Hello Everyone,

I remember reading that the 'white' bridge pins that came with certain FIII's were plastic. Can anyone confirm that this is/was the case? I was doing a string change and when examined individually I thought they were plastic, but when putting a few in my hand and jiggling them they clinked like 'something else'. Any chance they are TUSQ?

I realise that the following is very subjective, but....looking for impressions from forum members who swapped out the bridge pins on their FIIIs. 1) What did you decide to replace them with?; and 2) did you notice a difference in tone?

I have found some ebony pins and some black TUSQ pins via the web that I am considering. Would love some FWI pins with their amazing patterns/colours, but for the time being they are out of my comfortable price range.

Thanks for looking.

Jared

jared
the bridge pins in my F III were plastic.    I'm quite sure.   I replaced them with ebony pins from Larrivee.  Any difference in tone would have been very minor I'm sure.  Hard to tell since I also Installed a bone saddle at the same time.

Mine are white plastic. But I am considering replacing them with bone from Colosi. I thought about ebony from Larrivee, but I don't want abalone since there is no other abalone on the guitar. I'll probably go with the bone to match the saddle and the nut I just had put on.

Mine were definitely plastic and both sets have been changed out.

   As all have said, mine also were plastic & now have bone ones instead. Really adds sustain & some nice overtones.
     Jeff

I found LMI to have the best prices for bridge pins. They have just about anything you could want to try. I recommend ordering several sets just to try different materials.
Here is a link to Bone Pins (http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Bridges+and+Pins&NameProdHeader=Bone+Pins)
A link to Wood Pins (http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Bridges+and+Pins&NameProdHeader=Bridge+Pins+%2D+Wood+and+Plastic)
A link to Black Horn Pins (http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Bridges+and+Pins&NameProdHeader=Black+Horn+Pins)
And a link to the main Bridges and Pins Page (http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/Secondproducthead.asp?CategoryName=Bridges+and+Pins)

Has anyone tried These (http://www.tisonix.com/shopping/main/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65_68) Titanium pins. Apparently standard equipment on Kevin Ryan guitars.

Quote from: Mr_LV19E on November 24, 2009, 02:46:03 PM
I found LMI to have the best prices for bridge pins.

Am I missing something, or are these quite a bit more than Collosi's pin prices?
:?

Quote from: pennerblue on November 25, 2009, 03:17:55 AM
Am I missing something, or are these quite a bit more than Collosi's pin prices?
:?

When LMI says $11.95 each, it means for a set of 6.

Quote from: bhika on November 25, 2009, 12:05:45 PM
When LMI says $11.95 each, it means for a set of 6.

That is correct, and a set of 6 ebony bridge pins for $4.55 is a good price in my book.  Plus when I was shopping they were the only ones I could find that sold them oversize.

  I am almost sure that we were told the pins with the F-III's were tusq. I sure have thought they were all along.   I replaced mine with bone also. And they have Abalone dots that don't seem a bit out of place to me.
  I can't say I noticed any improvement in tone though. It already sounded great to me.

Quote from: Mr_LV19E on November 25, 2009, 01:59:46 PM
That is correct, and a set of 6 ebony bridge pins for $4.55 is a good price in my book.  Plus when I was shopping they were the only ones I could find that sold them oversize.

OK, I was INDEED missing something.  Holy wah, them's some good prices!!!

Quote from: dependan on November 25, 2009, 03:44:02 PM
  I am almost sure that we were told the pins with the F-III's were tusq. I sure have thought they were all along.   I replaced mine with bone also. And they have Abalone dots that don't seem a bit out of place to me.
  I can't say I noticed any improvement in tone though. It already sounded great to me.

Hey Danny, remember the day you got your FIII ?   We were all in the set-up room and you were at the bench stringing up your FIII while the tech was drilling holes for tuners so is it possible you grabbed different pins ?  I'm pretty sure mine were plastic.  I can't check them now 'cause I mailed them to another forum member who needed some.
I do like the ebony ones I have now though.

Andy DePaul has some choices on offer too;
(http://www.luthiersupply.com/image_update/Bridge_End_Pins.jpg)

Find 'em here;
http://www.luthiersupply.com/Bridge_End_Pins.html

I have bought from him before, and it went well, i have bought from StewMac and LMI as well, found all of them to be good folks.

I like Andy's amber Buffalo Horn with a Paua dot myself, but for black Buffalo Horn, or white bone LMI's prices are much sweeter, they just don't have anything like the amber on offer tho

d.

I've found bone pins make a guitar sound a bit brighter. I put ebony pins on both my Larrivee D-50, with enlarged soundhole, and the parlor, and I like the sound better.
I think I misunderstood the LMI pricing as well, and paid  more for the pins from Larrivee.

Quote from: leftync on November 26, 2009, 02:25:55 PM
I think I misunderstood the LMI pricing as well, and paid  more for the pins from Larrivee.

That's not hard to imagine, that information is not exactly "in your face". I missed it the first time I looked for pins, I guess partly because they were priced less than others.

Quote from: Mr_LV19E on November 26, 2009, 05:15:07 PM
That's not hard to imagine, that information is not exactly "in your face". I missed it the first time I looked for pins, I guess partly because they were priced less than others.

Yep, I think I'll send them an email and let them know that their prices might (and in fact are, by some) perceived as being per pin, not per set of six.

So, are the 3 degree pins the ones I would want for a Larrivee?

Quote from: pennerblue on November 26, 2009, 11:15:35 PM
.........
So, are the 3 degree pins the ones I would want for a Larrivee?

Yes.

Looked at Luthier Supply.  They are local for me... like less than 5 minutes from where I work.  :smile:
Gonna have to see if they deal live,  or just online

Mine are coloured black. But I can't recall wether I asked Jim to replace the stock pins or not...  :wacko:

Quote from: vates on November 30, 2009, 04:07:35 AM
Mine are coloured black. But I can't recall wether I asked Jim to replace the stock pins or not...  :wacko:

Vates, the pins were white on the Mahogany F-IIIs and black on the RW F-IIIs - just to confuse folk.  I have to say I thought mine were tusq, could be wrong though.

Thanks Ben! Well, I like the tone and appearance of my FIII as it is very much and I can't really imagine why I need or how I can further improve it :)

Quote from: vates on November 30, 2009, 04:24:19 AM
Thanks Ben! Well, I like the tone and appearance of my FIII as it is very much and I can't really imagine why I need or how I can further improve it :)

:+1: