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StewMac Power Pins for Acoustic; anyone tried these?

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  • #16
    Re: StewMac Power Pins for Acoustic; anyone tried these?

    Check out this video where Jerry installs and reviews the Power Pins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IayTsxhsFzo
    “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

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    • #17
      Re: StewMac Power Pins for Acoustic; anyone tried these?

      Thanks for the tips, guys.

      I switched my Taylor over to Ebony pins with a little brass and MoP inlay a while ago, but they're just a teeeeny bit looser than I would like so I have to make sure they get seated properly when changing strings. They're the best I've found for looks & tone and they're made locally.

      Plastic pins are a no-go for me. They don't sound great and I find them to be not quite durable enough.

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      • #18
        Re: StewMac Power Pins for Acoustic; anyone tried these?

        Originally posted by B2D View Post

        Plastic pins are a no-go for me. They don't sound great and I find them to be not quite durable enough.
        I don't know about other companies, but I'd consider Martin's plastic pins VERY durable. A few friends have Martins from the early '50s and '60s...still with original pins and going strong, as is my '75 D-28. They've yellowed nicely and have some marks from the ball ends...but I consider 45 to 70 years of use to be VERY durable.

        In contrast, one guy I know has chewed up ebony pins several times from ball ends, and even had them break.

        I'll add one more comment about brass pins. Early last year I saw a Craigslist ad for a Martin D-45V. Beautiful guitar, so I called and took a four-hour road trip to check it out. The owner made the comment that he was disappointed in the guitar; it had never met his expectations, and he was going to buy something else.

        I saw right away he had the D'Andrea brass/abalone bridge pins in it, which he told me he'd put in the day he bought the guitar. He thought they were wonderful pins. They are very pretty. But because of his earlier comments about the guitar I was about able to negotiate a couple of hundred off, so I got a VERY good deal on it.

        I played the guitar for a few days, and decided to change the strings and put in a set of Martin plastic pins that I had. I'd noticed when I bought it that the guitar felt tight and constricted, and maybe he hadn't played it much...idk. As soon as I got the plastic pins in, I could feel it come alive. It was like taking a blanket off a speaker cab. The top now vibrated freely.

        The sheer weight of those brass pins had killed the tone. With the plastic pins, and now with bone pins, the guitar is lively, dynamic and resonant. And LOUD! Built on the same chassis as the HD-28Vs I have, it's one of the few guitars I have that I can't out-sing. I love the abalone bling, especially the delicate snowflakes on the fretboard. I've always wanted a D-45, and I got a good one. Glad I took that drive.

        Pins aren't a huge investment, but they can offer a nuanced change in tone and feel. I like what I've heard from bone and Tusq, but someone wanting a mellower tone might prefer boxwood, rosewood or ebony. I do have one guitar that bone pins haven't made much difference in. And some of my guitars will stay with plastic pins...well...because.

        I always tell players to "...enjoy the journey." The tone quest is different for everyone, and I'm fortunate to have discovered (sometimes the hard way!) the things that work for me and define me. As always, YMMV.

        Good luck!

        Bill
        When you've had budget guitars for a number of years, you may find that your old instrument is holding you back. A quality guitar can inspire you to write great songs, improve your understanding of the Gdim chord while in the Lydian Mode, cure the heartbreak of cystic acne--and help you find true love in the process.

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        • #19
          Re: StewMac Power Pins for Acoustic; anyone tried these?

          The reviews at StewMac seem favorable. Tone wise probably the same as a brass saddle, which is something people did once.


          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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