Do Acoustic Bridge Pins REALLY Change TONE?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 13 сер 2021
- In this video, we'll look at whether wood, brass, or bone replacement bridge pins make a noticeable difference in the tone of a high end acoustic guitar. I was replacing the strings on my 1956 Martin D-21 and wanted to upgrade the non-original plastic bridge pins to something better, so we'll compare the tone of the guitar with rosewood, brass, and finally bone pins, first by strumming with a pick, and then by fingerpicking. Leave a comment and vote for your favorite.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
1: Donate via Paypal: paypal.me/guitologist?locale....
2: Buy Merch: bit.ly/GuitologistMerch
3: Send in Viewer Mail. (Contact Me for details at bradlinzy@gmail.com )
4: Purchase an ad! (Rate sheets available upon request at email above.)
5: Buy something from a sponsor and tell them I sent you.
6: Stand in the middle of the street naked screaming "LONG LIVE THE GUITOLOGIST!" Then when the cops arrive, tell them about my channel. - Розваги
I closed my eyes and and occasionally opened them to see different words on the screen. If I didn't open them I wouldn't have known anything changed.
I wasn't watching the screen either and they sounded the same 👻🥳🐬☮️
Same for me. Any difference could be just a different performance. So much marketing of guitar products is "The Emperors new clothes" or, "What do you mean you don't hear that subtle difference? I would upgrade to bone or brass pins based on durability.
@@1mdragas very good point I agree. Plastic pins suck in terms of durability.
Yeah it shouldn't really matter. The contact point is the bridge, not the pins, so there should be little energy transfer at the pins.
@@maudiojunky 100% agree. But it's the saddle that the strings contact, not the bridge ;).. Pins are just the anchors.
3:23 rosewood strumming
3:55 brass strumming
4:27 bone strumming
They all sound exactly the same to me.
It is not significant and the tone depends on your guitar pick, where you play on hole, your mood, humidity, and temperature. There are so many other things to be concerned about.
@@Augrills I agree
@@Augrills And me!
@@Augrills same
I got a set of brass pins about 10 yrs ago for an old 70's epiphone acoustic that was never my favorite, but to my surprise they really brought that guitar to life...
I have an Alvarez that benefitted from a set of Brass pins. It rang like a bell the first time I played it after the Brass pins were on it.
Without reading the comments, The rosewood sounds warm, the brass sound bright, and the bone sound full . Bone sounds the best to me.
My words exactly
I agree👍🏼
It would be interesting to see if you had the same response if Brad hadn't labelled the pins but numbered them as he played....
@@halvach1998 That what I was thinking as well.
Ditto! 👍
To my ears, the rosewood sounded the best. The bone was surprisingly muddy, while the brass was WAY too bright . . . I have two guitars with TUSQ pins and one with ebony pins. As an experiment, I replaced the ebony with a set of TUSQ and the difference in tone was very noticeable; and not to the better. My low end was overpowered by the brightness of the high end. I put the ebony pins back on and literally restored the original tone.
I'm a bit embarrased to say I've been doing luthier work for decades but never gave this a second thought. I always attributed the pin material to the fashion sense of my customer but I do hear a difference in this demonstration. See, your never too old to learn something.
Considering my teeth can crush a plastic bridge pin, I'd say bone and brass are going to transmit vibration more than absorb it!
Rosewood #1 ....BRASS #2....Bone #3.....My top three finishes!
@@RideAcrossTheRiverConsidering the string is only vibrating between the nut and the saddle, I’d say that’s a moot point.
@@G_Demolished Is that why you use plastic bridge and saddle, then?
I agree with some of these comments that the bridge and nut will make a much bigger difference in sound. The contribution of the posts is only in securing the string like a screw or nail on wood. Would you argue brass vs. Stainless nails?
For my experience, I'd say it does. Swapped the plastic pins to bone in a Samick with a laminate top. I could feel the top resonating more with bone than plastic, which made it sound way better to my ears.
Great idea for a video, Brad! I also always just assumed the same as you that the harder the better transfer of vibration, but listening back to the comparison clips, I have to admit that I can't tell if the difference I hear is just me making it up in my head or if it's real. So, if pins do indeed make a difference then it must be a rather small one.
