The fact you placed the. Guitar in same location and strummed same 12 fret and even reused the same strings shows a honest review before and after. Very concise and vivid video.
Great vid! Very informative. There are a lot of gimmick items out there for guitars (and most other everyday items). Use them with caution!!! However, I am a sucker to try things, and I believe the "String Butler" is a helpful piece of kit for my SG. Rock On, good sir!!!
Thank you very much for the super thanks . . every penny helps to keep the channel open and making new content. 😊😊😃😃 Yes, I've put the 'string butler' on my acoustic guitar (the one in this video) and it's really made a difference to the tuning process.
Sounds like your description of the problem is spot on . Because of the very low break angle over the bridge the strings have no downward pressure on the bridge therefore transferring little vibration to the bridge and the soundboard.. Break angle and pressure on to the guitar top is critical for soundboard response. Great video as always.
Bingo! That's why the bridge pins plant the strings, securely, in and against the bridge, in the 1st place. Sound transference. It's almost like an acoustic guitar bridge is designed "correctly" in the 1st place and didn't need any improving.
Most reviews I watch are heavily edited, fast talking, and over produced. I actually nearly rolled my eyes when I started watching this. But it is a fantastic and genuine review. By the end I was thinking to myself that you are someone I would love to learn from. I have subscribed and look forward to watching some more of your vids. Thanks!
Well done demo. I'd never heard of these Power Pins before, and would usually have very skeptical expectations of such a device anyway, but I was curious to see/hear how you'd approach it. I almost immediately suspected the string break angle at the saddle as being the culprit, but you discovered it quickly yourself. These guitars really rely on the energy of the string being 'transmitted' through the saddle and the soundboard for the volume and tone of the guitar to work as it was initially designed. I'd like to add that I don't particularly care for anything, especially a piezo strip, being inserted into the bridge slot under the saddle. I much prefer the sound which is produced by the piezo disc systems which attach directly to the bridge plate, (usually with CA glue) such as the K&K Mini system, or even my own handbuilt sets which use the small 12mm piezo discs. I won't take the time here to go into the specific reasons why I consider those systems to be far superior to both the acoustic and amplified tone... But I wanted to compliment you on your choice of music passage for this test, as I liked it personally, it having a sort of 'renaissance' feel, and also it being a good choice to show off the specific voicings of the chords as you arpeggiate through the individual strings. Anyway, good job overall! I know this is an older video for you, but I'll be paying more attention to your offerings henceforth! :) Cheers!
@@NKBobcat no... The saddle was fine with the design of the guitar... as he demonstrated. It had very good string balance. This is a crap product that "might" work IF you happen to have a very high saddle. I have a Guild and a Wechter and neither have high bridge saddles that these pins would work on. Whoever designed these made a fatal design flaw.
I recently set up my Levin acoustic which resulted in needing a lowering of the saddle. That was when I discovered this “break angle” issue; not only important for acoustic performance but also for my under-saddle pickup. The simple answer was to lower the bridge by sanding it down with a block. This enabled me to recover a good break angle. An interesting way of roughly checking the bridge height (I read and tried successfully) was to lay a straight edge on the higher frets and check its relationship the top of the bridge (not the saddle). This gives a good starting point for lowering the saddle. I also cut small angled slots for the strings, between the saddle and the pin holes to further improve the break angle. This eliminated some slight buzzing I was getting relating the this small break angle issue.
And not only did it change the angle. Because this device used screws to hold the little pieces that hold the strings you loose the sound vibrations because of the screws. I think they will have to do more testing and perfecting of this device. But my thought is the more complicated you try to make things, that doesn't necessarily mean it's better. The guitar is a simple device in its basic form. Why change it if it isn't broken. Sales gimmicks, "hey look it's better!"
The good news is that your guitar playing inspired me to explore the John Renbourn catalog more deeply. I always forget to explore him more. Thanks for reminding me. At least your playing sounds good.
Hello, I would recommend using a mod called "Mitchel's Platemate". It's a simple design to protect the bridge plate. I installed this mod on my Martin D28 6 string and 12 string guitars. I was amazed at the increase in volume, tone and sustain on both instruments. It's not a permanent mod but I will never remove them.
Great Review GCH: paging Acoustic Guitar Magazine: How much advertising revenue did you recieve from 'Powerpins' before you awarded them "Top Gear Award Winner 2018" ... enquiring minds want to know!
@@guitar-academy Science is combative by design, flack is directly proportional to target accuracy, and it's difficult to get someone to understand something when their income is dependant on them not understanding it ;)
I've used them with none of the issues you report. But I have good break angles on all strings. My guitar was noticeably more resonant and the body vibrated more. Only a little but noticeable. I appreciate where the cost come from, having to do low volume machining of small parts is pricey. My guitar' sounds has definitely improved, but I'm thinking from what you have said that it may vary greatly from guitar to guitar due to the number of variables. I'm keeping mine.
This is great and has probably saved quite a few people money and time (including me!), I have an old Fenix acoustic with the quirky ‘feature’ that the G string rings out louder than the other strings, spoiling the balance, I could do with fitting one power pin to balance it out!
If they're only secured from the inside what's to stop them from getting pulled to the side from the tension of the strings? If they make a 3.0 I would like to see something on top that keeps the pins straight.
I totaly agree with you it's a fondamental physic reason about the final tension of the srting, i purchased the power pin for my acoustasonic tele MIA to prevent a string broking problem with the electronic inside .When changing the strings, I've tryed the PP on my J45 and arrived the same conclusions,
Thank you . . It's great to hear your experiences and conclusions. 😊😀 I've put them on another guitar with a high saddle and they speed up string changes but don't effect the sound, so I found them usfull in the end.
I'm curious about your tuning: some strings seem to be on the edge of being tuned slightly too high or too low. Do you use different tuning for the type of music you're playing?
No the tuning is standard concert A A D G B E. I think the audio got distorted slightly by the video compression (perhaps when it was changing frame rate) 🤔
biggest problem with the power difference is the lack of break angle with the powerpins. Not to mention all the extra garbage that gets added to the saddle.
I've made this upgrade to a MIM Fender Player Acoustasonic Tele and a Martin DC-28E (2015) yesterday. The video was invaluable because the experience across both guitars was significantly different and required a different approach from each. The best advice I can give is to read the directions and go slow * recognize that there are is a mark under the plastic part of each pin. There two BBs, two MMs, and two TTs * as you are adding each pin, ensure they are aligned with your sting path by: # for acoustic guitars, install your two E's (TT & BB) PowerPins and tighten loosely but snug - bring each string up to 1 octave below normal tuning - align each pin to the string path and tighten to spec (now you have a reference point to align and tighten to spec the remaining pins without installing additional strings) - install the remaining Power Pins, align and tighten to spec - string up & tune up # for guitars with a back access (thinline, acoustasonic etc), you can install and hand tighten all the pins first but enough to make adjustments, then - string up and wind each string to 1 octave below normal and align each pin to the sting path - tighten up to spec and finish tuning to normal pitch
I enjoyed the power pins! And i believe they would save the interior bridge plate! Abbas suzy hangarounnd had this wonderful sustain. A sort.of crabby reedy old hinge antiquityness that the power.pins seem to give. I just wonder if these would work on a twelve string acoustic? I agree with you, the power pins seem to starve the trebble strimgs. However the overall loudness seemed fuller and more reedy. If i run accross these i might just take a chance on them! But of course they probably dont come for twelve strings. At any rate an intriguing postulate! Thank you for.your trouble. Fastenatimg!😅
Thanks for your feedback . . I have never seen them for 12 string guitar (so far). I've put them on a different guitar which likes them a lot more than the guitar I used in the tests and they are still on it after several years. 😊😀
To be fair, I think those people who mention they experience better sound tone may have a different bridge design and slightly high actions compared to your guitar. To fully take advantage of the "Power pin", the luthier need to redesign the bridge to sit the pin like the groove for guitar strings found at the nut. Power pin developer need to redesign the pin so that it has an inclining instead of an acute angle between the arm and screw. I think this Power pin concept is a great idea. It reinforce the bridge and really make string changing a lot more easier.
I think it would be a great solution if you were building an "acoustasonic" type guitar. The steel plate would be a great way to ground your strings and pickup to avoid hum.
Without the Power Pins the guitar has a clearer tone on each of the 6 strings and an overall sweeter tone, I believe this is because the strings are in direct contact with the wood through the bridge holes and as you say seated at a lower position making better contact with the saddle. With the Power Pins the sound has to travel through the metal down the bolt and into the wood not so much of a problem for the thicker strings with a heavier more powerful vibration but a major reason why the G, B and top E sting sound so tinny they just do not have the power to vibrate through the metal. Another problem I see that would affect my playing style is that I rest my hand on the bridge, chop, mute and sometimes aggressivelt strum and fear I would move/knock the Power Pins out of alignment and instantly detune or even unstring the guitar while playing as they look like they may rotate during play and if so would flip under tension into the next pin causing a catastrophic domino effect. There would also be a regular tightening check as bolts work loose under vibration. I will never purchase these for any of my guitars regardless of the price, thank you for the heads up.
Really appreciate your going to all this trouble. My prediction was: jack-off item and I was right (first time all year). First, the break angle is inadequate. Second, you lose the solid contact between the ball end and the underside of the bridge. Whew! I saved the price of these things and can quell my obsession with shiny new objects. Thanks again.
Have p.pins fitted for a year now. No change in sound quality or strength but tuning stability has improved. I have a low action but the angle between the pins and saddle is greater than in this video. I find them to be very good. The only (subjective) thing I've noticed is that the body of the guitar vibrates more. And that should improve I thought.
Yes, I've put them on another guitar since this video and they do the job. They haven't changed the sound but they have made restrings a lot quicker . . 😊
What if you sanded the bridge behind the saddle which would lower the pins. If done carefully it could possibly be a gradual slope and then you keep the low action… Another option would be modifying the pins either by sanding the bottoms or somehow changing where the string comes out to a lower position but looks like there’s very little room to do this. Thank you for the detailed videos you do.
The pins have very little metal making it nearly impossible to make any changes to them and I honestly wouldn't modify a good guitar just to put these pins on. But I have them on another guitar that has a higher bridge and they don't have any noticeable impact on the sound but they do make it easier to change strings. 😊
Plug in pins and string though saddles have been here for a hundred years. There's no magic accessories that will make your guitar sound any better. Only good strings a good setup and a solid top . I seen a pro guys play a 150 quid guitar and if it's setup right sounds great . Like this channel he gets a clarry and makes it play and sound good fit a budget guitar.
Interesting and well put across, good to know it's useful for lifting bridge, a string angle behind saddle is needed for pressure on piezo, but I'm like yourself in so much as my guitars are low action too, so no use .. this vid is essential to watch before committing to buy the item = pro's & con"s
I am so happy l watched this because me to like a Lowe action And l picked up that to how there was no good angle over the bridge Thumbs up from Australia 👍🇦🇺👍👑
@@guitar-academy Yes it has been very useful I have even watch the one where you install a pre amp and you changed out the microphone for a Sony that video helped me to install mine 👍🇦🇺
I've done videos where I've tested metal and bone and like yourself I've had varying success. The only metal I personally like is brass, but beware as many of the supposed brass pins are just brass coloured. The bone pins work very well. But with both the brass and the bone it depends what you're replacing. If you replace plastic parts it should make a noticeable difference, but if you take out bone or ceramic parts the difference will be slight or none existent. The material the saddle is made of is far more important, and well worth experimenting with . . 😊😊
As I was watching and you were setting these up, the FIRST THING that came to mind was that bridge issue! I have actually cut a small slot behind the bridge to compensate for this problem. Like you, I play with a low action, and not having the bridge saddle high enough, it will cause the higher strings to not set down on the saddle properly. With that power pin setup, that will not work either. Interesting.
Prob is not all bridges are the same . Some are thicker some are thinner ovation and other makers use string through bridge. Only way on some acoustics if you use these is to have a higher bridge saddle to create the break point angle but that's creating higher string height .
A really valid comparison. I'm not convinced that the powerpins would save a lifting bridge. At best, it might stop the bridge actually coming away (at least for a while) but a lifting bridge is caused by torque and top distortion, not by string tension primarily. The bridge pins approach is not really much better than the old idea of putting a couple of nuts and bolts through the bridge (step forward Gibson and Eko). It will help with reducing wear on a bridge plate, though, but you don't need the pins, just the bit of metal (Platemate) as another commentator has mentioned. Or may be make same from a bit of meccano - nice to hear a shout for them after all these years. Also, what a faff to fit. Nice guitars, but the way - what are they?
Thanks for your feedback, but sorry I disagree with you opinion. Obviously I didn't like and wouldn't recommend the Powerpins, but to state they will not fix a lifting bridge is just wrong (better, they would not fix ALL lifting bridges). Not all lifting bridges are caused by wood distortion, I've seen many that are due to the glue breaking down because of age, damp or heat. I actually gave a set of Powerpins to a student who had this problem and it fixed the issue very well and so far they have lasted over 2 years. To say a bridge is lifted by torque and not tension is just stupid . . when it comes to the bridge on a guitar torque cannot exist without tension.
Yup, it was immediately obvious that gizmo had reduced the sting's break angle at the saddle, when if anything you'd typically want to increase it by cutting a slightly angled notch at/in each peg hole like 1/4 of the way towards the saddle. Its a very significant aspect of any & all acoustic's tone/sustain/resonance/projection etc. & its a rather simple DIY mod that can even be crucial in many circumstances IMO.
It's funny I got a lemon guitar the worse I have come across so far. Tonight I just finished tweaking everything & I like a lower action too. My break angle is about like yours. I read countless nonsense on how you want a steep break angle which makes no sense as it puts unneeded pressure on the bridge. I sanded my saddle down as far as I could but the saddle slot is 0.012 oversized so it flops back & forth I shimmed it with some paper plugged in & my high e & b was barely audible. Took the paper out from the side it came back. The way these acoustics are designed you need the regular pins with a bit of break angle. Just goes to show not all new products are good ones.
@@guitar-academy You're welcome. I agree. Always someone out there trying to come up with a new way to make money. Thanks for sharing your experience so others know not to buy.
I'd be scared the string would snap out of place as string tension could make the power pin turn. Moreover, I'd recommend unslotted pins. Why not just put a brass plate with holes drilled out for the strings underneath the bridge plate?
Because the bottom of the Powerpins are flat this is really unlikely to happen, I fitted them loosely so they didn't mark the guitar and they didn't turn. Resonation plates and unslotted pins are all out there, they're in different reviews.
Yes exactly . . the string is resting on the saddle, but only just, and I wouldn't recommend them for this reason. But, if you have a high saddle on your guitar you'll be OK because the strings will still get good contact with the saddle.
