Larrivee Bridge Pins

[BlueBowman]

I'm thinking about ordering a set of the Larrivee Tortoise bridge pins for my new 000. It came with white plastic pins, which I'm not usually against, but I do think they look out of place on this particular guitar.

Has anyone ordered the tortoise bone pins from Larrivee? How do they look with the current Larrivee pickguard? Are they a good match? If so, I'll go ahead and place the order.

Thanks.

[StringPicker6]

Never ordered the tortise pins, but I do have the ebony pins on my parlor. The tip broke off on one, but still works fine. I think tortise would look great!

[teh]

I bought a set of Tortoise bridge pins a couple of years ago for my Forum VI which was a nice enhancement to the moonwood spruce top. With the exception of my 12 string, none of my other Larrivees have a pick guard so I can't offer an opinion on that question. I also bought a set of the ebony pins with abalone dots to compliment the mahogany top and vine inlay on the headstock of my 00-24. I consider both purchases to be money well spent.

[William2]

Are most bridge pins the same regarding size, or do we need to buy Larrivee pins for Larrivee guitars etc.? I wouldn't mind finding pins that aren't slotted. I saw a video a couple of years ago (maybe Driftwood Guitars) where they replaced the slotted pins with non-slotted pins and it had noticeable louder sound. I have Larrivee abalone pins on my D-40R and like the looks.

[BlueBowman]

I think tortise would look great!

I do, too! They caught my eye when I went looking for a set of bone or ebony pins, which is what I typically use. I don't expect the tortoise to be an exact match with the pickguard, I just want them to be close enough.

I bought a set of Tortoise bridge pins a couple of years ago for my Forum VI which was a nice enhancement to the moonwood spruce top. With the exception of my 12 string, none of my other Larrivees have a pick guard so I can't offer an opinion on that question. I also bought a set of the ebony pins with abalone dots to compliment the mahogany top and vine inlay on the headstock of my 00-24. I consider both purchases to be money well spent.

Thanks, teh. Would you say the PG on your 12 string would work with the color of the tortoise pins?

Are most bridge pins the same regarding size, or do we need to buy Larrivee pins for Larrivee guitars etc.? I wouldn't mind finding pins that aren't slotted. I saw a video a couple of years ago (maybe Driftwood Guitars) where they replaced the slotted pins with non-slotted pins and it had noticeable louder sound. I have Larrivee abalone pins on my D-40R and like the looks.

I always, if needed, ream out my bridges to get a snug fit with bridge pins. Some guitars are perfect, while others (factory-built, usually) need a little more time to get things right. I actually enjoy the process, so no sweat.

In regard to that Driftwood video, I'm skeptical about any audible changes in sound. Maybe. But he was selling the very Stew Mac tool used to slot or ramp a bridge in that video. However, I do think it's good practice to slot every bridge, as it allows the ball end of the strings to anchor in place sufficiently well. This can lead to a healthier bridge plate.

[B0WIE]

The trouble with bridge pins is that the taper can cause fitment issues, even when they're "supposed" to fit. For this reason, I try to stay with pins made by the company that makes the guitar. I ended up with a lot of ill fitting pins over the years when trying 3rd party pins.

As far as sound, changing the mass of the bridge can definitely do that. Which is why brass pins tend to make a pretty noticeable difference. But, I mostly just recommend good fitting pins that aren't plastic. Fitment is conducive to good resonance and helps prevent small buzzes. Plastic isn't great at transferring vibration and I find plastic pins often get chewed up or bent over time, which can lead to buzzes, and potentially damage on the plate.

 I used to slot bridges for tone. But, now I realize that it depends on the guitar and, more specifically, the break angle on that particular saddle. When pin holes are slotted, I'll just turn slotted pins sideways for snug contact.

[Traveler2233]

What are the tortoise pins made of? Actual tortoise shell has been rightly banned for commercial purposes, to my knowledge, for decades.

[B0WIE]

What are the tortoise pins made of? Actual tortoise shell has been rightly banned for commercial purposes, to my knowledge, for decades.

Tortoise refers to the pattern, not the material. For pins, it's usually a casein (milk protein) based material.

[teh]

BlueBowman

To answer your question, my 12 string Larrivee has tortoise colored pickguard and white bridge pins with a black dot which were both original. The tortoise colored bride pins would work well too but I've never changed them. The only modifications I made to my 12 string, built in Vancouver in early 2006, came from Jim Holler at Trinity Guitars and included a compensated bone saddle and an I-Beam pickup. At some point, I'll probably change out the tuners and possibly the bridge pins, but I'm happy with the present setup. On the two sets of six pins I ordered from Larrivee's Pro Shop (Tortoise colored and ebony) each pin had a pearl dot inlaid. Both sets were made in Germany and were a perfect fit with my FVI and 00.

