20 Best Bridge Pins For Acoustic Guitar (2023 Updated)

For some reason the pin holding the low E string lifts. It doesn’t pop out. It just lifted up and I kept pushing it back until it locked in place. So it sits higher than the rest. The pins added some clarity to the higher tones, which was what I was hoping for.

I am a bit disappointed that the abalone dot on the top is so small. I was wanting it to match the rest of the inlays. I guess it does if I use magnifying glasses.

Replaced 6 x Buffalo Horn pins with 6 x TUSQ pins on my Yamaha FS720S (w/ TUSQ nut and saddle), but didn’t love the results. I felt the Buffalo Horn had more character and might have matched up better with my guitar but after playing around with it I found that an excellent combination of 3 x Buffalo Horn and 3 x TUSQ really gave the guitar more uniqueness.

I think the TUSQ provides some extra tone and warmness, definitely volume, and the Buffalo Horn just seems to have a little bit more bass, mids and character overall. Worth nothing that I put the Buffalo Horn on the low E, A and D strings and put the TUSQ on G, B and high E.

I have 3 of each pins leftover of course, so I’m going to use the same combination on my new guitar although this guitar will have a bone nut and saddle as well as different materials in general, so I’m clueless if the same results will occur.

I did read however that one particular dude loves his solid sitka top guitar’s to have Buffalo Horn pins so maybe there is some merit to that. I hope this helps out some people who feel that bridge pins do nothing for the sound.

It probably effects different guitars in different ways but I can tell you for sure that I’ve been through plastic, Buffalo Horn and TUSQ and there’s definitely differences between all of them.

Apparently most guitars use the size of Tusq pins with the large dot. I have been using the 2mm dot size for many years. I recently discovered that if these are pulled out 3/16 inch (about the height of the pin head), the tone and sustain suddenly are vastly improved.

Usually the pins will stay in when the string is brought back to tension. Yes, the pins will be sticking up a bit more, but I am amazed at the improvement in tone, brightness, and sustain. PASS THE WORD! This is an important discovery.

Hopefully, if you buy the large dot size of pins, you will not need to do this lifting of the pins.

I purchased a tatty second hand thing as my first acoustic guitar for an evening class. On comparing it to the other guitars in the class I realised it was quiet with terrible action. It turns out the top was badly warped.

So purchased and fitted the JLD Bridge Doctor, following the instructions as best as possible. Straight away the guitar played better and sounded both sweeter and louder. Good result! I then went away for a few days.

On my return the guitar sounded awful, like something had fallen off inside! It was just the wood settling in. I adjusted the bridge doctor to take up the slack and all was good again. The one issue was that the drill and allen key sizes required are all Imperial which forced me to improvise a bit here in metric Europe.

So overall very good product that saved a guitar from the rubbish tip.

I installed the JLD Bridge Doctor, Screw Mount on a vintage aged flamenco guitar. Well, was a bit difficult due to fan struts in the top plate. However once I positioned The Doctor safely and with the adjustable post against the back-block of the flamenco guitar, the warp in the top behind the bridge straightened out over a few days.

Also I was able to lower the strings to a much better flamenco guitar action. A bit of very careful testing, but successful. The Guitar sounds fantastic and is much easier to play.

Doesn’t look like much for the price, but works well. The drill/ Key sizes needed are imperial, which is pain in the UK as we largely metric. Fiddly to fit. I’ll have to reserve judgement on how well it lasts over time.

The bone pins are a bit taller than the plastic pins that came with the guitar. The taller pins make the guitar look custom made, they stand out a bit more than the original plastic pins. The abalone dots look great as well.

Some people comment that the color shade is different from pin to pin, but the ones I received are all the same shade of white, they actually look much better than I thought they would. Now the guitar has a bone nut, saddle AND bridge pins, the way it should have been made in the first place.

lol. I have nothing negative to say about his product.

Do not buy!!!! Its not bone, but plastic. Rip off these people have No shame. No soul.