15-20 years ago you could buy Carrico EZ Pins and I have them on both of my acoustics. They string just like a regular pin but are brass and the strings feeds through a hole on the saddle side just above the wood on the bridge. So they maintain the string angle. These were great if your bridge was starting to get eaten away by the strings causing a deep groove. Apparently not enough players understood the ingenuity/value and they stopped making them. They were fairly inexpensive also... Around $25.
Ovation acoustic-electric bridges use a top-loading system, but Ovation also fine-tunes its piezo mechanism and the bridge saddle to achieve a balanced output across the strings under that setup. They also STILL manage to have more of a break angle than these awful things, by actually going through the back of the bridge’s wood base.
Yes it's nice the drilled bridge they use on Ovations, they got the idea from classical guitars which have been using that system for over 200 years. where did you see that they have a 'piezo mechanism' to balance the output, I have repaired 10's of Ovations and I've never come across this ?
@@guitar-academy Well, on my Ovation the saddle is a separate piece that clips together with the pickup. The bottom of the saddle looks like a series of six flat teeth in a row. But if you look closely, those teeth have different lengths. (The low strings get slightly shorter teeth.) That way, each one has separate direct contact with the piezo, and the different sizes compensate for the high strings needing a bit more help with vibration transfer.
Good test. AND also a good illustration of the importance of breakangle which I haven't seen/heard anywhere else. Thank you. I wouldn't dismiss the Power pins totally though. On another guitar with a higher breakangle, they might work but only by facilitating string shift, I don't believe in any tone improvement. They could also fix a bridge cracked along the holes and a guitar with the underside of the bridge, chewed up,
Yes, that sounds logical, but on most guitars this isn't where the strings ware. On most guitars the strings either start to rust or show ware over the frets and where you strum the guitar, but if you've had trouble with strings braking at the saddle, these should help. 😊😊
I've not heard of these, but glad to see them put to the test. I can see why they didn't work. As far as repairing a bridge, i replaced a cracked bridge on a friend's guitar many years ago. He was going to throw it in the trash! I offered to fix it. I had NO experience as a luthier, i just was patient & methodical, measuring everything. In the end, the action was MUCH better, and my friend couldn't believe how much better it played and sounded! Of course i didn't charge him anything. I was glad to have done it. It even looked like it was original, like it came with the guitar.
"The emperor has no clothes on...!" Thank you for chasing the facts and not just assuming. I´m into guitar playing, as well as photography, and over the years I have seen a lot of useless things presented as indispensable.
I have the original power pins and they started on my Martin, moved to my Cort, finally found a home on my wife's old pre lawsuit guitar. I wanted to like them and changing strings is easier but I didn't like the sound as you showed.
The angle that the string comes off the saddle into the hole making more of the string contact more of the saddle is the end all be all of how good the tone can get from pins. These reduce that angle... slotted bridge holes with unslotted pins or backwards pins gives you the sharpest angle and the best tone.
Yes this is true. If you really wanted these to work, you could shape grooves around the pin holes so they sit lower on the bridge, but I would never do this for the sake of these.
I have a set without the bottom bar. First I had them installed on a Gregg Bennett guitar but they didn't work with the angle of the bridge, so they came off. Later I got a martin OMC28E that had loose bridge pins, so I put them on there and they are staying ;-) Stringchange is easier, yes, but more importantly they are more firmly in place, and no tonal tradeoffs to my ear.
Very good review especially as I was looking at these to repair my bridge. Yes it's all about that break angle and my action is set very low so this would not be a good action. I may try Acoustic Bridge Bolts, Package of 4 from stewmac as an option to repair. Thanks again.
Break angle of the strings over the saddle matters. Reducing the break angle can reduce the volume because it reduces downward pressure i.e. pressure on the top. The power pins break angle seems to be reduced slightly. This concept is contrary to the unslotted bridge pin concept where you actually increase the break angle across the saddle by cutting a slight notch in the pin holes. imho
Yes the break angle is important but only between certain tolerances. I'll be making a video soon explaining the science, but basically the brake angle shouldn't be to great because this also hinders the sound, especially on a guitar with a piezo pickup. I don't like unslotted bridge pins and I would never recommend them to anyone.
I could see from the start that the break-angle was not right. Also, the Power Pins suspend the string above the bridgeplate, so there is obviously going to be a drop in gain/resonance, as the strings are not clamped through the bridgplate/soundboard (top) as they are with traditional pins. . If one wishes to increase the resonance of an acoustic guitar, using bronze or brass bridge pins is a good way to accomplish this. I use bronze bridge pins on all my acoustics and they certainly improve resonance and look pretty cool too. In the UK they cost around a tenner a set and although far more expensive than plastic pins, the extra cost is justified. . Though slightly off-topic, the resonance of a guitar is essentially down to how well the strings are emplaced and the neck-to-body interface. Although on an acoustic guitar, it is essentially the soundboard that creates that resonance, the neck interface is still crucial. One reason why you hardly ever see screw-on necks on acoustics (apart from Eko's and the likes). Now on electric guitars, the resonance is generated more by the string emplacement and neck interface and the electronics augment that. This is why fitted necks tend to impart better resonance than screw-fitted necks. Though it has to be said that this difference is subtle, because it is the pickups/electronics that primarilly create the voice of the guitar. . I always test electrics first, by playing them unplugged, often with my chin resting on the upper horn, if present. I listen for the resonance of the guitar without the colouration of the pickups. If it 'rings' well, I'm usually confident that it will sound good when amplified. . For me, screw-fitted necks are often lacking in resonance. This became evident when I purchased my used Fender Stratocaster Deluxe. Great sounding pickups, but poor body/neck resonance (with new strings). On closer inspection, I had noted that some cracking and delamination of the finish was occurring around the neck pocket. Then I noticed how loose the neck screws were, being such that the neck was moving within the heel-pocket, so much so that it affected string placement and obviously tuning and was the primary cause of the cracking/delamination. . Measuring at the nut, I noted that the neck was able to move laterally by around 3-4 mm ! Not good. I attempted to tighten the neck screws and then realised that they all had stripped threads within the wood. I removed the neck, dowled the screw holes of the neck heel and re-drilled the holes (using smaller gauge bit). I then reftted the neck *without* using the neck plate and drilled two more screw holes through the body heel and into the neck itself, either side of the truss-cap and equidistant between the original four screws. These extra holes were then countersunk to accept larger - high-tensile stainless 'Stannah screws' (used to screw stairlifts to granite steps...), which would be hidden behind the neck plate once fitted. The difference in resonance was immediately apparent, even before I plugged it in. This simple fix can be undertaken by anyone confident in woodwork/luthiery, using two flat-head, countersunk wood-srews. I'd recommend using brass screws for this. The extra strength of the neck/body interface makes all the difference. Not only in resonance, but durability of the instrument, especially in live scenarios. . To my knowledge only one guitar company appears to use more than four neck-screws on some of their instruments - Musicman.
>> so there is obviously going to be a drop in gain/resonance, as the strings are not clamped through the bridgplate/soundboard (top) as they are with traditional pins. any solid connection that transmits vibrations well is good enough. a steel allen screw definitely qualifies. >> using bronze or brass bridge pins is a good way to accomplish this cause they're more solid than plastic, wood, or bone pins - a more solid connection that transmits vibrations better. looks like the big plus for this tailpiece design is faster re-strings, and it looks cool. tone wise the effect should be similar to brass pins, perhaps less pronounced. you have the steel allen connection, but only string tension and side contact along the groove at the top end.