As Bowie correctly stated, modern tortoise shell is the pattern not the material.

[BlueBowman]

What are the tortoise pins made of? Actual tortoise shell has been rightly banned for commercial purposes, to my knowledge, for decades.

I don't think anyone is under the illusion that the pins are made of real tortoise shell. Yes, the pattern.

BlueBowman

To answer your question, my 12 string Larrivee has tortoise colored pickguard and white bridge pins with a black dot which were both original. The tortoise colored bride pins would work well too but I've never changed them. The only modifications I made to my 12 string, built in Vancouver in early 2006, came from Jim Holler at Trinity Guitars and included a compensated bone saddle and an I-Beam pickup. At some point, I'll probably change out the tuners and possibly the bridge pins, but I'm happy with the present setup. On the two sets of six pins I ordered from Larrivee's Pro Shop (Tortoise colored and ebony) each pin had a pearl dot inlaid. Both sets were made in Germany and were a perfect fit with my FVI and 00.

Ok, thank you. I thought that's what you were saying. A "perfect fit" sounds nice. German precision? 

[BlueBowman]

As far as sound, changing the mass of the bridge can definitely do that.

Absolutely.

But, I mostly just recommend good fitting pins that aren't plastic. Fitment is conducive to good resonance and helps prevent small buzzes. Plastic isn't great at transferring vibration and I find plastic pins often get chewed up or bent over time, which can lead to buzzes, and potentially damage on the plate.

This a good argument against the use of plastic pins.

I used to slot bridges for tone. But, now I realize that it depends on the guitar and, more specifically, the break angle on that particular saddle. When pin holes are slotted, I'll just turn slotted pins sideways for snug contact.

I've slotted many and never heard a difference, but that doesn't mean there was no change. As you point out, some guitars respond to slight changes while others seem immune. I do like that slotting the bridge makes for a strong anchor point for the strings (ball end) in the bridge plate. It's so strong with the ball ends "catching," I've actually been able to remove the pins while the strings are tuned to pitch.   

[BlueBowman]

Thank you all for your input. I just ordered the Larrivee bone pins (and a hoodie ). Bowie's comment about the issues with plastic pins swung me. Even though I like to keep the bridge as light as possible (plastic pins weigh the least), I wanna try out bone with this particular Larrivee. I can't imagine it being any less responsive, even with marginally heavier pins.

[B0WIE]

Thank you all for your input. I just ordered the Larrivee bone pins (and a hoodie ). Bowie's comment about the issues with plastic pins swung me. Even though I like to keep the bridge as light as possible (plastic pins weigh the least), I wanna try out bone with this particular Larrivee. I can't imagine it being any less responsive, even with marginally heavier pins.

You definitely won't lose response. Sometimes, mass can actually add focus and clarity. I also used to want everything as light as possible but I've found it's more of a balancing act than it is a race in one direction. Some of the most in-demand luthiers in the world still choose bone and ebony pins to put on $20,000 guitars so I think you made a good choice.

[BlueBowman]

You definitely won't lose response. Sometimes, mass can actually add focus and clarity. I also used to want everything as light as possible but I've found it's more of a balancing act than it is a race in one direction. Some of the most in-demand luthiers in the world still choose bone and ebony pins to put on $20,000 guitars so I think you made a good choice.

I agree. "Balancing" is definitely the right word. And those abalone bone pins will look great against the pale top. Looking forward to sharing this one soon.

[Koamon]

I've always replaced mine with Tusq Presentation bridge pins with abalone dots. They fit perfectly,they're slotted, have the tone of bone, look good and works for me

[Queequeg]

This thread got me to thinking.
So I put 6 plastic pins on a digital kitchen scale, set to grams.
Then I placed a set of ebony pins on the scale.

[BlueBowman]

Queequeg, it's the density that determines just how much ebony pins weigh. The one or two sets of ebony pins I've bothered to weigh must've been higher in density than your set, because they weighed a little more than plastic pins (though not by much). Makes sense, since plastic should be a more uniform material compared to the variability of wood.

[Queequeg]

Queequeg, it's the density that determines just how much ebony pins weigh. The one or two sets of ebony pins I've bothered to weigh must've been higher in density than your set, because they weighed a little more than plastic pins (though not by much). Makes sense, since plastic should be a more uniform material compared to the variability of wood.

I make no claim or comment beyond the interest to satisfy my own curiosity and the resulting observations.
Everyone is welcome to discount and/or disregard those observations.

[BlueBowman]

I make no claim or comment beyond the interest to satisfy my own curiosity and the resulting observations.
Everyone is welcome to discount and/or disregard those observations.

Of course. I thank you for adding to the conversation with some actual data!