We'll cut slots on bridges and/or do neck resets to improve break angle and consequentially tone. Then they come up with an idea to lessen that angle? I can see it could preserve the bridge plate, but even so I don't think it's worth buying it. Thanks for one more great video, Jerry. Cheers!
I just really enjoy both you and Randy. Unlike most television, these videos seem to stimulate the mind. Perhaps because you and Randy are intelligent people sharing ideas and knowledge and opinions. Thanks for that.
My band mate has the same guitar. He took two bone saddles and glued them back to back, to make a thick saddle. Then he replaced the old wooden saddle with the new bone saddle. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! His guitar really woke up. No new bridge needed.
Honest review, and I love that you took us through the process as you installed them. I'm not a fan of the look. It does change the sound, but how you want your guitar to sound is a very subjective thing.
27:38 exactly! that popping cracking wood sound and knowing the stress is from another angle is why I would be careful about choosing them. man you wouldn't ever believe what I've been thru since I made a video about those pins! I hope it doesn't happen to you lol thanks for the plug! :)
In response to your comment, I think it worked out fine the only thing that i said that you did , was over tightened the pins, causing the crunching sound you heard, and put them on a guitar needing serious repair work. Im pleased that you felt that the guitar sounded better with them. I want to thank you again, and i will send a self addressed envelope for the return. One thing i would ask , is for you to show me a pic of the pin holes. Rosa String Works
I’ve been using power pins for the last 6 years or so now. I do however have a higher saddle than Jerry’s guitar. I found it pretty easy to install and I personally think the sounds is a bit clearer and louder. Like I say I’ve them on my tanglewood acoustic for 6 years and I’ve never had any problems with the bridge despite it being a pretty cheaply made acoustic. One thing I did notice was my action went a little higher after putting them on but not crazy high. Not trying to advertise them just giving my honest opinion take from that what you will hope it helps. Love the Chanel Jerry 👍🏻
Also I do believe mine didn’t come with a metal plate for the inside but like I say mine were purchased about 6 years ago so the design may have been modified by the time they came to jerry
@@geoffpowell3657: Just an FYI. Here's a link to Stewmac's ad for the power pins. www.stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware/endpins-and-bridge-pins/power-pins-2-0.html
I've only just started watching your video, having just bought 2 sets, I can't believe my luck in you reviewing the product. These guys know what they are doing in sending them to you.
More clarity? Yes, I hear it. Change your saddle and bridge pins and you'd probably get the same improvement (which you acknowledged regarding your saddle early in the video) and wouldn't be worried about damaging the guitar or having to do major adjustments. I'm definitely not sold on it, but you provided an excellent review and we appreciate that, Jerry (and Randy!).
Love to your channel and learning about acoustic guitars and watching your great skills. As an electric jazz guitarist, I am learning a lot. I will request one thing..please pay attention if you can to tune the guitar when you demo the sound. I would love to know how they sound..but the tuning(lack) can ruin the effect. I know you are in the moment so, please forgive the comment, but tuning would make a huge difference.
Enjoyed the revue. To my feeble ears the " old strings" were robust but undefined, the new were much brighter and the noticeable difference with the Power Pins was simply a little fuller. For my money I would go back to the original pins and let the Gibson be Gibson!! Loved the pin puller! Happy to hear the accolades from the customers, reinforces my observation and previous comments!! Thanks & happy New Year!!
Without spending a lot of money on high quality recording mics, it's difficult to hear the difference in sound production in this kind of video. Still, it was pretty obvious to me that the clarity and projection of sound from the guitar after you installed the power pins was noticeably increased. Whether or not that was an improvement from what the unmodified guitar sounded like before seems to be a matter of subjective opinion. The major "con" with this product seems to be a possible design flaw that may put the bridge of some guitars under unnecessary stress while changing the orientation of important intonation parts. I have a couple of custom guitars that sound so beautiful already, I wouldn't consider this kind of product anyway. However, that bridge pin puller looked like a winner - so thank you for the tip. I actually went and bought one through Amazon!
Pretty interesting invention that would probably be great on some guitars and maybe not work on others, like yours. I'd like to hear a demo with a new bridge and/or deer antler saddle on your Gibson.
As a natural skeptic, I had a bad feeling from the start and it only got worse. This gizmo entirely changes how the strings interact with the bridge, yet I do not hear a whole lot of difference. The commenter who said “more trouble than it’s worth” summed it up for me!
Wonder if you put back standard bridge pins with the higher action what it would sound like. To do a comparison you would have reduce all the variables so the only difference is the different string retainer. Great video as always. Death to the trolls
I put the powerpins on a starter guitar whid had a too dark sound. I had similar saddle height issues and yet I was happy with the results. Back when I got the pins, the metal plate was not supplied, you were asked to use double washers instead
Fair review. The marketing site touts that the system "reduces the angle of string break" over the saddle. That would tend to also reduce sustain. Compare a D35S or New Yorker Martin where the break over the nut takes a more angular dive, and notice the greater sustain compared to an instrument without the slotted head.