I went back to an earlier video you've posted using that same guitar and not only have those pins altered the power (in a negative way) but it's also changed the timbre (negatively, once again). Most of these "new and brilliant" inventions are trash, or they'd be the norm. Of course, there are always innovations that prove to be worthwhile and those end up as part of the manufacturer's standard methodology. Usually. :-)
What a good review, thank you. I have always hated re-stringing my acoustic guitars due to the pins and thought the power pins were a great idea until I saw this. I wonder if raising the saddle at the higher string end might work although that would make re-stringing fiddly each time. Thanks again for such a detailed video.
You lost all your break angle on the treble strings with those things. If the bridge were raised, I suspect you'd get back a lot of your sound. Not sure I'd have a use for these unless I was restringing a lot.
@@JoeKyser No, no, no . . . There's method in my madness you put UA-cam on autoplay and fall asleep, it will go through all my videos and I'll get ad revenue . . yey . .
Nice video!! "Revolutionary development" is marketing-speak for "we're ignoring hundreds of years of actual experience AND the laws of physics to try to convince you to give us money for our solution for a problem that doesn't exist!"
I would be more concern the string presure with these "pins" is not pulling the bridge straight across the top of the guitar. The standard pin setup causes this tension to also push the bridge down on the guitar. I would never use this product.
Yes, I can see why you'd have that concern and if you don't need them I wouldn't recommend them. But I've put them on another guitar and they've been on for a couple of years without damage. 😊
I agree. The standard pins did have better string to string balance but I also thought that power pins gave a brighter, crisper tone. Could they be a good option for a dead sounding guitar that you want to brighten up a bit? BTW, How much is the kit?
Luthiers take on it : Just looking at it I knew it wouldn't work well .. 1. It adds weight to the top at the precise place were the vibrations are first being transmitted to the bridge and then the sound board ... just like the brass bridge pin gimmick does. 2. It will severely change the break angle if you have your guitar reamed and slotted for unslotted pins... this will decrease volume and change characteristics of the tone .. And it did exactly what I knew it would do . All this while Al's creating all kinds of things to snag your palm on while simultaneously making the guitar look bad ... Gimmicks are just that .. Gimmicks to get your money... The acoustic guitar has evolved over the years and improved greatly upon design.. anything that will add to it more will take effect only within the building... not externally mounting ... except for changing of electronics..
I would suggest an O-Port flange in the sound hole and you’ll increase volume and tone 20-25%. It’s an amazing device, $20-$30, and I have them in all three of my acoustics. In fact, I would NOT have an acoustic without an O-PORT in it!
these are useless. I want MORE break angle, not less. These things are snake oil. Thanks for doing this. Your demonstration makes it clearly visible that they're all wrong for acoustic guitars. Excellent public service announcement! 🐰💜🎸🎶🤝✌
//... they're all wrong for acoustic guitars. // is the appropriate sentence, well said. Because, it occurred to me, that these string anchors, would be more useful on an electric guitar design, as a fancy alternative to the traditional top-loaded string achors, especially on an electric 12 string.
The fact you placed the. Guitar in same location and strummed same 12 fret and even reused the same strings shows a honest review before and after. Very concise and vivid video.
Thank you very much 😊
Great vid! Very informative. There are a lot of gimmick items out there for guitars (and most other everyday items). Use them with caution!!! However, I am a sucker to try things, and I believe the "String Butler" is a helpful piece of kit for my SG. Rock On, good sir!!!
Thank you very much for the super thanks . . every penny helps to keep the channel open and making new content. 😊😊😃😃 Yes, I've put the 'string butler' on my acoustic guitar (the one in this video) and it's really made a difference to the tuning process.
Sounds like your description of the problem is spot on . Because of the very low break angle over the bridge the strings have no downward pressure on the bridge therefore transferring little vibration to the bridge and the soundboard.. Break angle and pressure on to the guitar top is critical for soundboard response. Great video as always.
Thank you . . 😊😊
Bingo! That's why the bridge pins plant the strings, securely, in and against the bridge, in the 1st place. Sound transference. It's almost like an acoustic guitar bridge is designed "correctly" in the 1st place and didn't need any improving.
Most reviews I watch are heavily edited, fast talking, and over produced. I actually nearly rolled my eyes when I started watching this. But it is a fantastic and genuine review. By the end I was thinking to myself that you are someone I would love to learn from. I have subscribed and look forward to watching some more of your vids. Thanks!
wow . . thank you very much
Well done demo. I'd never heard of these Power Pins before, and would usually have very skeptical expectations of such a device anyway, but I was curious to see/hear how you'd approach it. I almost immediately suspected the string break angle at the saddle as being the culprit, but you discovered it quickly yourself. These guitars really rely on the energy of the string being 'transmitted' through the saddle and the soundboard for the volume and tone of the guitar to work as it was initially designed.
I'd like to add that I don't particularly care for anything, especially a piezo strip, being inserted into the bridge slot under the saddle. I much prefer the sound which is produced by the piezo disc systems which attach directly to the bridge plate, (usually with CA glue) such as the K&K Mini system, or even my own handbuilt sets which use the small 12mm piezo discs. I won't take the time here to go into the specific reasons why I consider those systems to be far superior to both the acoustic and amplified tone...
But I wanted to compliment you on your choice of music passage for this test, as I liked it personally, it having a sort of 'renaissance' feel, and also it being a good choice to show off the specific voicings of the chords as you arpeggiate through the individual strings.
Anyway, good job overall! I know this is an older video for you, but I'll be paying more attention to your offerings henceforth! :) Cheers!
Thank you very much for your comment, it's very informative and interesting and thank you again for your thoughts on the tune. 😊😀
The break angle is wrong, that’s why the trebles have died.
The saddle was too low.
@@NKBobcat no... The saddle was fine with the design of the guitar... as he demonstrated. It had very good string balance. This is a crap product that "might" work IF you happen to have a very high saddle. I have a Guild and a Wechter and neither have high bridge saddles that these pins would work on. Whoever designed these made a fatal design flaw.
@@bloozedaddyinstalling these require the same set up as ovation guitars (angled shim under the saddle) 👍
I recently set up my Levin acoustic which resulted in needing a lowering of the saddle. That was when I discovered this “break angle” issue; not only important for acoustic performance but also for my under-saddle pickup.
The simple answer was to lower the bridge by sanding it down with a block. This enabled me to recover a good break angle.
An interesting way of roughly checking the bridge height (I read and tried successfully) was to lay a straight edge on the higher frets and check its relationship the top of the bridge (not the saddle). This gives a good starting point for lowering the saddle.
I also cut small angled slots for the strings, between the saddle and the pin holes to further improve the break angle. This eliminated some slight buzzing I was getting relating the this small break angle issue.
And not only did it change the angle. Because this device used screws to hold the little pieces that hold the strings you loose the sound vibrations because of the screws. I think they will have to do more testing and perfecting of this device. But my thought is the more complicated you try to make things, that doesn't necessarily mean it's better. The guitar is a simple device in its basic form. Why change it if it isn't broken. Sales gimmicks, "hey look it's better!"
Thank You for an Honest Review! Well Done!
Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊😊
Pro tip: watch series on KaldroStream. I've been using them for watching lots of of movies these days.
@Dakari Colin Definitely, I have been watching on kaldrostream for since november myself :)
@Dakari Colin Yup, I have been watching on kaldrostream for months myself =)
@Dakari Colin Definitely, been using kaldrostream for years myself :)
The good news is that your guitar playing inspired me to explore the John Renbourn catalog more deeply. I always forget to explore him more. Thanks for reminding me. At least your playing sounds good.
thank you . . 😊
You made a good job of that investigation and in presenting it. Consider that you’ve made a real contribution to players. Thanks.
Thank you very much 😊😀
Hello, I would recommend using a mod called "Mitchel's Platemate". It's a simple design to protect the bridge plate. I installed this mod on my Martin D28 6 string and 12 string guitars. I was amazed at the increase in volume, tone and sustain on both instruments. It's not a permanent mod but I will never remove them.
I've used these to prevent damage on antique guitars 100-200 years old but I made them myself from brass. 🤔
12:43 sir have you uploaded this lesson and can you please tell me the name of the piece,
Sorry I haven't done the tutorial yet, but it's on my list of videos to do, and I haven't named the tune yet . . 😊
@@guitar-academy please upload it on sad fantasy channel i would love to hear it again! :)
Definitely better without the power pins. In fact much better. Great video and very useful information. Thank you 👍
Thank you for watching! 😊😃
As I first watched this review I thought that the break angle would cause the guitar to lose power. Your demo confirmed that for me as well.
Well spotted . . 😊😀
Hey great video! Was wondering what brand and model that guitar is.. looks really nice and i like it!! Keep up the great work!! Thanks!!
Thank you very much . . the guitar is a Washburn comfort G25SCE is really nice. 😊😃
Great Review GCH: paging Acoustic Guitar Magazine: How much advertising revenue did you recieve from 'Powerpins' before you awarded them "Top Gear Award Winner 2018" ... enquiring minds want to know!
So many reviews dodgy . . but it's amazing the stick I get for being honest . . 🤔
@@guitar-academy Science is combative by design, flack is directly proportional to target accuracy, and it's difficult to get someone to understand something when their income is dependant on them not understanding it ;)
I've used them with none of the issues you report. But I have good break angles on all strings. My guitar was noticeably more resonant and the body vibrated more. Only a little but noticeable. I appreciate where the cost come from, having to do low volume machining of small parts is pricey. My guitar' sounds has definitely improved, but I'm thinking from what you have said that it may vary greatly from guitar to guitar due to the number of variables. I'm keeping mine.
I've still got these on a different guitar because they make string changes quicker, but no change to the sound. 🤔
I found them at StewMac, but they are "no longer available" !!! I wonder why that is !!!? Thanks for the review.
interesting . .
This is great and has probably saved quite a few people money and time (including me!), I have an old Fenix acoustic with the quirky ‘feature’ that the G string rings out louder than the other strings, spoiling the balance, I could do with fitting one power pin to balance it out!
oh, I've had a similar problem in the past with a bottom E string. Soooo annoying . . 😊
If they're only secured from the inside what's to stop them from getting pulled to the side from the tension of the strings? If they make a 3.0 I would like to see something on top that keeps the pins straight.
good suggestion . .
I totaly agree with you it's a fondamental physic reason about the final tension of the srting, i purchased the power pin for my acoustasonic tele MIA to prevent a string broking problem with the electronic inside .When changing the strings, I've tryed the PP on my J45 and arrived the same conclusions,
Thank you . . It's great to hear your experiences and conclusions. 😊😀
I've put them on another guitar with a high saddle and they speed up string changes but don't effect the sound, so I found them usfull in the end.
I have a Breedlove and thats one of the things I really like about it.
Yes, for some reason only a few guitar companies have adopted the through the bridge system (Ovation, some Yamahas etc.) 😊
I think the weight of the metal plate and the screws do not allow the bridge to resonate to it's former amplitude.
Good thought and point . . 😊
Ebony is the bomb for pins, bridge and fretboard for me.
Thanks so much for this demo.
I would agree with you on that . . it's a great material. 😊😃
I have some bone bridge pins and they don't fit all the way into the guitar, should I use sandpaper to reduce their width?
Try changing the order first, because of slight variations in the holes and the pins, and then sand down the ones that don't fit 😊
@@guitar-academy Thank you.
Cheers Mate! Thank you for sharing another fantastic and honest review.
No problem 👍 thank you very much . . 😊
I'm curious about your tuning: some strings seem to be on the edge of being tuned slightly too high or too low. Do you use different tuning for the type of music you're playing?
No the tuning is standard concert A A D G B E. I think the audio got distorted slightly by the video compression (perhaps when it was changing frame rate) 🤔
biggest problem with the power difference is the lack of break angle with the powerpins. Not to mention all the extra garbage that gets added to the saddle.
I agree . . but I guess it has it's uses for some 😊😃
I've made this upgrade to a MIM Fender Player Acoustasonic Tele and a Martin DC-28E (2015) yesterday. The video was invaluable because the experience across both guitars was significantly different and required a different approach from each.
The best advice I can give is to read the directions and go slow
* recognize that there are is a mark under the plastic part of each pin. There two BBs, two MMs, and two TTs
* as you are adding each pin, ensure they are aligned with your sting path by:
# for acoustic guitars, install your two E's (TT & BB) PowerPins and tighten loosely but snug
- bring each string up to 1 octave below normal tuning
- align each pin to the string path and tighten to spec (now you have a reference point to align and tighten to spec the remaining pins without installing additional strings)
- install the remaining Power Pins, align and tighten to spec
- string up & tune up
# for guitars with a back access (thinline, acoustasonic etc), you can install and hand tighten all the pins first but enough to make adjustments, then
- string up and wind each string to 1 octave below normal and align each pin to the sting path
- tighten up to spec and finish tuning to normal pitch
Good tips . . thanks 😊
I enjoyed the power pins! And i believe they would save the interior bridge plate! Abbas suzy hangarounnd had this wonderful sustain. A sort.of crabby reedy old hinge antiquityness that the power.pins seem to give. I just wonder if these would work on a twelve string acoustic? I agree with you, the power pins seem to starve the trebble strimgs. However the overall loudness seemed fuller and more reedy. If i run accross these i might just take a chance on them! But of course they probably dont come for twelve strings. At any rate an intriguing postulate! Thank you for.your trouble. Fastenatimg!😅
Thanks for your feedback . . I have never seen them for 12 string guitar (so far). I've put them on a different guitar which likes them a lot more than the guitar I used in the tests and they are still on it after several years. 😊😀
I got the first ones they came out with and the addition of the plate is pretty clever
Agreed, a great idea 😊
To be fair, I think those people who mention they experience better sound tone may have a different bridge design and slightly high actions compared to your guitar.
To fully take advantage of the "Power pin", the luthier need to redesign the bridge to sit the pin like the groove for guitar strings found at the nut. Power pin developer need to redesign the pin so that it has an inclining instead of an acute angle between the arm and screw.
I think this Power pin concept is a great idea. It reinforce the bridge and really make string changing a lot more easier.
Very good point. Just make sure you take the "break angle" into consideration. Not too sharp, not too shallow....
Thank you for the review! Very good information.
Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊😀
Very interning indeed..thanks for this great experiment...but makes total sense that you would lose volume...
Thank you 😊😀
I think it would be a great solution if you were building an "acoustasonic" type guitar. The steel plate would be a great way to ground your strings and pickup to avoid hum.
good point 😊
But you must put ground wire to it
Acousticonic does not hum
Without the Power Pins the guitar has a clearer tone on each of the 6 strings and an overall sweeter tone, I believe this is because the strings are in direct contact with the wood through the bridge holes and as you say seated at a lower position making better contact with the saddle. With the Power Pins the sound has to travel through the metal down the bolt and into the wood not so much of a problem for the thicker strings with a heavier more powerful vibration but a major reason why the G, B and top E sting sound so tinny they just do not have the power to vibrate through the metal.