The pins seem to be of very high quality, and the abalone dot is a nice enhancement to the appearance. They sat a bit high in the bridge of my Epiphpone Masterbilt acoustic guitar, but since I enjoy tinkering, I took some sandpaper and worked each one to where I was able to custom fit them into the bridge holes.

I am very pleased with these pins.

I use their string trees, nuts, saddles, and bridge pins. Everything is top quality. Everything is permanently lubricated, of uniform density. Drop their products from a few inches onto a counter or table top.

Now, take the original part that you’ve decided to replace and do the same thing with it. The difference in sonic resonance and brightness will be immediately obvious. AND, unless you absolutely beat the living hell out of it, it’ll last forever.

I just can’t see any down-side to using Graphtec products. Oh, by the way, I’m using these particular bridge pins in my Taylor 210e dlx Acoustic.

Replaced original plastic pins with these pins. These are the presentation pins. Worked perfectly on my Epi Hummingbird Pro. Measured original pins with a digital caliper and, there was a very slight difference.

The original pins really didn’t bottom out on the bridge and, went in tight. These graphtech pins went in smoothly and, bottomed out on the bridge looked and, actually fit better than the originals. I tugged each string after the pin was in and, no slipping at all.

The main difference I noticed was more Sustain.

Your ad advertises the pin in a box but it comes in a small plastic; and though not an essential part of a guitar accessories, it has its charm and functionality for other usage. but it wasn’t part of the package.

deceived!.

Quick delivery, exactly as described! Great seller!

They did what I expected them to do. They are just plastic pins that holds a guitar string in place. They are in much better shape than the broken ONE I needed to replace.

Not my first set. Normally excellent, but the last pack had pins with a couple of flaws. And since I needed them urgently and had been forced to order them from abroad, I was more than a little disappointed.

My previous Graphtech (several, bridges, nuts & pins) have all been excellent. After 57 years of acoustic guitar playing, I have concluded that these products deliver the best overall sound from my instruments.

And I’ve tried a lot.

I’m experienced, just not with bridge pins. Unfortunately none of the 3 people I spoke with at MF were knowledgeable either, which is unusual. So they sent me what they had in stock, these “Presentation Style” pins.

Turns out these are not widely used and didn’t fit my guitar. (BTW – there’s some helpful info on the graphtech site) What’s more common are the “Traditional” pins. Found these elsewhere and they fit.

Now the MF people tell me these are a nonreturnable item, along with the second set of different pins they sent me that also didn’t fit. So my 2 star rating is as much about MF as it is about the pins.

Everything you’ve heard about Tusq bridge pins you can actually hear when you play. Breadth, depth and more harmonically rich. Strings 1-3 in particular. NOTE: there is some truth that saddles effect sound more than pins.

That may be true, but I heard the difference as soon as the pins were installed-which came after adding a Tusq saddle. It’s an amazing way to make every guitar better for very little–with one more aesthetic benefit that never seems to get mentioned: your guitar remains free of bone, which, if you recall, is an animal part.

I bought a Big Baby exactly 2 months ago from here and while I love it, I felt that something was missing. I was having some tuning issues with it which I attributed to the cheap plastic pins, which taylor uses on these, so I decided after reading some reviews all over the net, to finally break down and buy a set of these in Black.

They came in today and contrary to what some have said, installation was a breeze with zero issues. I did not have any of these popping out when I was tuning up my guitar. I think these comments were from folks who didn’t install them properly.

These not only improved the tone on my Big Baby but as I thought they would, they have also increased the tuning stability on it as well. Why Taylor doesn’t install these on all of their models, I don’t know but if you have a Big Baby, I suggest you get a set of these.

I bought the abalone version of these to dress up my new Taylor GS mini and out of the box they did not work at all. Without strings they dropped into the holes with no resistance, but not overly loose either.

ok with strings they seemed to fit good except for the low E position. that one wouldn’t go much more than half way in. Then while tuning the other 5 strings the A string pin lifted out! The fix? Turns out that the slot routed into the side of the pins wasn’t deep enough or long enough to accommodate the larger bass strings.