Agree! I think the nut and saddle need to be bone NOT plastic - I swapped ALL my steel strings that had plastic to bone years ago and never looked back. The difference WAS dramatic!
through my speakers, the brass pins seemed the most resonant.
i've always gone in for bone saddles (and nuts) on my acoustic, but i guess i never even never considered bone pins..
i've always been suspicious of wood pins for some undefinable reason but they sounded ok too
I dig the user
The rosewood, for my ears, have a more even sound and would be my choice when changing out pins. Second choice would be the bone, third would be the brass. I suspect a lot of viewers would like the brass for those crisp, "silver dollar" ringing highs. This is a great experiment, and proves that all ears are different, and that one mans meat etc. Nice one.
Brass tone pins on a 12 string is incredible. I love rosewood but brass is made for a 12!
All pins aside..... you are one of my favorite players.... Thanks for the happiness you bring Brad....
I'd say, the weigth of the pins matter because its "mass" is coupled to the sound board. At least thats what makes sense to me. Thanks for the video
I wish I could play that good that's some serious picking Brad😎
loved hearing you play some acoustic -as for bridge pins ,i`ve been playing over 40 years and never thought about it until 10 minutes ago
I don't know but that Martin sounded beautiful all the way through. Nice playing!
A very straight forward demo and precise as humanly possible. Tone is quite similar to color in that we all see a different ewe this also exists in tone quality differences. So in controlling the constants pick, strings, microphone/distance amplification settings and the same song selection and style of playing allowed me to experience the tone difference in these guitar pins. Re: Curtis Lee says it best "The rosewood sounds warm, the brass sound bright, and the bone sound full." So 2 thumbs up on your demo I greatly appreciate it Sound quality of guitars for me is a journey in learning the guitar thanks for your time
Great comparison. Just what I needed for my new project acoustic guitar(gift for my neice).
My favorite Simon and Garfunkel tune! Kathy’s song… what a beautiful progression. Well done! I also really like the Rosewood pins.
I swapped my plastic pins out for bone on my D28 shortly after I got it, mainly for durability and to protect the bridge plate from deforming plastic pins. There was definitely a glassier tone to the guitar. I don't know if I preferred it at first, necessarily, but at 12 years old it sounds pretty good to me now.
Well Brad, great study. I haven't thought of that since the early 70s when the bass player of our band told me to always use top of the line pins to get the best sound. To be honest, I never really found a difference but my hearing has always been a little wacked.
I'm a big believer in this. I changed the pins on a Washburn of mine and the difference was amazing. It opened the sound of guitar right up! Louder, better projection and sustain. After that I went to a bone nut and saddle, which was incrementally better, but the ebony pins made the biggest difference.
Another great video Brad! It is almost impossible to pick the best sounding pins. The problem is…..each person’s ears are different. Sure the overall sound is similar with same strings, same guitar to each person. My hearing has tinnitus or ring in the ear so mine is not the same as someone without. I think all things bone! Bone nuts, saddles, pins all give the guitar a certain tone, the kind I like. There is a stark difference between plastic and harder materials, that’s science. I like brass on acoustic-electric guitars. The brass gives a more bitting sound I like. That’s just me. Since nylon strings mounted without pins, it would help them to be brighter. Oh well! Years ago in Missouri, I made some pins out of hickory, I was broke and wanted better pins so I hand made the pins. After several attempts, I made a set that were expectable. They made the guitar sound duller. I was disappointed but learned a good lesson! The harder the better! To me bone rings the best! Love from NW Colorado. Thanxz
Great demo, thanks. I like rosewood best as it sounds clearer, but where you strum makes a big difference too of course.
Brad, I really enjoyed this video. The format, the length, the HBO-esque intro and record outro, were all very enjoyable. Also, your playing is very enjoyable to listen to. You seem like the kind of guy I personally would like to jam with. Keep strong and keep moving forward brother.
I always suspected this. And have used different pegs to compensate for a guitars that were lacking. AND, intentionally used different materials on the same guitar to improve those deficiencies.
}!€
Thanks Brad.
I have an LX-1 Martin which I've thought about trying something other than the stock pins in.
