Too-Small Holes in Bridge

[Steve Freides]

I was trying to restring a student's guitar earlier, a Takamine
EG530SSC. I pulled the peg out for the first string, I took out the
string, and I went to put in a new first string. I have Martin Acoustic
strings, .013 first string, that someone in town here was getting rid
of.

The ball end is too big for the hole. I've been playing guitar for 53
years, and I've never had this happen. The peg was a pain in the behind
to get out, too. I'm thinking this is a luthier job - new holes, new
pegs.

Comments and suggestions? Is there a standard size here?

Thanks.

-S-

[Steve Daniels]

On Fri, 22 Jan 2016 22:39:07 -0500, against all advice, something
compelled "Steve Freides" <st...@kbnj.com>, to say:

I don't know how much playing your student has done, but if it's not
much, thirteens are a bit heavy. I run them, but only after I'd played
for a few years. That's not your question of course, and even a set of
tens would have the same ball size.

You could take the non-ball end and pass it through the pin hole from
inside the body, snug it up against the plate, and then put the pin in.

[Steve Freides]

Steve Daniels wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Jan 2016 22:39:07 -0500, against all advice, something
> compelled "Steve Freides" <st...@kbnj.com>, to say:
>
>> I was trying to restring a student's guitar earlier, a Takamine
>> EG530SSC. I pulled the peg out for the first string, I took out the
>> string, and I went to put in a new first string. I have Martin
>> Acoustic strings, .013 first string, that someone in town here was
>> getting rid of.
>>
>> The ball end is too big for the hole. I've been playing guitar for
>> 53 years, and I've never had this happen. The peg was a pain in the
>> behind to get out, too. I'm thinking this is a luthier job - new
>> holes, new pegs.
>>
>> Comments and suggestions? Is there a standard size here?
>
>
> I don't know how much playing your student has done, but if it's not
> much, thirteens are a bit heavy. I run them, but only after I'd played
> for a few years. That's not your question of course, and even a set of
> tens would have the same ball size.

She's playing 12's now, and I had 13's, and she said she'd try them. I
have them on my acoustic and really like how they sound - on some
guitars, they really make it come alive in a way that lighter strings
just don't.

>
> You could take the non-ball end and pass it through the pin hole from
> inside the body, snug it up against the plate, and then put the pin
> in.

I'd consider that cruel and unusual punishment to the next person who
tried to change the strings.

-S-

[Tony Done]

Is it just that the grooves in the pins are too small? I've had this
happen a few times. I just cut the grooves deeper with a Dremel. - Like
my pins to be drop-fit, just held in by the pressure of the string ball.

I also think that 13s are too heavy for a beginner.


--
Tony Done

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=784456

http://www.flickr.com/photos/done_family/

[Al Evans]

Steve Freides <st...@kbnj.com> wrote:

>
> The ball end is too big for the hole. [...]

>
> Comments and suggestions? Is there a standard size here?
>

Are the ball ends on the ones you took off smaller, then? I don't think
I've ever seen that, but then, I don't get around much....

At any rate, it seems to me that if you reamed out the holes, the pins
might not fit any more.

--Al Evans

[dsi1]

I'd just push down on the ball with a pen. It'll pop in. I'd just yank
the string out too if it resisted some. Sometimes you just got to use
some muscle on these things. The hole will enlarge with string changes.
By the time she's 60 the hole ought to be real loosey-goosey.
.

[Steve Freides]

Tony Done wrote:
> On 1/23/2016 1:39 PM, Steve Freides wrote:
>> I was trying to restring a student's guitar earlier, a Takamine
>> EG530SSC. I pulled the peg out for the first string, I took out the
>> string, and I went to put in a new first string. I have Martin
>> Acoustic strings, .013 first string, that someone in town here was
>> getting rid of.
>>
>> The ball end is too big for the hole. I've been playing guitar for
>> 53 years, and I've never had this happen. The peg was a pain in the
>> behind to get out, too. I'm thinking this is a luthier job - new
>> holes, new pegs.
>>
>> Comments and suggestions? Is there a standard size here?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> -S-
>>
>>
> Is it just that the grooves in the pins are too small? I've had this
> happen a few times. I just cut the grooves deeper with a Dremel. -
> Like my pins to be drop-fit, just held in by the pressure of the
> string ball.

This has nothing to do with the pins - the "ball" doesn't fit through
the hole.

> I also think that 13s are too heavy for a beginner.

She's a student but she's not a beginner. Please do not assume facts
not in evidence. :)

-S-

[Steve Freides]

Al Evans wrote:
> Steve Freides <st...@kbnj.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> The ball end is too big for the hole. [...]
>>
>> Comments and suggestions? Is there a standard size here?
>>
>
> Are the ball ends on the ones you took off smaller, then? I don't
> think I've ever seen that, but then, I don't get around much....

Yes - I looked at them, and they are indeed different sizes. Not by
much, but you can see the difference.

> At any rate, it seems to me that if you reamed out the holes, the pins
> might not fit any more.

That's why I think I'm going to have a luthier deal with this.

> --Al Evans

[Steve Freides]

'zactly, that. BTW, ever yank on a piece of metal that's only 12 or 13
thousands of an inch thick, I mean, yank hard after wrapping it around
your hand? I have, and that's why they call me Niner now.

-S-

[dsi1]

Of course I've done that. My guess is that everybody with a steel string
guitar has done that. Oddly enough, my 60's Martin will still have some
trouble getting the ball end out. It's due to the elastic nature of wood
and the tendency of the bridge to swell up in humid environments. My
theory is that in drier areas of the country, the ball part will be
easier to remove but I've not had any experience in these areas.

[David L. Martel]

> That's why I think I'm going to have a luthier deal with this.
>

Isn't that overkill? I'd first buy a new set of strings. If the new
strings go on then the problem is solved

Dave M.

[Alan D.]

It may be that the bridge plate is just a tad thick. The pins are tapered so
smaller at the bottom (inside of the guitar) than the top. The longer the hole
as with a thick bridge plate then the smaller it is at the bottom. If you just
ream with a #3 taper pin ream it then the pin might end up going in too deep
and bottom out at the top surface.

If that is the case, and I think you are on the right track to have a repair
person take a look first, then you can just slowly ream it with number drills.
They are parallel sided so won't enlarge the taper part of the pin hole per se
but will make it larger at the bottom end first. Working up slowly in numbers
with the drills you can get it so the ball goes in free w/o modifying the taper
of the hole or the pin seat.

Just FYI,
Alan D.



"You might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment". - Francis Urquhart

[Steve Freides]

Thanks.

-S-

[Steve Freides]

No - there's nothing terribly unusual about a set of Martin acoustic
guitar strings, the tolerance shouldn't be that tight, and I don't want
to have to

Martin, 80/20 Bronze, Medium, .013 - .056. Not quite sure why a 13 is
labelled medium - maybe these are old. I bought several sets from a
neighbor who wasn't going to use them but had stocked up, and I've been
using them very happily on my acoustic.

This should be fixed.

-S-