daddyelmis Posted May 1, 2003 Share Posted May 1, 2003 I bought a used Epiphone Chet Atkins acous/elec for stage use. The bridge pins just don't seem to want to hold the strings in. I thought perhaps they were just old/cheap, so I bought a new set and they have the same problem. Does the Epi take a larger than standard bridge pin? The bridge itself and pin holes look fine, not worn, no obvious sign that the prior owner fooled with it. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Greg www.ruleradio.com "Fame is like death: We will never know what it looks like until we've reached the other side. Then it will be impossible to describe and no one will believe you if you try." - Sloane Crosley, Village Voice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djinn1973 Posted May 7, 2003 Share Posted May 7, 2003 There is a company called Stewart MacDonald that sells a slightly larger than normal set of pins. I would start there So those calluses are supposed to be there; right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamsa2000 Posted May 7, 2003 Share Posted May 7, 2003 Assuming that you are holding the pin down when you're tightening up the string....I've actually had to glue very thin shims of wood into the holes with some guitars over the years. Seems to do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddyelmis Posted July 9, 2003 Author Share Posted July 9, 2003 bumping this up top to see if there are any other thoughts. Here's the goofy thing . . . I ordered the oversize pins from StewMac -- and they were too big. No matter what I do to get the two standard size sets of pins (the ones that came with the guitar or the first "new" set of standard size) to hold, they don't. I even tried a single wind of masking tape to increase diameter a bit. I'm at a complete loss . . . except to consider a new bridge. This seems extreme for a guitar that appears to have seen little use. Thoughts, anyone?? www.ruleradio.com "Fame is like death: We will never know what it looks like until we've reached the other side. Then it will be impossible to describe and no one will believe you if you try." - Sloane Crosley, Village Voice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted July 9, 2003 Share Posted July 9, 2003 EZPEGS should do the trick. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 9, 2003 Share Posted July 9, 2003 Now, I've taken oversized bridge pins and filed and sanded them by hand to fit (very tedious!) and gotten fine results. Are you certain that the openings in the bridge for the string-ends aren't worn? How about the underside of the bridge-pad, inside/underneath the top where the bridge is located? This is common enough, and not only messes up string anchoring and tuning stability, it undermines tone and sustain, as well. These latter problems are tough to diagnose without an inspection mirror to get inside there. Some of these things are addressed in Dan Erlewine's Guitar Player Repair Guide, published by the folks behind Guitar Player magazine. (Seems like I'm pushing that book a lot lately.) The folks at Stewart MacDonald might be able to both help you diagnose the causes and prescribe (and sell you) the cures. Anyways, try trimming down those bridge pins with a file and some abrasive papers, and see if they help when they just about fit... Best of luck! -k Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddyelmis Posted July 9, 2003 Author Share Posted July 9, 2003 Caevan: The bridge holes have a bit of wear from the string cutting into the bridge, but nothing at all serious. However, the holes themselves appear to be "counter sunk" which is different than the bridges on my "true" acoustics. My initial thought was that the Epi Chet Atkins used some type of "custom" pin, but I have not been able to confirm that. Unfortunately, this is a "semi solid" acoustic/electric, i.e., no sound hole or access to the interior. Removing/replacing the bridge would be the only alternative. The EZPegs look like they might be a fix, but I hate to gamble $40 (although I suppose I could use them on my Guild if they didn't fix the Epi's problem). www.ruleradio.com "Fame is like death: We will never know what it looks like until we've reached the other side. Then it will be impossible to describe and no one will believe you if you try." - Sloane Crosley, Village Voice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMcGuitar Posted July 9, 2003 Share Posted July 9, 2003 What about using some rosin, like is used on violin (etc.) tuning pegs? I can't think of any reason not to try it (after all, if it's safe to use on a $50,000 violin, it should be safe for an Epiphone of any model). May all your thoughts be random! - Neil www.McFaddenArts.com www.MikesGarageRocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 9, 2003 Share Posted July 9, 2003 Originally posted by daddyelmis: "Caevan:" "Unfortunately, this is a "semi solid" acoustic/electric, i.e., no sound hole or access to the interior. Removing/replacing the bridge would be the only alternative."Aahh, sorry that I had forgotten that you had stated that it was an Epi Chet! I should've known that all that about looking inside, etc. was not applicable. I would still experiment with filing and sanding the bigger pins that you got; go gradually, one at a time, and see if that will work. It did for me once! Here's a thought- try contacting some of the better shops that are authorized Epi/Chet dealers, especially those who have that model in stock. I doubt that any of the mail-order/online-only dealers, like Musician's Friend, would be of any help, though! And, you could e-mail Dan Erlewine through Guitar Player magazine, as he has written for them in the not so distant past, even as a columnist; I would think they would be obligated to help you there, and Dan would surely know what's up! (He currently has a spot on the Les Paul Forum, Dan's Guitar Shop, but I don't know just how polite it is to post on there about such a tenuously related instrument, some of their forumites might react the way some here do to "spam"; then again, Dan's a down to earth kind of guy, I doubt that he would mind much!) As for the rosin, maybe it would work, but be careful and use it sparingly, a little goes a long way, as it is extremely stubborn and sticky stuff. I have to wonder if the stuff would prove to be a pain if any future repair work needed to be done, hampering the glueing of parts, etc. I once tried out a violin bow on