Another problem I see that would affect my playing style is that I rest my hand on the bridge, chop, mute and sometimes aggressivelt strum and fear I would move/knock the Power Pins out of alignment and instantly detune or even unstring the guitar while playing as they look like they may rotate during play and if so would flip under tension into the next pin causing a catastrophic domino effect. There would also be a regular tightening check as bolts work loose under vibration.
I will never purchase these for any of my guitars regardless of the price, thank you for the heads up.
Yes . . all good points . . thanks for your comment . . 😊👍
Really appreciate your going to all this trouble. My prediction was: jack-off item and I was right (first time all year). First, the break angle is inadequate. Second, you lose the solid contact between the ball end and the underside of the bridge. Whew! I saved the price of these things and can quell my obsession with shiny new objects. Thanks again.
LOL . . an 'obsession with shiny new objects' I know the feeling 😊😂
Have p.pins fitted for a year now. No change in sound quality or strength but tuning stability has improved. I have a low action but the angle between the pins and saddle is greater than in this video. I find them to be very good. The only (subjective) thing I've noticed is that the body of the guitar vibrates more. And that should improve I thought.
Could you have raised the saddle a bit?
Yes I could but that would higher the action and I don't want to do that. 😒
I suppose with a sufficiently angled bridge they might work properly....
Yes, I've put them on another guitar since this video and they do the job. They haven't changed the sound but they have made restrings a lot quicker . . 😊
I love idea of string anchored with pegs. Makes it more one with body vibrations.
Yes, I agree . . . 😃
What if you sanded the bridge behind the saddle which would lower the pins.
If done carefully it could possibly be a gradual slope and then you keep the low action…
Another option would be modifying the pins either by sanding the bottoms or somehow changing where the string comes out to a lower position but looks like there’s very little room to do this.
Thank you for the detailed videos you do.
The pins have very little metal making it nearly impossible to make any changes to them and I honestly wouldn't modify a good guitar just to put these pins on. But I have them on another guitar that has a higher bridge and they don't have any noticeable impact on the sound but they do make it easier to change strings. 😊
I experienced all of the same and removed them, but kept them for unique scenarios which they may work.
Yes, I've done the same. 😊
They seem a little like a solution in search of a problem.
I wish I'd thought of that . . great description . . 😊
Plug in pins and string though saddles have been here for a hundred years. There's no magic accessories that will make your guitar sound any better. Only good strings a good setup and a solid top . I seen a pro guys play a 150 quid guitar and if it's setup right sounds great . Like this channel he gets a clarry and makes it play and sound good fit a budget guitar.
@@David-uq2uk agreed . . these cost nearly as much as a Glarry guitar as well . .
Interesting and well put across, good to know it's useful for lifting bridge, a string angle behind saddle is needed for pressure on piezo, but I'm like yourself in so much as my guitars are low action too, so no use .. this vid is essential to watch before committing to buy the item = pro's & con"s
Thank you for your feedback. It's really good to know you found the video useful 😊😀
I am so happy l watched this because me to like a Lowe action
And l picked up that to how there was no good angle over the bridge
Thumbs up from Australia 👍🇦🇺👍👑
I'm really glad it was useful to you all the way over there . . 😊
@@guitar-academy
Yes it has been very useful
I have even watch the one where you install a pre amp and you changed out the microphone for a Sony that video helped me to install mine 👍🇦🇺
@@123elvislives wow, that's great 😊
Have you tried using metal bridge pins I have and could not see a big difference either way.
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I've done videos where I've tested metal and bone and like yourself I've had varying success. The only metal I personally like is brass, but beware as many of the supposed brass pins are just brass coloured. The bone pins work very well. But with both the brass and the bone it depends what you're replacing. If you replace plastic parts it should make a noticeable difference, but if you take out bone or ceramic parts the difference will be slight or none existent. The material the saddle is made of is far more important, and well worth experimenting with . . 😊😊
As I was watching and you were setting these up, the FIRST THING that came to mind was that bridge issue! I have actually cut a small slot behind the bridge to compensate for this problem. Like you, I play with a low action, and not having the bridge saddle high enough, it will cause the higher strings to not set down on the saddle properly. With that power pin setup, that will not work either. Interesting.
I saw the angle problem right off and thought that would be a problem! Redesign to duplicate the angle would probably work better!
Prob is not all bridges are the same . Some are thicker some are thinner ovation and other makers use string through bridge. Only way on some acoustics if you use these is to have a higher bridge saddle to create the break point angle but that's creating higher string height .
Thanks for the review. Just change the pins to tusk or brass. Probably less expensive also. Thanks again.
Yes, that makes sense . . 😊
Great review, learned something today about break angle and save some money! What song are you playing in the demo? I like that too.
Would raising the saddle help?
Yes it would, but then you'd have high action . .
Defeating the object of decent action . Ok for slide guitar.understanding that 1 mm on the bridge saddle increases to 2 mm string height at 12th fret
A really valid comparison. I'm not convinced that the powerpins would save a lifting bridge. At best, it might stop the bridge actually coming away (at least for a while) but a lifting bridge is caused by torque and top distortion, not by string tension primarily. The bridge pins approach is not really much better than the old idea of putting a couple of nuts and bolts through the bridge (step forward Gibson and Eko). It will help with reducing wear on a bridge plate, though, but you don't need the pins, just the bit of metal (Platemate) as another commentator has mentioned. Or may be make same from a bit of meccano - nice to hear a shout for them after all these years. Also, what a faff to fit. Nice guitars, but the way - what are they?
Thanks for your feedback, but sorry I disagree with you opinion. Obviously I didn't like and wouldn't recommend the Powerpins, but to state they will not fix a lifting bridge is just wrong (better, they would not fix ALL lifting bridges). Not all lifting bridges are caused by wood distortion, I've seen many that are due to the glue breaking down because of age, damp or heat.
I actually gave a set of Powerpins to a student who had this problem and it fixed the issue very well and so far they have lasted over 2 years. To say a bridge is lifted by torque and not tension is just stupid . . when it comes to the bridge on a guitar torque cannot exist without tension.
Thank you for this review, you just saved me some money.
Glad I could help! thank you 😊
Yup, it was immediately obvious that gizmo had reduced the sting's break angle at the saddle, when if anything you'd typically want to increase it by cutting a slightly angled notch at/in each peg hole like 1/4 of the way towards the saddle. Its a very significant aspect of any & all acoustic's tone/sustain/resonance/projection etc. & its a rather simple DIY mod that can even be crucial in many circumstances IMO.
Thank you......... I was going to buy a set................you save me some time and money...........stay frosty
Glad to help 😊
It's funny I got a lemon guitar the worse I have come across so far. Tonight I just finished tweaking everything & I like a lower action too. My break angle is about like yours. I read countless nonsense on how you want a steep break angle which makes no sense as it puts unneeded pressure on the bridge. I sanded my saddle down as far as I could but the saddle slot is 0.012 oversized so it flops back & forth I shimmed it with some paper plugged in & my high e & b was barely audible. Took the paper out from the side it came back. The way these acoustics are designed you need the regular pins with a bit of break angle. Just goes to show not all new products are good ones.