This guitar sounds really good even with the old strings. My Martin is a 1970 year and it has been played a lot. I have NEVER had a string break, Never.
Jerry, I have to say the guitar sounded a lot louder with those 'foreign' bits but I'm too much of a traditionalist to contemplate putting them on any of my guitars. If the guitar is built right it shouldn't need any help! (acoustically that is, I have no problem with amplification). Like you, I don't like those Gibson adjustable bridge saddles, and fortunately I don't have any. Anyway, thanks for all the vids so far, and i look forward to many more. Happy New Year from the UK.
I totally agree with you Jerry, about bringing those old strings back to life one can simply detune the entire guitar and then retune it and it will sound brighter and better. I'm surprised more players don't know this or don't want to believe that it works. I also agree I don't like metal stuff on the bridge end of an acoustic guitar. I'm mainly a bass player and many years ago bass strings were so expensive between 40 and $60 a set and I started boiling my bass strings and they come back to life they were like brand-new in fact. I had a friend who was a bass player who swore that by boiling them you would weaken the steel and ruin them and then one day he was at my house and played my old American made Fender precision bass and he's like oh you just put new strings on it huh so now he boils his strings to you can only really boil them one time but it sure saves money. I got to say I'm not real thrilled with these new bridge pins you got it seems like a good idea but I think I just stick with the old plastic stick pins or whatever they're made out of. Sorry I don't leave more comments I watch you on a Roku system and it doesn't allow one to leave a comment I'm leaving this comment with my friend's phone. Keep up the good work I really enjoy watching your videos. Your fellow Missourian, Jack
Well that did seem like a pretty fair review, and personally it did sound better to me and that string puller looks amazing. But i really looked out of place on a lovely old guitar like that. What would make for a fascinating video, though you probably don't have time, would be, this was one way to improve the sound of a guitar and now it would be interesting to see how you would improve the sound, new bridge etc. Keep up the good work.
Watching this video again six months later, I wonder if these pins might be a good idea for a guitar that was designed around them. For example, the popular JLD Bridge Doctor is used from the factory on Breedlove guitars. They specifically design their instruments around it, so it's a functional part of the construction rather than a retrofit. Or, perhaps, a guitar with a custom-fitted bridge designed specifically to take advantage of these pins (and mitigate the disadvantages).
Looks like a gimmick gizmo to me something like the better mousetrap. Makes the guitar sound harsh and tinny. Didn't like the look after installation either. I would never do that to my guitar. Never mind old grumpy at the bottom, great video as always! Happy New Year from Nova Scotia Canada!
Thank you for the review. Like you said, every guitar is different. These pins could be a blessing for some, a curse for others, and elicit nothing more than a shrug from the folks in the middle. When it comes to instruments, there truly is no one-size-fits-all. Everything requires fitting.
I bought a similar product not sure it’s the same. Mine didn’t come with the metal plate. I have a very thick bridge but my threads were pretty long. Luckily the saddle on my Martin was pretty high. I did notice it made it a bit brighter. Not sure that would be worth the price. The biggest pro in my opinion is the ease of changing strings. That in itself would be worth the money to many.
I really wish you would make your own saddle and deer antler bridge that would make that guitar awesome. It would make a great video too. And I remember from the last video you wiping some stuff on that old LS gibson peg head that made the cracked finish smooth out what was that you could do that to this guitar.
OK, so it all comes down to what you want a guitar to do. Some folks want bell like tones and this might be a good way to string one guitar for that. OTOH, some of us want very mellow woody sounding instrument. The dead strings didn't sound bad to me :D
enjoyed the demo of the power pins ,somewhere I saw bridge pins that were brass if they actually resonate better maybe that would be a alternative it they would stay and not pop up on ya ,what I did is used GHS ultra light strings .010-.046 .I didnt think I was going to like the bass response but they sound great and really made this beginner guitar I bought for practice or give away to grandkids sound amazing .I will see if I can find who makes the brass pins and let you know ,now that would be a very easy demo and no bridge work maybe to make them work properly
7:18 Without Power Pins 29:31 With Power Pins I bought the Power Pins because I thought I thought I would change my strings more often with it on, but that didn't happen. Tone was not improved on my guitar, to me. Low end was muddy. Now it's off.
Maybe if you flipped the metal plate and put the bend pointing up instead of down the screws might have poked through a little more and maybe not made the Crunching sound biting into the plate , just a thought. Thanks for all your Videos and Happy New Year.
I tried a JLD bridge doctor with brass pins and it took me a day to get everything put together and couldn't see of feel what the heck I was doing but it worked.
“I’m going to try a set of power pins”. “I think I’ll try them on a 1968 Gibson Jubilee Deluxe that has the strangest bridge and saddle that has ever been on an acoustic guitar”. Lol I like the format of this video. It is obvious you know what you are doing with a guitar. Yet in all fairness I’m convinced that you are the only person that would install power pins on a 1968 Gibson Jubilee Deluxe. That is not very relevant to anyone that is genuinely interested in the power pins. Try them on a cheap plywood guitar and add in one of your antler saddles and a new nut. Make a video of it. I am interested in which of those three parts would have the best influence on the sound in before and after comparisons. Thanks for the video.
