What Are Acoustic Guitar Bridge Pins and Why They Are important?

What are acoustic guitar bridge pins?

In short words, bridge pins are column-shaped parts to fix the strings of acoustic guitars when they get tension. Those parts seat at the bridge of acoustic guitar, so, they are also called bridge pins.

The material to make the pins includes metal, plastic, wood material, ox bone, etc. We don’t want to discuss which one is better, because they have the same function. And the differences are discussed a lot.

When you know what are the pins and main function of them, we will talk about if the pins will influence the tone performance. And we heard about the compliances about popping out of the pins, so what is really going on?

Together, we try to find out the answers.

Why Classical Guitars Don’t have Pins?

Before we go further, there is one question: why classical acoustic guitars don’t use bridge pins? We assume this is related with the history when classical guitars were created at the first time. Besides, classical guitars are designed to play finger-style for most of time, thus, the strings don’t need to bear as much tension as acoustic guitars.

Bridge Pins Influences Acoustic Guitar Tone Performance?

Some say the pins have impact on the tonal performance and some say they don’t. And there are many have no idea.

In our point of view, it depends on how we see the function of the pins. Generally, we don’t think the bridge pins have direct impact on the sound, because we don’t think the pins participate in the resonance directly.

But, when we think about the function: fixing the strings, we think the bridge pins do influence the tone performance.

Leaving wood material, building technology, etc. behind, we just talk about the tension of strings. We all know that to get right sound, the strings should vibrate properly at right tension. And we all noticed that the strings are fixed on the headstock of acoustic guitars. To get right tension, the tail of the strings should be correctly fixed, too. So, here we got bridge pins. If mounted correctly, the pins will remain strings to be fixed without moving and keep a certain gauge to make the vibration at a certain level. Therefore, from this point of view, the pins do influence the tonal performance.

It is no need to exaggerate the function of acoustic guitar bridge pins. But ignorance of its function is also not desirable.

Why The Pins Keep Popping Out and How to Fix?

Annoying, isn’t it? We mean popping out of the pins, not us, not you. Then, how to fix it? We think we need to figure out why popping out before the solution.

There are two main reasons to cause popping out: wrong size and incorrect mounting way.

Although most of the pins looks like sharing the same size, it is not standardized. Thus, introduce the measurement before any replacement is the best way to get right bridge pins of acoustic guitars. However, if you are not so experienced, our suggestion is to go to the nearest shop or luthier to help you.

For designers, wholesalers, etc., who want to custom acoustic guitar together with the customization of the bridge pins, we suggest to custom the appearance instead of changing of the size. Unless the exact size of the mounting holes and the pins can be told.

Another reason is mounting way of the strings under the pins. The following two diagrams can explain more than words. Sorry that it is hand-drawing.

The first diagram shows a wrong way of the mounting. Why? Because the ball at the bottom of the string can slide to upper position when we turn the tuning pegs to adjust the tension, and the movement will cause the popping out.

The second diagram shows the right way of mounting. The strings will remain at its position, no popping out at all.

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