By long enough I mean that the slot stopped too far away from the head of the pin. I ended up using a small drill bit to cut the slots deeper and longer until they fit and stayed under string tension.

after that they function ok. As for appearance, a couple of them had pretty abalone dots. The others were dull and nothing to get excited about. One of them looks like they smashed some abalone into dust with a hammer and super glued it into the hole! bottom line, once i got them to fit they’re not terrible.

The fact that they needed modification to work earns them the 2 star rating.

I assumed the replacement bridge would be the same as a Martin but the pins were too big. Ended up with standard pins that worked fine. This isn’t a complaint about the quality of the Martin pins, they didn’t fit.

This product is intended for a guitar, but since it was inexpensive, I decided to take a chance and buy it and try it when I needed to replace an end pin on a piccolo balalaika. It worked, and that string sounded better, so I went ahead and replaced all the pins.

The balalaika is a Russian, late Soviet-era instrument. Since I had no experience replacing pins, I had to improvise with tools, but it all came together all right. If there are special tools to use to replace these, a recommendation would be nice.

Great low cost pins for Martin-style guitar. They seem to be the 2A size, and originally sat a little high in the pin holes in my Silver Creek T-170 guitar. Since I wanted them to sit down on the collars, I sanded them down a little by turning them in a variable speed drill and using a few finger nail file.

They look great and fit perfectly now.

These bridge pin fit a fender bridge. But the do not fit a Martin bridge. Martin bridge pins are thicker

Exactly what I would expect from a Fender product. However do wish that the picture didn’t show they came in the Box rather than just a little plastic bag.

These are thinner than some others and may be too loose for some guitars. I stock a variety of brands for different applications. These are a perfect fit for Yamaha acoustics, at least the older ones.

Well made, no visible seams in the plastic, and the material is not the kind that is too hard and brittle. For many modest guitars, a good choice. Very white, not cream-colored.

Pins are cheap and too thin, I had to toss these in the trash, would not fit my Fender Acoustic, (made in China), actually loose, not just popping out but would not remotely stay in place. I’ll need to find the correct size, if there is one?.

my problem, so make sure your pins are this very small sleeve thin style, because once you open them to try them you really can’t send them back as there is no packaging, not an expensive loss however.

Probably better just to do these repairs local I suppose, live and still keep learning.

Good value for the price, the price for the acoustic light bronze strings especially good. Bridge pins also did the job. Fender steel strings were good but not exceptional.

Used these bridge pins to enhance the look and tone of my Martin D121. Wasn’t sure that they would make a difference but needed to replace my plastic pins and decided to try these. Not only did they look terrific (my guitar looks great but these pins add to the overall look of the instrument) but I could actually hear a difference in the tone.

They added an across the spectrum warmth to the already brilliant full tone of this guitar! I would think that they would have a subtle positive affect on almost any guitar they were placed in. Absolutely worth the extra money for the ebony pins with the pearl inlay!.

These are nice, but they are smaller than original Martin specs. This is NOT a reflection on the seller. These pins are a tad small and are loose in my 1946 D-18. I have a two sets of these in white, that are from the eighties, that fit perfectly.

I bought these because black is more correct for 1946. So Martin has outsourced since then. I’m sure these fit post eighties Martins, so just be aware that things change when companies change hands over the years.

Broke bridge pin by accident (saved the guitar). These are a definite go to item for the repair and perform like originals.

One of these pins was made without a groove for the string to fit into. I managed to make it work using that one for the high E string. The pins were a little small for my guitar ( an older Epiphone) and they kept popping out of the holes.

I had to wrap one with scotch tape to make it thicker to keep in in the hole. I just put them on yesterday and so still too early to say if they improved my guitar’s sound or not.

I bought these to put on my cedar top Seagull. As others have said, the initial fit is a little loose as they are a smaller diameter and shorter than the original pins. I also managed to launch one during initial tuning up so keep a finger on them when installing.

In the Seagull they severely muted the tone and volume of the guitar, so much that I thought my strings suddenly went dead. The biggest impact was on the G string and in case your curious I use Martin Retro’s.