I think I'll just save my money for now 👍🏼
I'm a luthier and have just done this exercise for a customer who had an older custom instrument and was wanting more brightness. I was sceptical myself but I can resoundingly conclude that brass pins and that extra bit of mass does enhance the brightness of the strings. Sustain is marginally better but the tone is audibly richer - just my experience.
Holy %%$# you're a great player! I've watched your channel for years and this video really showed your guitar playing skills in a way I'd not seen before!
Well, a long time ago I switched my plastic pins for brass ones just because someone told they were "so much better". I tried my hardest to hear the improvement, but could not. I mean, I really wanted them to work, but I could not hear it... So I put the old ones back in. And here I am playing the old thing with the pins it came with in -68, and they work just fine. Yellowed and bent like old hippo's theeth, but that's ok...
Dude, that was some nice playing.
I was just kicking back intonating my guitar listening to you jam.
That was really relaxing to hear
When you were using a pick it did seem to sound better with the bone pins,... but it seemed like your playing changed and you were digging in a bit more, so honestly I couldn't make a judgement.
It all sounded pretty damned good to me.
Rosewood: Hot and mellow tone. Brass: High ends, brilliance. Bone seems to be the best way between the two worlds to me.
Bone is my choice because the notes are much more detailed... brass is my 2nd favorite
How can something be hot and mellow? 😆
Y'all like the bone. LOL!
@@DetroitWrecker666 When Bradley was pickin with the bone, the sound was transfered through the bone back into the bridge & was "pickier" like "She talks to Angels" 🐸 👍
@@gearmeister Yeah, I believe it on an acoustic guitar, everything matters. I don't put much thought into ANY sound comparison of ANY kind when coming from UA-cam. Especially with something like an acoustic guitar. It probably sounds a lot different in the room.
My 68 Yamaha fg180 Nippon Gaki has a brass nut and brass pins. My uncle changed them in the late 80s. It sounds killer with a set of Martin Bluegrass strings. I upgraded my Epiphones to bone nut,saddle and pins...always wanted to try rosewood though. 😎🤘🎸🇺🇸
Thank you for the input about Bridge pins definitely think the Rosewood pins pound sounds super. Good information .
B-Radical! Glad to see you’re, well, buddy!
They all sound good. very very close. You have proven to me that ...with a 56 Martin D21 ... you can't go wrong no matter what you're using. Great playing as usual.
Damn your beard grew back quick! Been eating Rocky Mountain oysters?
Brass seem nice and spanky to me.
Thanks for this brad. Didnt know there was a notable difference before.
Would be interesting to hear if one could get a longer scale acoustic to sound like a shorter scale guitar by changing the pins. Or vice versa.
I feel like longer scale sounds more billiant while short gives a warmer tone. Like rosewood vs brass pins
The biggest change I ever noticed is when I chucked the slotted pins for solid, and grooved the slot to allow the string to seat correctly against the bridge plate. Huge difference ! Better projection, sustain and volume. As a bonus, if done right, you can pull out one pin and replace it with another of different material without loosening the strings.
I know when I put a brass block in my stratocaster it made a very noticeable difference in tone. Very interesting how the differences in bridge pins were quite indistinguishable from one another. I always wanted to find out if it would make any difference to change out ,y plastic bridge pins, and now, i don't have to waste my money to find out they really don't. I know the saddle material does make more of a difference between plastic and bone. Thanks Brad - great short video.
The bridge pins that weren't plastic may have sounded a bit brighter but what I found that really makes a BIG difference is changing the nut, saddle & bridge pins to bone as I did recently with a Yamaha acoustic. That changed it from a cheap sounding guitar to one truly worthy of even using a gigable guitar.
Interesting - I've been doing the same thing with a cheap Yamaha acoustic. I replaced the plastic nut and plastic bridge saddle with bone. This was the first time I'd ever fashioned a nut or saddle. The tone and volume change were stunning. I'm now sitting on replacement tuners and ebony (unslotted) bridge pins. I plan to slot the bridge to accommodate the unslotted pins. I expect the new tuners and slotted bridge will incrementally improve the sound, but I doubt anything will be as dramatic as the bone nut and saddle.
@@michaeldavis4969 I've seen that mod you're talking about with unslotted bridge pins, Very Cool.
I like how you play the C hood sir! Similar to the way I like to play it as well. You got great rhythm. Thanks for this video! Nice work!