Thanks for commenting . . I agree totally, I think sometimes new products come along just to make someone some money. 😊😃
@@guitar-academy You're welcome. I agree. Always someone out there trying to come up with a new way to make money. Thanks for sharing your experience so others know not to buy.
@@TheCleaner6969 Thanks again for watching or I would be wasting my time 😊
I'd be scared the string would snap out of place as string tension could make the power pin turn. Moreover, I'd recommend unslotted pins. Why not just put a brass plate with holes drilled out for the strings underneath the bridge plate?
Because the bottom of the Powerpins are flat this is really unlikely to happen, I fitted them loosely so they didn't mark the guitar and they didn't turn. Resonation plates and unslotted pins are all out there, they're in different reviews.
i thought we need the string to rest on the saddle piece ! That saddle has reason why it shaped like that.. for intonation accuracy of course!
Yes exactly . . the string is resting on the saddle, but only just, and I wouldn't recommend them for this reason. But, if you have a high saddle on your guitar you'll be OK because the strings will still get good contact with the saddle.
15-20 years ago you could buy Carrico EZ Pins and I have them on both of my acoustics. They string just like a regular pin but are brass and the strings feeds through a hole on the saddle side just above the wood on the bridge. So they maintain the string angle. These were great if your bridge was starting to get eaten away by the strings causing a deep groove. Apparently not enough players understood the ingenuity/value and they stopped making them. They were fairly inexpensive also... Around $25.
Ovation acoustic-electric bridges use a top-loading system, but Ovation also fine-tunes its piezo mechanism and the bridge saddle to achieve a balanced output across the strings under that setup. They also STILL manage to have more of a break angle than these awful things, by actually going through the back of the bridge’s wood base.
Yes it's nice the drilled bridge they use on Ovations, they got the idea from classical guitars which have been using that system for over 200 years. where did you see that they have a 'piezo mechanism' to balance the output, I have repaired 10's of Ovations and I've never come across this ?
@@guitar-academy Well, on my Ovation the saddle is a separate piece that clips together with the pickup. The bottom of the saddle looks like a series of six flat teeth in a row. But if you look closely, those teeth have different lengths. (The low strings get slightly shorter teeth.) That way, each one has separate direct contact with the piezo, and the different sizes compensate for the high strings needing a bit more help with vibration transfer.
@@erickleefeld4883 Ah that's standard but I would say it's a mechanism to balance output. That would be something like 'Graph Tech Ghost pickups'.
Good test. AND also a good illustration of the importance of breakangle which I haven't seen/heard anywhere else. Thank you.
I wouldn't dismiss the Power pins totally though. On another guitar with a higher breakangle, they might work but only by facilitating string shift, I don't believe in any tone improvement.
They could also fix a bridge cracked along the holes and a guitar with the underside of the bridge, chewed up,
Great points! thank you 😊
I would guess that to the alignments, or lack of seating bend, the strings should have a longer life but less torque for tone.
Yes, that sounds logical, but on most guitars this isn't where the strings ware. On most guitars the strings either start to rust or show ware over the frets and where you strum the guitar, but if you've had trouble with strings braking at the saddle, these should help. 😊😊
I've not heard of these, but glad to see them put to the test.
I can see why they didn't work.
As far as repairing a bridge, i replaced a cracked bridge on a friend's guitar many years ago. He was going to throw it in the trash! I offered to fix it.
I had NO experience as a luthier, i just was patient & methodical, measuring everything.
In the end, the action was MUCH better, and my friend couldn't believe how much better it played and sounded!
Of course i didn't charge him anything. I was glad to have done it.
It even looked like it was original, like it came with the guitar.
Well Done break angle is accurate now just by looking .sound as the first .
good info thank you!! very good review! also useful if you have a bad or damaged bridge plate it may help
That's true 😊
That sound hole cover is gorgeous.🤘
thanks . . here's how it was made ua-cam.com/video/e_EShc-DbBs/v-deo.html
"The emperor has no clothes on...!" Thank you for chasing the facts and not just assuming. I´m into guitar playing, as well as photography, and over the years I have seen a lot of useless things presented as indispensable.
Thank you . . . Yes I agree. If we bought everything sold to me as indispensable my house would be full 🤔
I have the original power pins and they started on my Martin, moved to my Cort, finally found a home on my wife's old pre lawsuit guitar. I wanted to like them and changing strings is easier but I didn't like the sound as you showed.
The speed of string changes is a definite bonus . .
Did you try a new saddle?? Or was that out of the question.
Why would I ? to replace a properly fitted and setup saddle with a higher one would make the action too high.
great review total honesty very rare , well said
I appreciate that! thank you 😊😃
The angle that the string comes off the saddle into the hole making more of the string contact more of the saddle is the end all be all of how good the tone can get from pins. These reduce that angle... slotted bridge holes with unslotted pins or backwards pins gives you the sharpest angle and the best tone.
Yes this is true. If you really wanted these to work, you could shape grooves around the pin holes so they sit lower on the bridge, but I would never do this for the sake of these.
I have a set without the bottom bar. First I had them installed on a Gregg Bennett guitar but they didn't work with the angle of the bridge, so they came off. Later I got a martin OMC28E that had loose bridge pins, so I put them on there and they are staying ;-) Stringchange is easier, yes, but more importantly they are more firmly in place, and no tonal tradeoffs to my ear.
It sounds like you found the perfect circumstances to use them . . 😊😊
Very good review especially as I was looking at these to repair my bridge. Yes it's all about that break angle and my action is set very low so this would not be a good action. I may try Acoustic Bridge Bolts, Package of 4 from stewmac as an option to repair. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching and I'm glad it was useful ! All the best getting your guitar back up and running 😊😃
Thanks for the demo and explanation. Appreciate that.
Thank you for watching and commenting . . 😊
Thanks, it was something worth looking into. Now I know.
Thank you 😊😃
Crazy stuff mate...don't break a Nail Ha !
ROCK ON FREAKS
😊
Break angle of the strings over the saddle matters. Reducing the break angle can reduce the volume because it reduces downward pressure i.e. pressure on the top. The power pins break angle seems to be reduced slightly. This concept is contrary to the unslotted bridge pin concept where you actually increase the break angle across the saddle by cutting a slight notch in the pin holes. imho
Yes the break angle is important but only between certain tolerances. I'll be making a video soon explaining the science, but basically the brake angle shouldn't be to great because this also hinders the sound, especially on a guitar with a piezo pickup. I don't like unslotted bridge pins and I would never recommend them to anyone.
Interesting, could someone please tell me the name of the tune played. ?? 😉
I could see from the start that the break-angle was not right. Also, the Power Pins suspend the string above the bridgeplate, so there is obviously going to be a drop in gain/resonance, as the strings are not clamped through the bridgplate/soundboard (top) as they are with traditional pins.
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If one wishes to increase the resonance of an acoustic guitar, using bronze or brass bridge pins is a good way to accomplish this. I use bronze bridge pins on all my acoustics and they certainly improve resonance and look pretty cool too. In the UK they cost around a tenner a set and although far more expensive than plastic pins, the extra cost is justified.
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Though slightly off-topic, the resonance of a guitar is essentially down to how well the strings are emplaced and the neck-to-body interface. Although on an acoustic guitar, it is essentially the soundboard that creates that resonance, the neck interface is still crucial. One reason why you hardly ever see screw-on necks on acoustics (apart from Eko's and the likes). Now on electric guitars, the resonance is generated more by the string emplacement and neck interface and the electronics augment that. This is why fitted necks tend to impart better resonance than screw-fitted necks. Though it has to be said that this difference is subtle, because it is the pickups/electronics that primarilly create the voice of the guitar.
