeable loss in the low end and a little boost of the highs. If I had a J-200 or something that doesn’t have the mids/highs I wanted, I would go with the bone or the Tusq. I am sure the difference is negligible when using a slotted pin that’s rotated 90 degrees, but I didn’t want to try it on this particular guitar because I wasn’t really looking to change the tone. I pretty well knew I would go with ebony because it has been such an amazing guitar. I have compared it to D-35’s, 41’s, tons of D-18’s and other 28’s and it’s the best sounding acoustic guitar I have ever heard. I played a 1938 D-18 that sounded pretty close but it didn’t sound as clean.
@@sununtaschnittker6469Just asking, why wouldn’t it be the same to turn a slotted pin around string would be against a solid wall not being a little loose in the slotted pin especially strings 1,2,3,4, strings would be pressed tight when you turn the slotted pin around. Thanks
I have been using pallet wood bridge pins in my D28. I haven’t tried any comparison but they seems to have a good sound. Much better than plastic.
Ebony is best for my ears fwiw…might just have to invest in some! Those Martin Liquid Metals shone out too.
Bone and Ebony sound the most natural to me. The brass/Liquid Metal /TUSQ sound brighter in that order.
Hello thanks for your video, i prefer the sound of brass, but it's possible to have the reference or the brand of it ?
Do you think it's possible to install on the Taylor gs mini ?
Thank you 😊
I put brass pins in my Alvarez Baritone and notices a difference in tone with them.
The Baritone was less muddy and more bright with the Brass pins.
In my Sitka/Rosewood guitars, I like the tone that Bone pins give.
Great comparison! I have found that If I make absolutely sure that the ball end of the string makes really firm contact with the underside of the bridge plate, the pin material makes less difference. Most factory guitar pins need a little fitting (especially the big strings E,A, sometimes D?) before they stop binding on the sides of the strings. That said, I use Tusq pins for simplicity and consistency. The plastic ones can be fitted properly, (and they sound better when they are) but I feel like they are a bit dead. This demo really brings this out.
Some great thought here @RAkers-tu1ey . Thanks for sharings 👍
When restringing, I use a used set of ball ends and slip them on the string before passing them thru the hole. When the string pulls up to the bridge plate, the whole flat side of the ball end touches up against the bridge plate, not the half round of the single ball end. Makes great contact.
Wouldn't it also be a good idea to put a new saddle in the bridge ? It adds to tone also. Nut, too.
@@firebald2915 Sure, a good bridge and nut fit can't hurt. I have found that the nut makes more difference to playability and stable tuning than tone, but I don't do much electric work, so I can't really speak to sustain.
Another informative and entertaining video. I wonder if in this video you had played all the pins without telling us which was which could we have distinguished the difference. Then in a follow up with the same video labeling each to tell us which was which. Not sure I could have heard enough difference between the $30 set and the $170 set to make it worthwhile. I do think I heard a distinct difference with the cheap plastic pins that I did not like.
Great idea 😎👍
Thanks 👍
Thank you guys...now I have learn much from your movie..... love bone sound but Ebony sonds good too !🤞🤞🤞💝💝💝
Thanks for watching @MisioNalle!
#1 Martin liquid metal #2 Brass #3 Tusque #4 Ebony #5 Bone #6 Plastic
What about the multi colored metal picks that match Daddario string colors. I personally like the tusk black as inexpensive and sound great. Love what y’all are doing. Educating people on how to buy and maintain your instrument. Ho about one on cleaning and polishing . Warm washcloth then polish or. Cleaner wax then polish. Maintaining the finish
Great idea! We will pass that on. 👍
Do another video with saddles pleeasee!
Ebony for me guys , great video's always !
Tone test timestamps:
14:36 - Brass
14:43 - Tusq
14:50 - Martin Liquid Metal
14:58 - Bone
15:05 - Plastic
15:13 - Ebony
Strumming timestamps:
15:21 - Brass
15:28 - Tusq
15:34 - Martin Liquid Metal
15:40 - Bone
15:47 - Plastic
15:53 - Ebony
Love this, thank you!
What size and taper bridge pins for a modern Yairi? In my case, a DYM60HD which came with ebony unslotted pins but I don't have a good way to measure them.
Liquid metal pins sounded the most metallic and brash, others had subtle differences although I'm now curious to try brass on some strings. I do feel I can get greater differences at low cost and time by trying plectrums/picks of different materials and shapes, even with how I hold the pick.
Add: Bone and liquid metal sounded similar when strummed. Ebony sounded more ringy than I thought it would and sounded good strummed here. Plastic sounded the most muted but could have its use on some guitars or on a particularly shrill string.
With my tinnitus riddled ears, it's difficult for me to tell much difference, although I could discern some. I'm curious as to how these different bridge pins would compare to a pin-less bridge like what Breedlove uses. It does make string changes easier and mine sounds good (cedar top, koa back and sides.) Even if this is something you can't test, I'd be interested in your thoughts. Thanks.
Some very interesting idea @kipmarchetti6123, thanks for sharing!
Sometimes things like this seem goofy to me. All this fuss over a minor guitar part ends in a 2% difference in sound (maybe) while tweaking any of the dozens of knobs most of us have on our rigs provides a 0.01% to 99.9% difference in sound.
What about the argument I heard from a luthier, that grooved pins lead to the ball sitting 1/2 on the bridge plate and 1/2 in the groove of the pin - thereby interfering with the transfer of acoustic energy via the plate?
