Bridge Pin Sizing
Bridge pins are tiny parts in an acoustic guitar that often get little attention from the owner. Very often it is during guitar repairs these pins became important. In short bridge pins do the following,
1. Hold each guitar string in place
2. Contribute to greater sustain
3. Elevate aesthetic value
Some guitar enthusiasts may claim that a change in bridge pins result in greater volume, warmer tone or longer tonal sustain, etc. It would be unkind to rule them all out but we should not take every word for it too. Beyond all myths and talks about bridge pins, you should make purchases that you will be happy for.
In essence, even you may not fully understand why bridge pins are there, it definitely pays to have bridge pins that are made from suitable materials, as well as in fitting sizes. You have nothing to loose by fitting good looking, good materials and good fitting bridge pins.
Bridge Pin Sizing
There are two sizes of guitar bridge pins here. They differ in shank angle (see above illustration). Shanks function to seat or fit into the bridge pin holes drilled onto the guitar bridge and top plate. The taper provides a wedging effect when a bridge pin is driven into a bridge pin hole thus the pin gets "wedged or locked" into position. This effect holds guitar string into position. To get a proper fitting, you should purchase bridge pins with the suitable shank angle. Alternatively you could get your guitar repair tech to modify the bridge pin holes during the next guitar services.
Remove your existing guitar bridge pins and determine the shank angle of your bridge pins.
3º degrees shank bridge pins
The average underskirt diameter is 5.40mm. Generally,these pins are suitable for for Martin guitars that weremade before 1994, also Larrivee, Blanchard, Garrison,Goodall, Ryan, Lakewood, McPherson, Santa Cruz andTaylor guitars. These also work with Collings guitarsmade prior to 2002.
5º degrees shank bridge pins
The average underskirt diameter is 5.35mm. For modernMartin guitars (after 1994) and Gibson guitars.