You're basically converting the guitar to a "pinless bridge" like you see on Harmony Sovereigns. This creates more of a sheering force loading the bridge. Also there's less of a break angle across the saddle. It also adds weight to the bridge which usually increases bass response but who knows? How this affects the sound is probably random at best. Some might be better, some worse, some the same. It probably wasn't the best test guitar as it had pretty low action and the "shock absorber" adjustable saddle. I usually remove those immediately for residence in the guitar case and replace with a nice compensated bone saddle to better transfer string vibrations to the top. My guess is that a nice neck reset restoring the break angle and a bone saddle would have done a better job than that contraption.
I had the problem that the screws were not long enough. I called the manufacturer and he kindly offered to send longer ones. He noted that these are a standard type that I might find at the hardware store in case I did not want to wait. I went down there and found the screws. Issue solved.
Imho, guitars are built with specific materials, methods, and demensions to produce a specific tonal quality for that particular model; if you start adding/changing hardware the guitar will no longer be what it was intended to be. After altering the guitar, in the short/long term down the road, that guitar will start to change its shape. and once it does, its very difficult(and sometimes impossible) to get it back to the way it was before.
Thought the guitar sounded lovely on the video even before fitting the mod - a lovely 'bloom' to the sound. With the mod I thought the top E sounded a little strident but the sound overall was good - but I agree that mechanically I'd be uncomfortable about the lever action on the top. Would be good to actually measure the difference in forces at concert pitch with and without the mod.
Just one guy's opinion: If it ain't broke....(you know the rest). Gibsons are built to be mellow. The tone comes more out of the body than off the strings. A good one has enough volume to play in any group setting. So, if you want bright sound, buy another brand. AND, while those replacement pins may work as advertised, adding them means you have a lot of explaining to do every time you get into a jam setting. You wind up passing the guitar around for testing and comments, and it really cuts into the music making. And that can't be good. 😁 It goes without saying, I enjoy your videos!
Very fair test and assessment. Good job. But honestly, I think I was hearing a little string noise with the initial set-up, and the saddle could have done with a little raising to begin with, in my opinion. I'm partial to a slightly higher action myself, and usually don't fret so over string height, so maybe it's just me. For that reason, and because the tone was brightened and the volume enhanced, those things may be just what I need for my old Takemine, whose tone and volume has always sounded a little dull to my ear -- nowhere near a Martin which it is a copy of. I have to really dig in to be heard in a jam (another reason for a higher action) and with those, maybe I can back off a notch or two. Thanks for sharing. I'm gonna look into 'em.
Excellent honest evaluation! I admit I thought it sounded slightly better as I prefer a more bass type acoustic sound (as in Gibson & Guild) A lot of messing about really when maybe other more basic improvements like pin or saddle types might work. I don’t think anyone would relish a higher saddle & action either! On a plus side I’ve ordered a Snapz pin puller! Great informative video, liked & subscribed. Many thanks 👍
After watching other reviews on these I noticed a lot were swapping to these from plastic pins and low quality saddles. Hardly a fair comparison. We all have a different idea of perfect acoustic sound & pins, saddle, nut, strings & even pick make a notable difference. Just my opinion! 👍
I watched GSW The other day. His review of the power pins was less than positive too. There is no break angle off the saddle when installing these things. Good idea so it speeds up changing strings. But not practical. Thanks Jerry for your review!!
Those dead strings sounded damn awful good to me...………. You're right it sounds like it has real metallic attack...…… like if you play with a coin or metallic pick.
Gibson changed from a solid maple bridge pad to a plywood pad in the early 60's. I think the plywood pads were a little thicker too. I tried those pins on my '63 J50 with that crappy plastic bridge and adjustable saddle. Like you, I had to raise the saddle way to high for my liking. They might make a cheaper guitar sound better. Who knows. We just need to get rid of those junk plastic bridges!
Just heard of these, and consider to use this technic to reinforce a broken 12-string brigde, and prevent it to happen again. Seems like your "test object" needs a neck reset :) To raise the neck angle I mean. I think you may be a bit prejudiced cause of that. I´ll try to explain. To me it seems like the force wich normally will lift the area behind the brigde, cause of the angle between the brigdestrip and the strings and pins going beyond the soundboards underside, will be sverely reduced and altered. I think with a desent angle between the top of the brigdestrip and the guide-slots in the powerpins, the force now will result in a downward press at the back of the brigde. This will be a natural explanation of increased sutain/volume. Cause this force increases the "physical acoustic connection" betwenn the brigde and the soundboard. Otherwise I really do like your educational and entertaining videos a lot. They keep on inspiring me, and give good advice. You are one of my favorites !!!