Oh what beautiful music you make
Nice concise testing! I thought the differences were subtle and similar to what you might experience with different/new strings or even different picks.... Nice job on Kathy's Song btw!
Thanks for this. I'm going to upgrade my PRS Angelus after watching this. I know it won't ever compare to the new D41 but frankly it's just not as fun to play since I got that heirloom Martin early this year and this could really help.Judging from what I heard, anything is an improvement over the stock plastic pins.
I bought a Martin 000-18MC (Martin Carthy) which comes with three rosewood pins on the bass side and three brass ones on the treble. He plays in a sort of C based open tuning -- CGCDGA -- so especially those two top strings (probably really both B gauge strings) can really use the treble boost.
Great playing! Reminds me of my dad playing when I was a kid. Like you, he was a multi-instrumentalist. Drums, Guitar, and Piano....always had an instrument within reach.
I hear almost district differences between the three, what this experiment shows is that pins do have an affect. This might well help us customize an individual guitars sound (ever so slightly)...
What a great video. The guitar playing was great and I enjoyed listening to it very much. I could hear a difference in the sound of the guitar, but at first, I wasn't sure which pins were being used. I'm totally blind and
Brad didn't say during each section of guitar playing which pins were being used. However, I think I have figured out the order. Brad said Rosewood was first, then the second section was brass, and the finger picking was bone. For me, I'd have to go for either the rosewood or bone. The brass was a little bright for me. I've got a d18 with a mahogany back and sides. I'm going to have someone at my local music store put on a set of ebony pins instead of the plastic pins. I'm sure I'll enjoy the new sound of my d18 which already is sounding amazing and is such a joy to play.
They all have a unique tone!! I liked brass the best. I think it won't make a difference if you use piezo, undersaddle, or soundhole pickups though.
Yep have to say definitely hear the difference in tones. Thanks my man 😊
I put brass on a cheap acoustic that was OK, but lacked clarity. It brightened it up nicely and improved the tone.
They all sound great!
Well played 1st up. You must have put a lot work into the video much appreciated. I'm going order a set set of aged bone right now.
Love you opening for your video i.e. I was a big Sopranos fan. Just thought I'd share that I recently worked on a cedar Seagull guitar that sounded absolutely incredible.
I don't know if you ever read the Harmony Central acoustic guitars section some 10 to 15 years ago, but there once was a thread about the influence of bridge pins on sound that later was referred to as The Bridge Pins War 😀
I would have liked to see the cheep plastic pins in the shootout as well to really illustrate the contrast, but cool video. This has been a topic for me recently as one of my pins busted off my Martin, and I had a cheapo pin around to keep the session rolling.
I like the like the brass mid punch. Nice tool to have and can adjust with strum power.
I play 2 guitars with nut/saddle of bone and the saddle pins of steel, and 2nd guitar bone nut/saddle with B and E1st string bone and the rest of steel pins and I changed all the sound so drastically that to this day I'm forever in love with the sound, I also used bone and tusk pins never wood, if you play in open areas street and "campfire" you will get the most of metal because the highs are really strong and make for the loud noises in the background, but if you play indoors may be better idea to get bone or wood, to my prefference metal gives me the sound I want and for me in this demo metal it the nicest round sound In all the strings. Nice vid, thanks!!
Subtle changes happen that you can compensate for. More volume can translate to lighter picking. I noticed brass and rosewood were similar but as soon as it was bone, instantly a flattened mid range. The saddle and nut are the next thing to test but those will have a more drastic effect in my opinion.
Agreed.
@@TheGuitologist If you're gonna pick one type of bridge pin only, what would it be?
Hi Brad, have you ever had your fretting hand wrist hurt from playing? On the thumb side?
Nice demo, thanks. I wonder if anyone has used sampling to analyze frequency response objectively?
A new set of strings each time, think bone is the best arounder. Lovely guitar and great playing mate 👍
The biggest difference is picking position in-between the sound hole and bridge is where you'll notice the difference in tone.
Definitely a difference there. I think the choice would depend on the wood too. I have a mahogany top so probably brass would be the better choice if I wanted to add a bit of brightness to the sound.