Thanks for doing the work! I enjoyed the comparison. All very similar. To my ears, or my speaker system perhaps, the liquid metal had the same lows and more highs and more sustain. Bone was next. Plastic was the only one that was really distinguishable. I could see the benefit of ebony on a bright guitar. Tusq was almost exactly the same as bone. I suspect I could not tell the difference blindfolded.
Thank you for sharing. 👍
Bone pins from China are something over $10, Waverly fake ivory are $20, cannot see how giving Martin $150 or $200 would be in any way justified, can buy a decent whole new guitar for $200!
Liquid metal by a decent margin. Pick one for any position after that as they are all very close. Followed in last pace by the plastic pins which sound adequate enough to be the stock pins that the guitar comes with. The guitars sound great. I'm really impressed by your guitars and love the channel.
Thank you for watching @kipmarchetti6123!
I watched the entire video and the guitars all sound great no matter what bridge pins are installed. Anyway, I decided to try bone bridge pins in my Taylor GS mini replacing the plastic ones that were in it. I really haven't noticed any difference in sound or sustain. Wondering if I should try some metal ones as I would like to get a bit more sustain but avoid it becoming too tinny sounding.
The brass pins from China cost $3.81 plus tax on Ebay if you are willing to wait a month to get to you, $7.44 plus tax from a US vendor. Seems a cheap way to experiment. I have some already and if they do something in my test guitar might buy more. Wish they made unslotted ones per Chris Alvarado of Driftwood Guitars' advice but you can just turn them around!
What brand and model Ebony pins are they?
I use ebony and tusq and like the texture of both. In my opinion the Liquid Metal sounded a little muddy. I moved away from bone several years ago. Never used plastic or brass. My Dy84’s have tusq in them, my Martin and my DY68 have ebony in them. My Takamine Limiteds don’t require pins as the bridge is a different setup.
Brass pins Without Doubt, looks don't come into it, but sound does, I have them in 2 of my Acoustic's 😊😊😊
My 12 string did a bone saddle and notched the bridge with solid pegs, tryed bone, too brite, ebony was better but i landed on rosewood pegs. I found out how much they do make a differencein tone.
3 of my accoustic guitars take bridge pins . I fitted Ebony, Bone and Brass pins on them ,it altered the tone and improve sustain on all of them. I recommend doing this it's the cheapest way to improve the tone on your guitar. Ebony gives it a mellow woody tone on the bass strings while sounding pleasant on the trebles, Bone sharpens the trebles while having a full pleasing bass , increasing the volume and resonance. Brass makes the trebles sound really sharp and increases the sustain and volume considerably. If you dont like the shine on bell brass pins just paint them black.
We love hearing your thoughts! Thanks for sharing 🙌.
Can you talk about slotted vs. unslotted pins and where you use each? Shouldn't the slot be in the bridge, not the pin?
I have two Alvarez guitars . A DY 45, and a 12 dtring, and along with my Martin D-15 I've always used Rosewood pins. They soun the best and bring out the Mahogany. They are not new and have openened up. Thanks.
Great news! We are happy you're enjoying you Alvarez.
can you make one comparing bridge
saddles as well please?
Ok here is how I hear it liquid metal first put I’m not paying for that small bi of difference
Brass next I can’t feel it but I hear it
Closely Next is Tusq
I already am an Ebony player but I have a guitar or two to try something different.
I’ll go one Brass(as fitting a visual design I can find)
And one Tusk
Great video
Easy to hear
Great sound engineer!
Perfect guitars!
I also appreciate hearing the same model guitar under the same conditions right next to each other
I’ve never heard that before and I’m amazed, even though I knew it was a thing, to hear the difference sounds from two identical guitars.
Kudos to The Maker…
Thank you for your comment @STRAT1974 👍
Does it make a difference if the bridge plate is slotted and modified to used non-slotted bridge pins?
Very nicely done. (Subbed)
Much appreciated!
Can certain bridge pin cause buzzing on a single string?
The liquid metal and ebony for sure!
You can paint the brass pin heads black
I use Tusq bridge pins. They definitely make a difference.
The Liquid Metal pins sound Massive. How? Why? They clearly make the sound crisper, sharper and louder, all-out attack. The Brass seemed muddier and fuzzier in the mid-range in comparison. Ebony seemed to ring really well, and plastic was the least crisp, less loud, less clear, and faded out the soonest. Very noticeable differences between Liquid Metal and Plastic, in terms of sound performance. The others just weren't distinct enough for me to separate them from each other.
To me both the liquid metal and bone had virtually the same sound and sustain length. I'm just wondering though, since I've never used bone pins, do they have a tendency to crack or check over a period of time than any of the others when you consider that you remove and replace strings periodically (for me every couple or three months) to maintain their sound. Of course the pins are routinely taken out to do that ..... whereas the bone on the bridge and/or nut are normally NOT something that is removed in order to accomplish restringing, and so when they crack it's exceptional. Anyone who uses bone pins know the answer to the cracking question? And do you have to take exceptional care when removing them?
I like the sound of the brass pins too but I think I would paint the heads black to match the bridge.
Use a Black Sharpie. Two coats with 15 minutes between coats. Dries fast and you can touch up at any time. First, clean them with rubbing alcohol, then Sharpie away !
I have a dark mahogany acoustic guitar and i think the brass would look great with that, so I'm gonna try em.
Edit: I used a black Pentel marker on the middle of pins and they look fine. There's definitely a brighter louder sound, pretty cool.
Ebony sounds the best for sure. Big, full sound.
Are you guys compressing the signal at all on this? It sounds a bit compressed and I’m just curious if these guitars are naturally like that, or if you are doing in post?