Howdy! I like the sound with the old Strings...those light once don't impress me that much... Maybe some mediums would sound a lot better... Aniway, i like that guitar... Maybe if you decide to sell it one day, post it... I would think seriously about buying ... 👍 Greeting from Croatia
That looks like it would raise the chances of breaking the bridge. Maybe would be good for a cheaper guitar that you wanted to enhance the sound. But not for a nice guitar. I think it increases the odds of bridge damage due to the lever action. Also not sure how it wouldn't raise the action on most guitars. I think the sound is slightly better. I like the bridge pin puller. I might get one of those.
I quite like your Gibson, never heard of the Jubilee before but it sounded good to me. Those power pins made the guitar sound like a plywood topped 70s Yamaha acoustic, okay if you like that kind of thing but not my cup of tea. Like you I’m a bit concerned about the mechanical stress those pins are exerting on the bridge. I think I’ll give them a miss.
I'll keep my plastic Hyundai 12-string pins beveled on the end, thank you. Hyundai - that's a real guitar, built in the eighties as a Korean production guitar. I don't want to sound all ghetto but that Hyundai 12 is the only guitar tough enough to withstand adventurous street performance where sometimes you literally run for your life on occasion. The Asian beauty only takes about 27 years for the wood to season then it starts to sound pretty good (about 9 years ago) and when I bought it for a Benjamin in '86 I Crazy Glued the saddle in and added 2 small bolts cuz it was coming off (the saddle)the face of the guitar - the action is a bit challenging so I play lots and lots of slide guitar in an open Db tuning that I invented that is neither major nor minor (extremely resonant like that thing that gets played next to the sitar I'm not googlin it) and my sensei says Db is the key of Earth, of Gaia. The 12: really, kids, unless you own the sturdiest guitar on earth need to be tuned down, pretty much between C and D (as opposed to standard tuning). Sam Ash Percussion wanted 33 bucks for mallets so I took two drumsticks that I found on the street and wrapped #64 rubber bands (elastics to all you Brits) on the ends forming a solid ellipse of mallet end. Total cost for mallets: 7 plus change for 3 years worth of rubber bands. I drum out groovy beats on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood on the Hyundai 12 with the homemade mallets and I bloody rock. You can't hear the guitar over the traffic but you can feel the beat. I think we all agree that some inventors need feedback like Jerry's feedback. Improvement avoided, yay!
I am always reminded of how a mute on a violin bridge actually works by merely adding mass to it. Beyond the increase in mechanical complexity, I would be interested in knowing how much weight this contraption adds to the bridge compared to 6 plastic pins ?
It's not merely the weight. It has a lot to do with placement. The specific location where the mute is placed can make it huge difference. For instance on a violin mute you can use a close pin as a mute. Did you put it at the top in the middle between the top two strings it has a large muting effect for All For Strings. If you put it in a different location on the bridge it mutes it differently. You can put it on where it is more or less parallel to the top under the strings and it needs it totally differently again. It really depends a lot on where the mute is placed on what it does to the sound. The pins on the guitar are after where the sound mostly happens. Meaning that most of the sound is already transferred down through the saddle before it ever gets to the pins. It's a whole science in an of itself
@@RosaStringWorks Thanks for your insight Jerry. I agree that it's not a direct comparison, but I have noticed on Violin mutes that the heavier the mute, the less sound is produced.
Changing the pins can be effective. Changing from plastic to bone or ebony can have a significant effect on sustain and attack. But these pins just dont work on this particular guitar.
Jerry, I like your evaluation. The only problems that i have with it, are, that you over tightened the Power Pins , causing the crunching sounds that you were hearing, as you tightened them, this pulled the front of the pin down into the pin hole and crushed the leading edge , at the same time it deformed the Power Pins string channel, making it difficult to mount the strings properly. I think the fact that you need to have the saddle so low, indicates that this instrument may be in need of a neck reset, as you know, that should cure the high action problem, so that you can raise the saddle a little, and yes ,we do have longer screws. I would like to propose that i send you a new set, with longer screws, and black top washers, that should cover the enlarged pin holes , caused by the over tightening. They only need to be snugged , you can feel the lock washer compress, and then a little nudge past that. I believe that , you do need the complete system , installed on a guitar, that doesnt have issues ,to get a fair evaluation, and to really see what Power Pins do, and to have them work properly. I know your time is valuable, so i do appreciate your doing this. Im hoping that youre willing to continue with this experiment,I just think it would be cool to see how that guitar plays and sounds, when setup correctly with Power Pins, im sure your subscribers would be interested too. Thanks again
I'm sorry it didn't work out. I don't feel like I did any of the things you're saying. I don't believe I overtightened it there was no deforming of anything. The pins are in perfect condition. The bridge is still in perfect condition. If you would like the pins back send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and I'll be happy to return them. In my opinion it's over and done with I'm sorry it wasn't more favorable. As I stated as clearly as I could, it did not work out on this guitar but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work out on a different guitar with a taller saddle.
The pin puller is a great idea, throw the power pins in the back of a drawer, the original pins sound the best, and look the best. Why change a good thing that's worked for years.
Overall I'm not that enthusiastic but one area where I think they would shine is on a guitar whose bridge is coming up from age and tension this could be a good DIY solution to keep you going. Just the luthier in me thinkin.
It would be interesting if you compared it to a deer antler without the powerpin, I agree that there was not really enough improvement to justify risking your guitar
It sounded a bit better with the Power Pins. While mounting the strings like that changes the stresses on the strings themselves and how secondary stresses effect the bridge some, you are not really changing the main stresses on the guitar itself very much. Since the Power pin's metal body, mounting screws and lower plate should ensure that those forces get redirected to the underside area just like normal. Only now, those stresses aren't per string and per hole, but ganged all together through that bottom plate. If the Power Pin thing mounted just to your bridge, without the screws and bottom plate, then yes those stresses would be pulling just on the backside of the bridge. But the screws, if properly tightened should definitely place the main stresses where you'd normally expect. Only real difference should be the secondary forces that'll cause the strings cut a forward grove into your bridge, that should happen less since that specific stress should now be as wide as the screw instead of just a strings width. But even the normal way could cause an ill attached bridge to lift in the rear.
Your wrong when the strings are on the normal way they are pulling straight up against the bridge plate. These act like a pry bar pulling the way they do.The metal on the bridge plate links them together to minimize the pressure on each string it still pulls on the guitar in an un-natural way.
@@kennethevans138 That would be true if the string was attached to the bridge, it isn't. The string is pulling on one end of the crowbar, which is attached to the underside at the other end of said crowbar... Maybe think of that metal part the string is attached to, that said screw is then attached to, as either a "sway" bar or even as if it was an actual "crowbar" and where it gets attached matters.
@@DeepPastry Do you work for this bridge pin company because your channel has no content . It looks like a new account set up just to argue for this product. How long have you been playing guitar? I've been playing 40 years. I also worked in construction for many years. I have a pretty good idea of what is built structurally sound and what isn't in my opinion this junk isn't . All I can say is if anybody wants these on their guitar it might be a good idea to see if Jerry has time to repair it before they install them. Show these to Martin or Gibson and ask if they will void your warranty. I bet they do.
@@kennethevans138 ... What? So much wrong with that. How exactly is pointing out that a metal bracket attached to a screw would redirect the main force to the normal location mean I work for them? If you worked construction, maybe contemplate that a cantilever is something you should be familiar with.
I'm not sure what part of physics I'm missing. Setting aside the changes to sound that changing the break angle and string height would likely cause, how would it make any difference in sound what you do to the string beyond the terminal nodes? There is no string vibration on the far side of the nut and bridge. So long as either end of the string is held securely to hold tension, no vibrational transfer happens there. You can play a string and put your whole hand on the string behind the nut. So long as you don't change the tension, it makes no change to the tonal quality. I had a guitar teacher say it was a bad idea securing a strap with a lace behind the nut because it would interfere with the "tone". He was definitely not a physics teacher.
We'll cut slots on bridges and/or do neck resets to improve break angle and consequentially tone.
Then they come up with an idea to lessen that angle?
I can see it could preserve the bridge plate, but even so I don't think it's worth buying it.
Thanks for one more great video, Jerry. Cheers!
I just really enjoy both you and Randy. Unlike most television, these videos seem to stimulate the mind. Perhaps because you and Randy are intelligent people sharing ideas and knowledge and opinions. Thanks for that.
My band mate has the same guitar. He took two bone saddles and glued them back to back, to make a thick saddle. Then he replaced the old wooden saddle with the new bone saddle. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! His guitar really woke up. No new bridge needed.
one thing you did not say during this whole review: your guitar is absolutely gorgeous! sounds amazing and looks just a good! what a babe of a guitar!
Honest review, and I love that you took us through the process as you installed them. I'm not a fan of the look. It does change the sound, but how you want your guitar to sound is a very subjective thing.
27:38 exactly! that popping cracking wood sound and knowing the stress is from another angle is why I would be careful about choosing them. man you wouldn't ever believe what I've been thru since I made a video about those pins! I hope it doesn't happen to you lol thanks for the plug! :)
Hey Randy! Glad to see you getting around my friend!
I bought the kit, kept the pin puller. Decided not to install the rest. Now worried about cracking the bridge. Thanks, you saved me a lot of time.
Sir, your personality and skills are perfectly matched : both are honest. It's a pleasure watching you work.
In response to your comment, I think it worked out fine the only thing that i said that you did , was over tightened the pins, causing the crunching sound you heard, and put them on a guitar needing serious repair work. Im pleased that you felt that the guitar sounded better with them. I want to thank you again, and i will send a self addressed envelope for the return. One thing i would ask , is for you to show me a pic of the pin holes. Rosa String Works
Jerry, I agree with your assessment of the power pins. Personally, I think it sounded good with the old strings on it. Thanks for the video.
I’ve been using power pins for the last 6 years or so now. I do however have a higher saddle than Jerry’s guitar. I found it pretty easy to install and I personally think the sounds is a bit clearer and louder. Like I say I’ve them on my tanglewood acoustic for 6 years and I’ve never had any problems with the bridge despite it being a pretty cheaply made acoustic. One thing I did notice was my action went a little higher after putting them on but not crazy high. Not trying to advertise them just giving my honest opinion take from that what you will hope it helps. Love the Chanel Jerry 👍🏻
Also I do believe mine didn’t come with a metal plate for the inside but like I say mine were purchased about 6 years ago so the design may have been modified by the time they came to jerry
@@geoffpowell3657: Just an FYI.