So after a couple of days I swapped them out to a inexpensive laminated spruce top I have. In the spruce to they did slightly mute the overly-bright tones it had, which helped to balance out the bass vs treble tones of the guitar.

I did notice increased sustain, so overall a nice improvement on this guitar. I use Martin Retro’s on this guitar also for reference. In summary, these pins look really nice. I would hesitate using them in a cedar top but suggest giving them a try if you have a guitar that is overly bright.

I am very satisfied. I bought two sets for my rather inexpensive guitars to replace the plastic pins. I have an Epiphone 50th anniv Caballero and a Recording King single 0 Dirty Thirties. On the Epi I tested the old 6th string with the new pin and there was a noticeable difference up in brightness.

I also recorded the before and after with my phone and the difference was easy to hear. I then changed out all the strings from the originals to Martin SP Lifespan extra lights and the result is very pleasing.

I think I will go on to change out the plastic saddle and nut to Tusq on the Epi. The Recording King, though very inexpensive, has a solid top and bone saddle and nut standard. I have always been impessed with the sound of this guitar.

I didn’t perform the same test but just switched out the original strings (I think they were D’Addario EJ16) to D’Addario nickle bronze custom lights. The sound is now different, maybe slightly softer, but very pleasing to me.

I got one of those lower end Alvarez guitars that is all solid wood construction made in Chiney. I knew their wood be some week link somewhere. sure enough after bout a 1 year span it still had a tin can sound on the 1st , 2nd and 3rd strings.

I had a feeling that the boxwood or ebony pins would make a change for the better. I had never heard of boxwood. but anyway they warmed the guitar up instantly. I just loosened up the strings enough to get the plastic s##t out and pushed the boxwood pins into the bridge and tuned up.

the sound was improved amazingly. Alvarez does have a wonderful product but like anything their were things that had to be done like it needed a good full detail setup. and some high quality tuning machines.

and now the boxwood tuners , and I have an ace guitar , get the MD60. its all solid wood and its mahagony. and its at GC. it is light too.

I bought these pins for a mid range priced A/E guitar that I use as a back up to my Martin. I was changing strings one day when one of the factory pins snapped in the bridge. I ordered these as a factory replacement.

These are made from ABS plastic and they function well for their purpose. Granted, if you want the best sound transference, you want either bone or brass, but since I don’t play professionally every day, I didn’t see the need for an inexpensive guitar.

Besides, ABS will do the job. These are good for their intended purpose and the price was hard to say ‘no’ to. I chose the black w/white to blend in somewhat with the bridge and to add a slight custom look to my guitar.

They did all that and they hold the strings in place, too. What more could you ask, right? I gave these 3 stars because they are OK, but not lousy nor are they excellent, either. They are factory functional for most guitars.

Good pins for a good price, just buy them if you need them.

My son loves the new guitar bridge pins! They are strong and well made and they add a little sparkle to his guitar! Definitely recommend them!

Love these. Come in different colors are dress up acoustic guitar nicely!

Look great thanks.

These picks are fantastic for all genres and styles. With my acoustic they give a bright clarity with strumming, single note passages and arpeggiated chords. My main use for them is on electric guitar in a metal setting.

I get great dynamics, and my favourite things about these picks are how easy tremolo picking is, and how easy pinch harmonics are. Fantastic all around plectrums.

Previously used standard sized but within 10 mins, it just felt right even though the jazz lll black stiffo is only around 3/4 size of standard size. The thickness of ~1. 38mm is great as the material (nylon) is extremely rigid and turning out to be very hard wearing.

Ive found it great for strumming and brilliant for lead single note work as the tip is very pointy. Once you get used to the size, you may find yourself wondering why its taken you so long to convert.

I was previously using Dunlop 500 1. 5mm btw.

Picks are a personal thing. You have to find the one that works for YOU. You can however look at other people with similar playing styles or playing styles you are trying to target to get ideas. This pick is my all around pick, but i have many other types for different guitars and different styles.

