A very quick, clip, tip! Thanks Randy!

Excellent advice. Thanks Randy

You come up with another great tip, yet it means I have to buy another tool! You are a good bad man.

Another great Quick Tip

Thanks Randy, tips are great

Thanks for the tips Randy. I never even thought about having to use a tapered reamer to get the bridge pins to fit better. I’ll check the fit on the pins the next time I do string changes. I will have to figure out the best way to label the pins so they go in the same hole they came out of.

Interesting tips, Randy! Have a great week, Cristina

I have a 2004 seagull S series grand acoustic . At one point I removed all the strings to oil the board and the saddle fell out . They come stock with TUSQ saddles and nut. I also found the rout in the bridge had a missed spot on the treble side a sort of small rosewood lip that I trimmed away using an Xacto blade . Also the pins were plastic and I got Graph Tech TUSQ 3 degree taper or traditional pins which were .208" under the collar rather than .203" . I was told by Godin /seagull that the bridge must have dried out which does not explain the rout lip . I humidified it from the inside and the pins still fit loose and the saddle slot was .010" to wide , enough that the saddle tipped forward and also feel out . They only make one width saddle for this guitar so I used rosewood super glued to the lower bout side of the new saddle and sanded that until I had snug not tight fit. Also if a bridge dries out the top being solid wood was not it had their normal high action . I tend the feel they just didn't rout the slot proper or ream the pin holes proper. The pins do fit snug at the plate yet do not set down in the pin chamfer to the collar and fo the low E to fit I needed to file a bit of the low E pins slot mostly at the plate area. They also fall out with no strings and with strings can be rocked a bit by the pins ball . I bought it new in 2006 and it's a 2004 model year from an on-line dealer which I believe had a showroom so I have no idea what their RH was . The pins don't fly out and can't be pulled out with strings in so I felt it best just to leave it be . Also watching your videos on humidifying acoustics many guitars like seagull and Taylor and Epiphone have hard wood laminate sides and back and a solid top . I still use a dampit and keep them in their case since hardwood laminate back and sides won't crack they still can dry out. Have you any thought's if this type of construction requires the same attention as a solid wood acoustic?

Good tip brother! Looks like you've been reaming quite a few holes! Rock on!

Good advice 👍

Going back into the same hole is so important I know. Also for the sake of the string itself. I used to always panic a little with my pins, worried about popping them in the wrong holes, then thought to just stick a piece of masking tape on the top of each with what string that belonged to. No more worries. I hope your weekend was good! ~G~ ♪

Thanks for the tips. I just ordered a tapered reamer a few minutes ago. I can't wait till it comes. I'm anxious to install a new bridge on an old guitar and make it playable again. 👍😎🎸🎶

Great video Randy to accompany the last one about the brass plate saver under the saddle. I have brass "tone pins" installed on my guitars which are just brass pins really but they fit flush to the bridge to get as much mass as possible holding the string ends. I have only needed to make minor adjustments to my own acoustics using hobby files, removing a tiny amount of wood in the pin holes to get a good fit. Like you say, if you don't get a good fit with enough pin length down into the hole it won't lock the ball ends against the bridge inside the guitar and they'll pop out 😧

Nice job.

Good stuff Randy,take care mate.

Great advice! Have a great evening:D

Good video Randy🎸🎸🎸👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼😊

Great quick clip tips video, Randy :-) Wishing you a happy Wednesday.....Jenny ♫

Instead of that tapered reamer, I found a set of "easy-out" spiral bits for recovering broken bolts (was half the price at the time). They're designed so you drill a hole in the broken bolt end, then reverse screw these down in until the tapered spiral thread grabs and bites into the metal. The reverse bit means you keep turning the same way and (hopefully) the bolt will turn and come out. Anyway, I found the the smallest size was perfect as a pin hole reamer. A light touch is best, and keep checking the pin like you showed. Thanks Randy!

Martin has a video on youtube explaining that the pins should not go all the way into the hole but there should be a 1/32" to 1/64" gap between the top of the bridge and the rim of the pin to allow for wear. I thought that's smart. I just got the same reamer you have and enlarged the holes a tiny bit on my takamine so I could replace the plastic pins to slightly thicker bone ones. It turned out great. I don't know about the sound though as I changed a bunch of other things too including new strings lol. Great tip on the reamer! And no we don't have to fork out 80 for the stewmac one. The 5 degree tapered one you have is like 15 bucks on amazon or ebay (buyers beware the starting Dia has to be around 3mm, some sellers sell worthless ones which start at 5.8mm, that won't fit the hole. The 3-13 is the way to go). I got 5 degree pins so it's a match. Fits like a glove.