Here's a link to Stewmac's ad for the power pins.
www.stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware/endpins-and-bridge-pins/power-pins-2-0.html
I've only just started watching your video, having just bought 2 sets, I can't believe my luck in you reviewing the product. These guys know what they are doing in sending them to you.
More clarity? Yes, I hear it. Change your saddle and bridge pins and you'd probably get the same improvement (which you acknowledged regarding your saddle early in the video) and wouldn't be worried about damaging the guitar or having to do major adjustments. I'm definitely not sold on it, but you provided an excellent review and we appreciate that, Jerry (and Randy!).
Love to your channel and learning about acoustic guitars and watching your great skills. As an electric jazz guitarist, I am learning a lot. I will request one thing..please pay attention if you can to tune the guitar when you demo the sound. I would love to know how they sound..but the tuning(lack) can ruin the effect. I know you are in the moment so, please forgive the comment, but tuning would make a huge difference.
Enjoyed the revue. To my feeble ears the " old strings" were robust but undefined, the new were much brighter and the noticeable difference with the Power Pins was simply a little fuller. For my money I would go back to the original pins and let the Gibson be Gibson!! Loved the pin puller! Happy to hear the accolades from the customers, reinforces my observation and previous comments!! Thanks & happy New Year!!
I put a set of brass bridge pins and under saddle plates on my father's guitar and it made a world of difference on it.
Without spending a lot of money on high quality recording mics, it's difficult to hear the difference in sound production in this kind of video. Still, it was pretty obvious to me that the clarity and projection of sound from the guitar after you installed the power pins was noticeably increased. Whether or not that was an improvement from what the unmodified guitar sounded like before seems to be a matter of subjective opinion. The major "con" with this product seems to be a possible design flaw that may put the bridge of some guitars under unnecessary stress while changing the orientation of important intonation parts.
I have a couple of custom guitars that sound so beautiful already, I wouldn't consider this kind of product anyway. However, that bridge pin puller looked like a winner - so thank you for the tip. I actually went and bought one through Amazon!
Great video Jerry as usual!! Pin puller A+, Power pins No way! Thanks for the review!
Pretty interesting invention that would probably be great on some guitars and maybe not work on others, like yours. I'd like to hear a demo with a new bridge and/or deer antler saddle on your Gibson.
As a natural skeptic, I had a bad feeling from the start and it only got worse. This gizmo entirely changes how the strings interact with the bridge, yet I do not hear a whole lot of difference. The commenter who said “more trouble than it’s worth” summed it up for me!
Nice review, Jerry. Thanks.
Wonder if you put back standard bridge pins with the higher action what it would sound like. To do a comparison you would have reduce all the variables so the only difference is the different string retainer. Great video as always. Death to the trolls
I put the powerpins on a starter guitar whid had a too dark sound. I had similar saddle height issues and yet I was happy with the results. Back when I got the pins, the metal plate was not supplied, you were asked to use double washers instead
Fair review. The marketing site touts that the system "reduces the angle of string break" over the saddle. That would tend to also reduce sustain. Compare a D35S or New Yorker Martin where the break over the nut takes a more angular dive, and notice the greater sustain compared to an instrument without the slotted head.
Those new pins r a solution looking for a problem. Plus it may damage the bridge or the top.
This guitar sounds really good even with the old strings. My Martin is a 1970 year and it has been played a lot. I have NEVER had a string break, Never.
The pin puller is neat, the power pins not so much. Thanks for the review!
I'm with you Jerry. Those pins won't be going on any of my guitars! BTW, that was a very good and honest review.
Jerry, I have to say the guitar sounded a lot louder with those 'foreign' bits but I'm too much of a traditionalist to contemplate putting them on any of my guitars. If the guitar is built right it shouldn't need any help! (acoustically that is, I have no problem with amplification). Like you, I don't like those Gibson adjustable bridge saddles, and fortunately I don't have any. Anyway, thanks for all the vids so far, and i look forward to many more. Happy New Year from the UK.
I totally agree with you Jerry, about bringing those old strings back to life one can simply detune the entire guitar and then retune it and it will sound brighter and better. I'm surprised more players don't know this or don't want to believe that it works. I also agree I don't like metal stuff on the bridge end of an acoustic guitar. I'm mainly a bass player and many years ago bass strings were so expensive between 40 and $60 a set and I started boiling my bass strings and they come back to life they were like brand-new in fact. I had a friend who was a bass player who swore that by boiling them you would weaken the steel and ruin them and then one day he was at my house and played my old American made Fender precision bass and he's like oh you just put new strings on it huh so now he boils his strings to you can only really boil them one time but it sure saves money. I got to say I'm not real thrilled with these new bridge pins you got it seems like a good idea but I think I just stick with the old plastic stick pins or whatever they're made out of. Sorry I don't leave more comments I watch you on a Roku system and it doesn't allow one to leave a comment I'm leaving this comment with my friend's phone. Keep up the good work I really enjoy watching your videos. Your fellow Missourian, Jack
Hey Jerry nice video you and yours have a Happy New Year my friend take care buddy
He wanted an honest review, and that is exactly what you gave him. personally If it isn't broke, don't fix it.