For me these picks small size and non-flexible design make it easier to play accurately. If I’m playing metal/punk i can cleanly strum quickly and accurately. Thinner and floppier picks have a delay when you strum down because they flex, and your true speed delivered by your hand is not delivered to the string.

Thinner picks can muddy fast playing for me. These picks just do not have that problem, they strike when you strike.

They dropped right into an old guitar of mine. I was worried they wouldn’t fit right not being a Martin. I had broke two of the guitars older pins and was having issues with intonation. It plays like a champ again!.

If you’re going to stick with plastic these Martin bridge pins are a step up from the usual reaally cheap ones that come on many budget guitars. I bought them for my Yamaha FG800 and they class it up a little bit.

I needed to buy two sets of bridge pins for my 12-string. So, these were affordable, and I knew what I was getting into buying plastic. Although they are plastic, the age of my guitar has a great sound, so these actually did nothing to hurt the sound of my guitar.

The only real problem I had was, in shipping, one of the boxes got crushed, and lost one of the pins. They come with an extra, so it worked out ok.

Improved tone and looks on a relatively cheap guitar – well worth the change

Very high quality as well good looking. Help produce great tone.

Does the job great. +++AAA. God Bless .

Like my title says, they actually work. I just replaced the stock and plastic pins on my 2016 Seagull Entourage Folk style guitar with this set, and the result is amazing. My guitar sounded better now, these pins added some resonance and sustain that wasn’t there with the plastic pins.

In my opinion, this boxwood actually sounded brighter and louder compare to Graph tech Tuqs bridge pins. I used to have the Tusq installed on my Alvarez which I sold months ago. Tusq were ok, they work, too, but I like these boxwood pins better because they added some brightness, crispness, sustain and a little more volume on my guitar.

Not to mention, this sets are cheaper than Graph tech Tusq pins. If you’re thinking about getting them, don’t hesitate, you won’t regret it, you might just love it and end up keeping them in your guitar forever.

I bought two sets of these not really knowing what to expect (or that there were various sizes of bridge pins for guitars). That’s because in the 16 years that I’ve owned my Fender DG20CE, I had never broken a bridge pin.

Then, it happened. I broke the head off of one of the original stock pins (with a plastic string winder/bridge pin puller). There was nothing on Fender’s website (and my email regarding the original bridge pin size was never answered).

So, buying these was really a shot in the dark. But, they worked. If you own a Fender DG20CE, these bridge pins will work. Compared to the original stock pins, the heads on these are slightly larger (and that’s pretty much it).

Also, just for reference, the Dunlop Bridge Pin Puller / Bottle Opener fits these pins (if you have it), and a regular, plastic string winder/pin puller fits them as well. The only issue I encountered after putting these on my guitar was that I ended up using more of each guitar string vs.

the stock pins (and the beginning of each string’s ball end stuck out a little). But, none of my strings broke (and I don’t expect them to). But, I can’t say for sure if that was because they were different pins and not the originals.

Who knows? So, if you own a Fender DG20CE and you need to replace any of the original bridge pins on your guitar like I did, but don’t want to spend a lot of money (on Tusq pins), these will definitely work.

I hope this helps.

I bought a used guitar and someone decided to remove the stock white bridge pins and replace them with black ones, that didn’t fit. I ordered these white with abalone pins and it changed the look of my herringbone dreadnought completely.

Sometimes pins can change the sound, but luckily these kept the guitar sounding the same. Perfect. I would recommend these to anyone. They look fantastic.

Broke a bridge pin on my Epiphone DR150, so I took a chance with the Martin pins. They came and were too big for the existing holes, so I took a needle file and carefully sanded down the hole until they fit snugly.

What a difference in the sound! Used the Martin Light acoustic strings and it sounded brighter and eliminated the string buzz. And it was pretty easy to do. Just take your time with the file (check the hole with the pin every minute or so until you are happy with the fit) Good replacement item!.

Nice bridge pins. They do the job nicely. Look great doing it. What can you say; they’re Martin. I wish Musicians Friend had the ebony or rosewood abalone pins. But these are just fine too