Classical guitar strings now have the nubs on ends on some brand strings which makes it a whole lot easier than lacing them as far as the sound I've never really noticed.
I listened with my eyes closed. I noticed no difference at all. (The reason I listen with my eyes closed, goes back to something I read, Herb Alpert said he & the late great Sam Cooke, were listening to a Jamaican singer, audition. Alpert said he was a handsome guy, he thought he sounded good. Cooke was not so impressed. He told Herb to turn his back, close his eyes & listen. Alpert said when he did that, the singer didn't sound as good as thought. I've always done that, since I read that article, maybe 30 yrs ago. Believe it or not the first yrs of American idol, we didn't watch the 1st yr [My late wife LOVED the show, that's why we watched.] I picked the top 3 each of those 4 yrs, we watched, during auditions! She was amazed, but I told her the secret.) Any way my vote is there is no difference. But it seemed to me once the string hits the saddle, that's where the sound is transferred, so the pins shouldn't make a difference. It would be cool to have the sound waves measured, then we'd know "scientifically."
I detected a little bit of Kathy's Song, one of my list of favorites since High School
Billy Corgan, the singer and guitar player of the Smashing Pumpkins has a signature acoustic guitar and one of the aspects he wanted to change on the original prototype was to have brass pins. He explained that it makes the guitar sound brighter.
He also said the paint color effects tone
@@BockwinkleB I know, right?! I remember when he said that, he said something like "I've noticed that guitars with a white finish always sound better". I still can't believe that he said that. Also, when he was on Joe Rogan's podcast, he said that he saw someone shapeshifting right in front of him.
I'm still a fan of his music, though (what he did in the 90's, not what he's doing now). I guess that you need to seperate the artist and his beliefs from his art.
@@BockwinkleB sun/tobacco burst sound warmer. Black and white sound sleek lol. I think a lot of tone stuff like this is just the impression you get looking at it. You never hear any of these minor differences on a recording. It matters to the musician cause it gives us mojo, but I don’t think a listener will ever know or care what bridge pins you got
I’ve had brass pins on my Alvarez 9-string for brightness for years, and only recently discovered how warm it sounds with rosewood pins (same as bridge). I guess it’s never too late too learn. 😅
I changed out the plastic pins on my Dean Exotica acoustic a few years back for an ebony set and I must say I like the ebony pins better.The guitar is noticeably louder and clearer not as dark and muffly sounding.
Is it Sitka spruce top? In ebony I think it is warm and balance, while the brass kinda bright I think it is good in mahongany top, the bone lots of treble and Biold sound with long sustain.
Shit this is perfect for me brad i hadn't thought of it. I need brass pins in my life i play a eko 12 string that's got a lush warm big body but my guitar doc put a 7 string bridge in there at my request, thats a normal 6 string setup but with 2 G's(high and low G) I LOVE IT and its a dream to write on but a hint of extra high clarity from them brass pins are quite evident to me in this vid and it will make my eko bit closer to my dream acoustic, massive thanks
Don't bother to change, it just adds weight to guitar top without making it harder to vibrate.
12 brass pins is too much weight.
Thanx for the test - we need games like this now and again.
I personally adjust individual string timbre with various materials - wood, plast, bone, horn, brass - and your experiment confirms my philosophy : The denser the more clarity - which can go too far in both directions - too mellow / too brittle.
Especially the brass reveals itself here. I typically use them for E - A bass - and on the D and high E on my HD-28V, because it tends to get quite mushy with old steel.
Regards from this temple - keep up the spirit and appetite for fun
P.S. - did you ever conclude anything yourself. .
How did it sound to you after hearing the clips?
Oh yes... love diving deep in to aspects of playing that matter way less than the practicing I should be doing.
Jeez bud, you could make ball point pens (pun intended) sound good! To me personally, the bone pins sounded the best.
It's all such a subtle difference. I probably prefer the Bone overall.
After going back and forth between pins on my headphones, whether my brain is creating a difference because I expect one or not, I agree the bone were best.
@@ProjectBlackweather I kinda agree. I mean I sold my expensive G&L after I built my own partscaster from good used parts, the only thing I bought new was the most important piece - the neck.
If the guitar is playable then you'll get a good sound if you are a decent musician.
To me the neck and stable tuners are what matters.
The rest is somewhat aesthetic and just makes the guitar 'look' a way in which I think I want to pick it up (which is also important).
It appears to be a question of one's ear, and taste...it's very subjective, yes 🤔 As a player of 60 years, and a builder/repair/restore person 20 plus years, I'd say definitely not plastic! Try titanium pins..lol...whatever helps create the sound the owner desires is best!
@@gavinw5469 , Ryan Guitars...
"whatever helps create the sound the owner desires is best!"
That's how I know you're a _real_ guitar tech.
@@gavinw5469 Physiological? you meant to say *psychological* didn't you, champ?
"Guitarists are idiots when it comes to science."
*Alexa, play "Ironic" by Alanis Morrissette.
"Your brain is justifying the money you just burned" This is very true with some guitar players. You know what though? The opposite is true as well. Broke ass amateur guitar players will swear that they can get a great tone from a 15 Watt Gorilla amp, Squier Bullet, and a Boss DS-1. They'll SWEAR to themselves that it sounds just as good as a vintage Marshall Plexi, Klon, and a '59 Les Paul. NOPE! It doesn't! Never will!
"B-b-but Tone is in the fingers man!!" Yup! A lot of it is!! ..but if things like bridge pins didn't matter, then neither would strings, wood type, nut/saddle material, body size/shape, pick thickness, etc. By your logic, you wouldn't mind if I strung up your acoustic with 9 gauge nickel strings and gave you a 1.5 mm Jazz III pick to play with. What's the difference? It's just *psychological, right? :)
If you change _anything_ on an acoustic guitar, it *will* affect the tone. It's basic Newtonian physics. Maybe it won't change the tone enough to 'justify' the money spent. ...or maybe your ears are just too trash to hear the difference. As the OP said: "It's all subjective." If you had any reading comprehension skills, you would have realized that the word "subjective" made all of your opinionated ranting 100% unnecessary.
@@gavinw5469 They don't? Ok.. Explain why. ("I can't hear a difference" is not an acceptable answer.) Use your scientific knowledge to explain to us why a bone saddle will change the tone, but not a bone bridge pin. Drop some knowledge about energy transfer and acoustic resonance.
Please explain to Scott and I how after almost a century of combined experience building and repairing guitars professionally, we still haven't figured out how bridge pins work. Please explain how I'm so psychologically flawed that my ears will literally have auditory hallucinations - to save me from the trauma of accepting the fact that I wasted $10 on some bridge pins. Do you have any idea how many THOUSANDS of dollars I've wasted on guitar gadgets over the years? We _all_ have and we _all_ admit it.
...yet we're crying ourselves to sleep over a bridge pin purchase? THAT is what is keeping us up at night? Lmfao
You're special, Gavin.
@@clicheguevara5282 thanks I really needed that last part. Self confidence is at an all time low, but I guess you probably wouldn't care anyway. I have had a tough day. I was looking to vent. Don't take what I said personal. It's not about you or anyone else, it's about me. I apologize. I should have never commented. Nobody agrees with me anyway.
It's funny how everyone's ear and headphones/speakers are a bit different. My 2008 Guild DV-6 came with plastic pins and I upgraded them to bone. I loved the tone before, and still love it with the bone pins. Listening to this back to back comparison was pretty cool, but I almost thought the brass sounded the best during the strumming. It seemed to bring out the lower frequencies of the guitar. I may try those next time I do a string change. Thanks for this, Brad!
I have a 56 D-18. The sound is incredible, with tremendous sustain. And once the strings are stretched out it never goes out of tune. I watched a video about non slotted bridge pins. The bridge on those needs to have notches cut for the strings. It changes the break angle and makes the guitar louder. My guitar has slotted bridge pins but the bridge has notches cut into it so the break angle around 45 degrees. I'll have to try some different pins.
Definite difference. The rosewood are more balanced across the range and the most open sounding. The bone ones are close but slightly more subdued. The brass is considerably thinner sounding and not as loud. I would have liked to have heard the plastic ones also.
Ahh, vintage bearded brad. I want to get some acrylic nails for finger picking, but I also play bass. I’ll have to find some middle ground
Great subject and great vid...i wanna know!