Eric my thoughts exactly 👍
Well that did seem like a pretty fair review, and personally it did sound better to me and that string puller looks amazing. But i really looked out of place on a lovely old guitar like that. What would make for a fascinating video, though you probably don't have time, would be, this was one way to improve the sound of a guitar and now it would be interesting to see how you would improve the sound, new bridge etc. Keep up the good work.
Watching this video again six months later, I wonder if these pins might be a good idea for a guitar that was designed around them. For example, the popular JLD Bridge Doctor is used from the factory on Breedlove guitars. They specifically design their instruments around it, so it's a functional part of the construction rather than a retrofit. Or, perhaps, a guitar with a custom-fitted bridge designed specifically to take advantage of these pins (and mitigate the disadvantages).
I have those pins on an Eastman parlor, imho they really improve the sound, as you say- adds even more clarity. It's subjective in any case.
Maybe the internal bridge plate is thick. That pin puller looks pretty slick.
Looks like a gimmick gizmo to me something like the better mousetrap. Makes the guitar sound harsh and tinny. Didn't like the look after installation either. I would never do that to my guitar. Never mind old grumpy at the bottom, great video as always! Happy New Year from Nova Scotia Canada!
I thought the same thing (a better mousetrap).
Like the review. Got to watch what your buying for sure.
I give you credit for trying to use the product that looks a bit odd. Thanks for trying it and showing how it works, still it looks a bit odd.
Thank you for the review. Like you said, every guitar is different. These pins could be a blessing for some, a curse for others, and elicit nothing more than a shrug from the folks in the middle. When it comes to instruments, there truly is no one-size-fits-all. Everything requires fitting.
As soon as i see Rosa with the Superman shirt on there is no debate!! There's more chance of hell freezing over than Rosa being convinced otherwise!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR MR ROSA.
That puller does work well!
I bought a similar product not sure it’s the same. Mine didn’t come with the metal plate. I have a very thick bridge but my threads were pretty long. Luckily the saddle on my Martin was pretty high. I did notice it made it a bit brighter. Not sure that would be worth the price. The biggest pro in my opinion is the ease of changing strings. That in itself would be worth the money to many.
I really wish you would make your own saddle and deer antler bridge that would make that guitar awesome. It would make a great video too. And I remember from the last video you wiping some stuff on that old LS gibson peg head that made the cracked finish smooth out what was that you could do that to this guitar.
Happy New Year Jerry,very honest demo like the tool though exspecialy for a 12 string,Cheers
I love the sound of your guitar.
OK, so it all comes down to what you want a guitar to do. Some folks want bell like tones and this might be a good way to string one guitar for that. OTOH, some of us want very mellow woody sounding instrument. The dead strings didn't sound bad to me :D
enjoyed the demo of the power pins ,somewhere I saw bridge pins that were brass if they actually resonate better maybe that would be a alternative it they would stay and not pop up on ya ,what I did is used GHS ultra light strings .010-.046 .I didnt think I was going to like the bass response but they sound great and really made this beginner guitar I bought for practice or give away to grandkids sound amazing .I will see if I can find who makes the brass pins and let you know ,now that would be a very easy demo and no bridge work maybe to make them work properly
an adjustable bridge in acoustic guitar! Cool, I need it
7:18 Without Power Pins
29:31 With Power Pins
I bought the Power Pins because I thought I thought I would change my strings more often with it on, but that didn't happen. Tone was not improved on my guitar, to me. Low end was muddy. Now it's off.
That was a very fair review. Thanks
Maybe if you flipped the metal plate and put the bend pointing up instead of down the screws might have poked through a little more and maybe not made the Crunching sound biting into the plate , just a thought. Thanks for all your Videos and Happy New Year.
I had a similar thought about that. But It still wouldn't have fixed the problem with the saddle.
I think, for me, I prefer how it sounded before you added that doohickey.
To me it lost resonance.
If screws do not reach I would try to flip the plate around, since it is concave it could help just a bit.
The return address for the pins is Bigrock Innovations , 578 Washington Bl #742 , Marina del rey CA 90292. Thanks again Jerry.
I tried a JLD bridge doctor with brass pins and it took me a day to get everything put together and couldn't see of feel what the heck I was doing but it worked.
You are being honest...Honestly ,I think I would not bother with it..
“I’m going to try a set of power pins”. “I think I’ll try them on a 1968 Gibson Jubilee Deluxe that has the strangest bridge and saddle that has ever been on an acoustic guitar”. Lol
I like the format of this video. It is obvious you know what you are doing with a guitar. Yet in all fairness I’m convinced that you are the only person that would install power pins on a 1968 Gibson Jubilee Deluxe. That is not very relevant to anyone that is genuinely interested in the power pins. Try them on a cheap plywood guitar and add in one of your antler saddles and a new nut. Make a video of it. I am interested in which of those three parts would have the best influence on the sound in before and after comparisons. Thanks for the video.