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I always test electrics first, by playing them unplugged, often with my chin resting on the upper horn, if present. I listen for the resonance of the guitar without the colouration of the pickups. If it 'rings' well, I'm usually confident that it will sound good when amplified.
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For me, screw-fitted necks are often lacking in resonance. This became evident when I purchased my used Fender Stratocaster Deluxe. Great sounding pickups, but poor body/neck resonance (with new strings). On closer inspection, I had noted that some cracking and delamination of the finish was occurring around the neck pocket. Then I noticed how loose the neck screws were, being such that the neck was moving within the heel-pocket, so much so that it affected string placement and obviously tuning and was the primary cause of the cracking/delamination.
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Measuring at the nut, I noted that the neck was able to move laterally by around 3-4 mm ! Not good. I attempted to tighten the neck screws and then realised that they all had stripped threads within the wood. I removed the neck, dowled the screw holes of the neck heel and re-drilled the holes (using smaller gauge bit). I then reftted the neck *without* using the neck plate and drilled two more screw holes through the body heel and into the neck itself, either side of the truss-cap and equidistant between the original four screws. These extra holes were then countersunk to accept larger - high-tensile stainless 'Stannah screws' (used to screw stairlifts to granite steps...), which would be hidden behind the neck plate once fitted. The difference in resonance was immediately apparent, even before I plugged it in. This simple fix can be undertaken by anyone confident in woodwork/luthiery, using two flat-head, countersunk wood-srews. I'd recommend using brass screws for this. The extra strength of the neck/body interface makes all the difference. Not only in resonance, but durability of the instrument, especially in live scenarios.
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To my knowledge only one guitar company appears to use more than four neck-screws on some of their instruments - Musicman.
>> so there is obviously going to be a drop in gain/resonance, as the strings are not clamped through the bridgplate/soundboard (top) as they are with traditional pins.
any solid connection that transmits vibrations well is good enough. a steel allen screw definitely qualifies.
>> using bronze or brass bridge pins is a good way to accomplish this
cause they're more solid than plastic, wood, or bone pins - a more solid connection that transmits vibrations better.
looks like the big plus for this tailpiece design is faster re-strings, and it looks cool. tone wise the effect should be similar to brass pins, perhaps less pronounced. you have the steel allen connection, but only string tension and side contact along the groove at the top end.
very fair, thorough, and informative, great job
Much appreciated! thank you 😊
I went back to an earlier video you've posted using that same guitar and not only have those pins altered the power (in a negative way) but it's also changed the timbre (negatively, once again). Most of these "new and brilliant" inventions are trash, or they'd be the norm. Of course, there are always innovations that prove to be worthwhile and those end up as part of the manufacturer's standard methodology. Usually. :-)
Agreed . . I think these are a fail in most cases.
What a good review, thank you. I have always hated re-stringing my acoustic guitars due to the pins and thought the power pins were a great idea until I saw this. I wonder if raising the saddle at the higher string end might work although that would make re-stringing fiddly each time. Thanks again for such a detailed video.
Thank you . . glad I could help! Yes raising the saddle would help but it would make the action of the guitar wrong . . 😊
Try the Tonebar it's very inexpensive and actually works.
A Tonebar is something used to play slide guitar and lapsteel guitar.
You lost all your break angle on the treble strings with those things. If the bridge were raised, I suspect you'd get back a lot of your sound. Not sure I'd have a use for these unless I was restringing a lot.
I felt like falling asleep listening to this. Don't get too excited now. Lol
don't worry I wont . . 😂🤣😂
I raised the speed on the settings and I stayed awake.
@@carlosdlc1664 whewwww great idea.
@@guitar-academy im sorry I couldn't help it
@@JoeKyser No, no, no . . . There's method in my madness you put UA-cam on autoplay and fall asleep, it will go through all my videos and I'll get ad revenue . . yey . .
Nice video!! "Revolutionary development" is marketing-speak for "we're ignoring hundreds of years of actual experience AND the laws of physics to try to convince you to give us money for our solution for a problem that doesn't exist!"
Thank you for that . . I never thought about it that way before but you're absolutely right 😊😀
Interesting concept, but the break angle over the saddles is wrong, especially with the plain strings.
I would be more concern the string presure with these "pins" is not pulling the bridge straight across the top of the guitar. The standard pin setup causes this tension to also push the bridge down on the guitar. I would never use this product.
Yes, I can see why you'd have that concern and if you don't need them I wouldn't recommend them. But I've put them on another guitar and they've been on for a couple of years without damage. 😊
The strings have very little break angle going over the saddle, so they don't work well. Break angle is important.
Yes, very true 😊😃
I thought the power pins guitar sounded brighter than the one without. PS - That is a lovely song you were playing during the comparison. What is it?
I agree. The standard pins did have better string to string balance but I also thought that power pins gave a brighter, crisper tone. Could they be a good option for a dead sounding guitar that you want to brighten up a bit? BTW, How much is the kit?
Luthiers take on it :
Just looking at it I knew it wouldn't work well .. 1. It adds weight to the top at the precise place were the vibrations are first being transmitted to the bridge and then the sound board ... just like the brass bridge pin gimmick does.
2. It will severely change the break angle if you have your guitar reamed and slotted for unslotted pins... this will decrease volume and change characteristics of the tone ..
And it did exactly what I knew it would do . All this while Al's creating all kinds of things to snag your palm on while simultaneously making the guitar look bad ...
Gimmicks are just that .. Gimmicks to get your money... The acoustic guitar has evolved over the years and improved greatly upon design.. anything that will add to it more will take effect only within the building... not externally mounting ... except for changing of electronics..
very good take on it . . thanks 😊
Thanks for saving me money and effort.
Happy to help . . thank you 😊
Excellently done. Bravo.
thank you
It does sound like you lose some of the resonance with the power pins.
agreed . . 😊
I would suggest an O-Port flange in the sound hole and you’ll increase volume and tone 20-25%. It’s an amazing device, $20-$30, and I have them in all three of my acoustics. In fact, I would NOT have an acoustic without an O-PORT in it!
Ahh . . I'll have to show some tests for people . . 🤔
old rokit 5 monitors here... my opinion ,waste of money . last part of video they almost sounded compressed . Love what you are doing ,Thank you
Thank you very much . . I agree with you . . 😊
You just saved me a lot of money! Thanks
Glad I could help! thank you 😊
Yep 50 notes that can be spent on a set of ebony or bone pins . And your get change back.
these are useless. I want MORE break angle, not less. These things are snake oil. Thanks for doing this. Your demonstration makes it clearly visible that they're all wrong for acoustic guitars.
Excellent public service announcement! 🐰💜🎸🎶🤝✌
LOL . . I think I should get some money from the government or UN for doing public service announcements . . 😂🤣😂
@@guitar-academy Agreed! 😄
//... they're all wrong for acoustic guitars. // is the appropriate sentence, well said. Because, it occurred to me, that these string anchors, would be more useful on an electric guitar design, as a fancy alternative to the traditional top-loaded string achors, especially on an electric 12 string.
Thank you, saved some money from me too!
@@AndyDion thank you . . 😊
that's good to know!
thanks 😊
You had a camera in there and didn't use that to see?
It would have been a good trick to stick my head in with the camera . .
@@guitar-academy Thought it was a g ooseneck. av cables don't connect to a TV? Maybe if you work on guitars alot....