** just came back to say.....gorgous guitar man
I didn't expect to hear much, especially on my (relatively decent) phone speakers. I think the difference was striking. Not sure which I prefer though.
Oddly, perhaps, the pins I liked the least were the bone pins. They seem to drop a lot of the high frequency resonance that I associate with my Martins. None sound bad, but literally, that is the set that I noted the most drop in a frequency range. But I'm getting pretty old, so perhaps I seek the higher frequencies? Anyway, you asked, I opined, and thanks for the demonstration.
Couldn't really tell much difference over my earbuds but that's just my ears,etc. The only difference from my experience anyway, is that plastic pins can deform over time and not consistently lock the string in, Rosewood and ebony mostly keep their shape , brass and bone are stable ..whether that can effect tone significantly ...maybe if the pins are worn and the string is not solidly anchored but I doubt my ears could detect much difference in any case. Nice playing and sweet tone from that vintage Martin. Cheers!
I hate these kinds of tests - in a good way. I predicted there would be no difference and I was wrong. It is good to be willing to be wrong I am learning as an old(er) dude. Glad you did this, I need to get some bone pins for my Martin!
It's hard to say which sounded better. That depends on the person and it would depend on the guitar.
I imagine brass would never degrade and outlast all of us and the guitar as well. 😊 Cool video!
Nice comparison! Looking for a warm sound, so I guess I'll try some rosewood ones.
Wondering how the guitar would sound when you mix the pins 😊
Like rosewood pins and every 2nd pin is a brass one. Or rosewood for the bass strings and brass for the rest.
Would maybe some sort of measuring device like an oscilloscope be able to show the difference?
I just watched a video on making a slight Chanel in the bridge perhaps 1/8” towards the sound hole..to increase the angle as it drops down from the saddle towards the pins. There “definitely “ was a positive sound difference..with more of a tonal separation of each string…
The bone pins sounded best to my ear, I purchased water buffalo horn bridge pins from Bryan England at Custom Inlay and like them . Awesome playing!
I have titanium on mine that I got as a gift and I really like them.
I thought they all sounded great 👍
The rosewood gave off a softer edged more bass boosted type tone where the bone but seemed to bring out more of the midrange and the brass had more sparkle ❇️ and the high end seemed more dominant than the others as I would have thought the harder material seemed brighter softer darker bassier but they all sounded full and way better than the cheap plastic ones ☝️
That was a tough one but with a set of Bose headphones on this is what I heard. 1. Rosewood: was even toned across the chords and had a mellow vibe and was my favorite of the three. 2. Brass: was not as loud and had a slight reverb effect, kind of reflective sounding. 3: Bone: sounded the loudest to me, through my headphones, with very good reflection.
The big difference to me was volume and reflection, with the exception of the Brass pins which had that slight reverb sound. This is all subjective and could sound way different to many people who listen to it. It's funny how so many people will argue over " which is best".. The best is what you like and the differences are subtle.
This was a very good video.
Goldylocks test... . Changed the pins on my acoustics after watching this.I got different results, not all favorable. One has bone, all positive. The second has Rosewood an a good change on 12 string close to neutral, the third got brass and is over the top bright and honky, unnecessary on what is likely the loudest guitar I have heard. Must be changed... to bone. Bone gets my vote based on my sample of three Yamaha guitar s LL16 -ARE 12 string, LL16-D, AC5R ACE. The similarities of construction, materials, and time of manufacture make them good subjects for this non destructive test. Great video.
Brass pins are brightest. I liked the bone pins the best. Bone seemed to provide a more rounded balanced tone. Rosewood pins sound good too. Either bone or rosewood would be my choice for my own guitar. I would probably purchase both and decide 'over time' which I would keep in the long-term.
Have you experimented w slotted vs non-slotted pins?
Weird! I seen some of the responces below and I heard it differentlly than some. Firstly, I felt There was a very definate difference, at least coming from my speakers. However, I was struck by how the Brass was coming through more subdued and warmer than the Bone and the Rosewood, I would also wonder if you filed out the string holes so the ends were resting on the support wood underneatrh the bridge, I'm sure that would make a much larger difference and more accurate one at that. Great video Brad! I missed this one LOL. Glad I got caught up on it! BTW, You supprised me with your Tool covers. Who'd of thought you sing so good. Peace brother,