I have an acoustic guitar, and I broke the bridge pin of the low E string.
Now the string is still secure but the top of the pin is gone. I've never changed the strings and figured this would be a good reason to. However, all the instructions I've found either gloss-over removing the old string or tell you to "wiggle" out the bridge pin with pliers; and with no bridge pin I have nothing to put the pliers to. I've tried pulling on the string, and am sure it will slice my hand before pulling free. Should I try pushing what's left of the bridge pin through the bridge, reach inside the body and snip it off "from below" or take it to a "qualified guiter repair type persdon"
Avatar- Correy Harris 8/12/2006 Heritage Music Blues fest, Wheeling WVa
You will damage the guitar before you ever get out the bridge pin by pulling the string. The string's ball end is not directly beneath the pin, but off to the side of the pin and pressed against the bridge plate inside the guitar.
To remove the pin, remove the strings from the tuners so you can stick your hand inside the guitar and push the pin out from the bottom. If you don't understand what I meant above, you will after feeling around inside beneath the bridge.
Good luck.
-=tension & release=-
Use a nickel to push the pin up from inside as gnease says.
May I also suggest that you purchase a bridge pin puller, they are very inexpensive. Using pliers is a good way to break bridge pins. On another note I change my strings about once a month and should probably do it more often. They are pretty dead after a month.
Tim Madsen
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until they know how much you care.
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Thanks, Simplicity itself. Now that I see how it works I feel stupid for having to ask for help. Took me all of two seconds, Thanks again.
Avatar- Correy Harris 8/12/2006 Heritage Music Blues fest, Wheeling WVa
If one of your pins broke, it sounds like a good excuse to upgrade to bone ones...
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Lets just save YOU from the pain, ok?
I just bought a new fender 12 string acoustic and my girlfriend bought a strat acoustic ( i heard those giggles, she got it because she is well endowed in the chest region and found it comfortable) i changed the strings on the 12 string....5 out of the 12 bridge pins broke. changed the strat acoustic strings and 2 pins broke and i was using a proper bridge pin extractor. i was not a happy bunny, i think fender need to look at their hardware don't you?
Works better to push them up from below, anyway, even when they're not broken off.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