Great video Randy! You should mention the taper degree so people don’t just run out and get just any degree taper! Lol! Well, if they’re drilling the holes out with a standard drill bit you might wanna mention taper degree!

Good tips Randy. Putting the pins back in the same hole is an often overlooked tip. A tight pin may need just to be switched or just some " light sanding."

They have a 3° reamer and a 5° reamer I have a 1942 gibson southern jumbo re-issue any idea what size I should use?

randy I want to know what size platemate for a washburn WD10S that I need for my guitar thanks FLOYD T

Hi i am fitting a new bridge on my acoustic. I just purchased a reamer. Should i start the holes with a tiny drill bit first and then ream out the rest? thanks

I've got a Washburn electro acoustic I was given, but I'm starting to wonder if someone's taken a drill to the pin holes or done something because the pins fall all the way in too easily. They don't actually fall out when I turn it over but when I push them up from inside there is no resistance or friction at all. There should be some resistance, right? The pin heads go right into the grooves so you can't get a grip on them from the top.

great video i used a tapered handle of a file to taper my bridge pin holes.

My guitar was left out in the cold to long, I brought it in and it started to get wet from the temperature change so I took the strings off and dried around the saddle just and fret board and some of the inside just incase. I dont know which pin goes in which hole now so im pretty much screwed. I don't know how to measure pins or the taper of them.

Good to know!!Cheers Randy !!Hoold!Onnn!! H2Q-Ball!!

Hi Randy, Yes you did explain it OK. My guitar stay dehydrated when it's at my brother's house. That's why I keep it there. But my pen's still do not go all the way down. Will that hurt my guitar?

What size reamer is used.

I didn’t think it mattered if they fall out when turned upside down because once string is fitted the ball end locks it into place against bridge plate, yeah?

I see you're alive 'again' :p Saw us both bite the big one in 'Deathmatch' . . . TWICE ! * I'm surprised you didn't mention that tuning 'keys' on violins / fiddles , cellos, & stand up bases are 'tapered pins' too ! Practically all super high precision machine tools use tapers to not only have a snug fit, but to insure concentricity & centering of the part or component ! ** Tapered drill bits exist to make the chore a lot less 'iffy' , so 'guesstimation' rules out major FUBARS ! 'See ya in the next DEATHMATCH ! hahaha ! EDIT : Another thing to remember , is that not all bridge pins are the same taper ! ! ! ! *typically , they're 3 degrees . . . but some are 5 ! So reaming isn't going to help if you have the wrong reamer for the job at hand . . . you'd be spittin' smoke & fire if you got it wrong . Here's a site with a chart of sorts, that explains the various makes of guitars , & the bridge pins they use . . . : www.guitarpartsandmore.com/?nav=pins 'Hope this saves someone a lot of gGrief ! ! !

Yes it's the original pin's. Where can buy the reamer? Thanks for the advice.

When using the reamer do I ensure reamer is straight or at a slight angle. Thanks

Hi Randy, Thank you for your grate videos. I didn't watch this video soon enough :( Now I have a guitar that the pin holes are wider than the pins. I also used a half an inch thick piece of wood and glued it under the part that has the pinholes , which i had to drill the hole into. Now I have holes that are wider and deeper that normal. Any solution to my situation?

Good video. But I have never seen a Martin where the pins go all the way down. I have only seen them go all the way down on cheaper guitars. Am I wrong here?

is it worth getting bone pins? I have a bone saddle and nut, but the pins are plastic? So is it worth changing them. I do have ebony pins on my Taylor big baby, can't say that it sounds better or not.

Randy, what about making the bridge pins smaller and leaving the bridge pin holes alone? More work I guess.

what about sanding the pins to fit?

or you could buy the right pins?

Randy do you know James at ratlecan guitar restorations.if not plz go to his channel and give him some advice on a lone ranger guitar

🎶Have you seen us uncle reamer, sorry in advance lol

Everyone of these video are good. I aint reaming any of it. Im so irritated bridge pins dont fit. Spent a fortune buying a D-18 Great guitar then i find the bridge pins are shit plastic after while. I got ebony bridge pins and of course they dont fit.

I really like the Woodglut plans.

That what she said ream she . Sorry I'm bad lol

How to make a 15second vid into 2 minutes.