a flat-top, bowing chords and stuff, and, though it sounded great, that damn rosin got all inside the winding on the wound strings and totally ruined a fresh set of Martin Marquis Phosphor-Bronze .014's for any normal playing- completely, utterly dead! And, I think that there's still residue in the tiny crevace around the bridge! Best of luck, and keep us posted! -k Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted July 9, 2003 Share Posted July 9, 2003 DUH! I have somewhat the same issue with my Yamaha FG411S. I've tried numerous pins in it. The wooden pins seem to work the best bot there's a tehnique I use when installing my strings that has virually eliminated the occurance. This is assuming the bridge pad K mentioned earlier is there and is in decent condition. When you insert the string into the hole, make sure the retainer barrel is parallel to the sound board. It's sometimes a bit testy cause sometimes the string will try to turn. Anyway, insert the string with the barrel parallel and then insert the peg, slowly pulling up on the string. You may have to slightly pull the peg out a bit now and again but you'll feel the barrel finally come into contact with the bridge pad. Then push the pin in as snugly as you can and do your normal string winding technique while keeping some pressure on the string at the bridge end. You may have to reseat the peg once or twice while tuning but it should lock in and stay. The key seems to be getting the barrel in the right alignment. Once that happens the string actually pulls the barrel up against the bridge pad and the peg keeps it from moving out of position. At that same time the barrel is trying to move toward the center of the hole and pushes the peg toward the back of the hole. The pressure there causes enough friction that the peg will stay in place. Giver 'er a shot. Nothin' to lose 'ceptin' some time. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes from Wpg Posted July 9, 2003 Share Posted July 9, 2003 I had that problem but after restringing a couple of times I got the hang of it and its OK now. I have another problem which I'm not sure is related. I have a buzz at the bridge pins when playing certain chords. I'm not sure if this is caused by my technique, an inexpensive guitar, or a combination of both. Is there something that can be done to reduce or eliminate this. I tried a new set of bridge pins, but it seems about the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted July 9, 2003 Share Posted July 9, 2003 Originally posted by Wes from Winnipeg: I have another problem which I'm not sure is related. I have a buzz at the bridge pins when playing certain chords. I'm not sure if this is caused by my technique, an inexpensive guitar, or a combination of both. Is there something that can be done to reduce or eliminate this. I tried a new set of bridge pins, but it seems about the same.Could be the bridge or bridge pad is loose. Also the bridge insert the strings lie over may not be sharp enough. Too flat and it can cause a buzz though if it's only with cerain chordings it must be a particular resonance frequency and lead more to the bridge or pad being loose. 'Course it could also be other things, braces & etc in sympathetic vibration. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted July 10, 2003 Share Posted July 10, 2003 Hey- I just remembered another trick- try putting in the bridge-pins backwards, that is, with the flute, or groove, facing away from the bridge and strings, towards the tail-end of the guitar. This has worked for me before with similar pin-pop-ups. This, done with those oversizied pins (after you file'em to fit), just might work! Good luck! -k Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddyelmis Posted July 16, 2003 Author Share Posted July 16, 2003 Originally posted by daklander: EZPEGS should do the trick.Just ordered a set to try. Last night, I tried oiling the bridge holes with lemon oil based on a recommendation that the bridge may have dried out and the holes shrunk a bit. No luck, although it got closer (that's how little difference in size we're talking about here). I'm going to try wrapping the standard pins with "something" to increase the diameter slightly. BTW, the folks at Epi's customer support have be GREAT -- very fast response to email by knowledgable people. Unfortunately, they don't have any great ideas either. I fear a new bridge is in the offing. www.ruleradio.com "Fame is like death: We will never know what it looks like until we've reached the other side. Then it will be impossible to describe and no one will believe you if you try." - Sloane Crosley, Village Voice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 Doh! Wish I'd seen this earlier. Have you tried phoning or emailing Gibson Customer Support? 1-800-4GIBSON or relations@gibson.com They can assist you with your tuning peg situation. I do not remember if the Epi Chet Atkins used larger than normal pins or not, but they can find out, and you might get a pro opinion of how to fix the problem should it be a repair. (They'll refer you to a Gibson authorized repairman, something you can do yourself by visiting their website. Good luck! It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddyelmis Posted July 17, 2003 Author Share Posted July 17, 2003 Originally posted by fantasticsound: Doh! Wish I'd seen this earlier. Have you tried phoning or emailing Gibson Customer Support? 1-800-4GIBSON or relations@gibson.com They can assist you with your tuning peg situation. I do not remember if the Epi Chet Atkins used larger than normal pins or not, but they can find out, and you might get a pro opinion of how to fix the problem should it be a repair. (They'll refer you to a Gibson authorized repairman, something you can do yourself by visiting their website. Good luck!Did that -- great response but no clear answers (largely the same info as posted here, and the very handy list of repair shops locally). Kudo's on their customer support. I think I simply have some holes that, for whatever reason or however done, became too large in diameter. I'm crossing my fingers on the EZ Pegs. www.ruleradio.com "Fame is like death: We will never know what it looks like until we've reached the other side. Then it will be impossible to describe and no one will believe you if you try." - Sloane Crosley, Village Voice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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