Cool pin puller. I gotta check this out...👍🎶🎶🎶
Always enjoy your videos Jerry! Thanks.... About the Power Pins, not for me. Randy was right about them!
You're basically converting the guitar to a "pinless bridge" like you see on Harmony Sovereigns. This creates more of a sheering force loading the bridge. Also there's less of a break angle across the saddle. It also adds weight to the bridge which usually increases bass response but who knows? How this affects the sound is probably random at best. Some might be better, some worse, some the same. It probably wasn't the best test guitar as it had pretty low action and the "shock absorber" adjustable saddle. I usually remove those immediately for residence in the guitar case and replace with a nice compensated bone saddle to better transfer string vibrations to the top. My guess is that a nice neck reset restoring the break angle and a bone saddle would have done a better job than that contraption.
I had the problem that the screws were not long enough. I called the manufacturer and he kindly offered to send longer ones. He noted that these are a standard type that I might find at the hardware store in case I did not want to wait. I went down there and found the screws. Issue solved.
Yep, do not mess with a classic design. What a wonderful review 😁
Imho, guitars are built with specific materials, methods, and demensions to produce a specific tonal quality for that particular model; if you start adding/changing hardware the guitar will no longer be what it was intended to be. After altering the guitar, in the short/long term down the road, that guitar will start to change its shape. and once it does, its very difficult(and sometimes impossible) to get it back to the way it was before.
Very fair review.
Thought the guitar sounded lovely on the video even before fitting the mod - a lovely 'bloom' to the sound. With the mod I thought the top E sounded a little strident but the sound overall was good - but I agree that mechanically I'd be uncomfortable about the lever action on the top. Would be good to actually measure the difference in forces at concert pitch with and without the mod.
Just one guy's opinion: If it ain't broke....(you know the rest). Gibsons are built to be mellow. The tone comes more out of the body than off the strings. A good one has enough volume to play in any group setting. So, if you want bright sound, buy another brand. AND, while those replacement pins may work as advertised, adding them means you have a lot of explaining to do every time you get into a jam setting. You wind up passing the guitar around for testing and comments, and it really cuts into the music making. And that can't be good. 😁 It goes without saying, I enjoy your videos!
Very fair test and assessment. Good job. But honestly, I think I was hearing a little string noise with the initial set-up, and the saddle could have done with a little raising to begin with, in my opinion. I'm partial to a slightly higher action myself, and usually don't fret so over string height, so maybe it's just me. For that reason, and because the tone was brightened and the volume enhanced, those things may be just what I need for my old Takemine, whose tone and volume has always sounded a little dull to my ear -- nowhere near a Martin which it is a copy of. I have to really dig in to be heard in a jam (another reason for a higher action) and with those, maybe I can back off a notch or two. Thanks for sharing. I'm gonna look into 'em.
Excellent honest evaluation! I admit I thought it sounded slightly better as I prefer a more bass type acoustic sound (as in Gibson & Guild) A lot of messing about really when maybe other more basic improvements like pin or saddle types might work. I don’t think anyone would relish a higher saddle & action either! On a plus side I’ve ordered a Snapz pin puller! Great informative video, liked & subscribed. Many thanks 👍
After watching other reviews on these I noticed a lot were swapping to these from plastic pins and low quality saddles. Hardly a fair comparison. We all have a different idea of perfect acoustic sound & pins, saddle, nut, strings & even pick make a notable difference. Just my opinion! 👍
I watched GSW The other day. His review of the power pins was less than positive too.
There is no break angle off the saddle when installing these things. Good idea so it speeds up changing strings. But not practical.
Thanks Jerry for your review!!
Those dead strings sounded damn awful good to me...………. You're right it sounds like it has real metallic attack...…… like if you play with a coin or metallic pick.
Gibson changed from a solid maple bridge pad to a plywood pad in the early 60's. I think the plywood pads were a little thicker too. I tried those pins on my '63 J50 with that crappy plastic bridge and adjustable saddle. Like you, I had to raise the saddle way to high for my liking. They might make a cheaper guitar sound better. Who knows. We just need to get rid of those junk plastic bridges!
I totally agree, why fix something that ain't broke. Your idea about the leverage of the pin is definitely an issue. Thanks for the vid. B good.
Thanks, i wanted to buy them, not anymore. You saved me a lot of trouble and money.
Just heard of these, and consider to use this technic to reinforce a broken 12-string brigde, and prevent it to happen again. Seems like your "test object" needs a neck reset :) To raise the neck angle I mean. I think you may be a bit prejudiced cause of that. I´ll try to explain. To me it seems like the force wich normally will lift the area behind the brigde, cause of the angle between the brigdestrip and the strings and pins going beyond the soundboards underside, will be sverely reduced and altered. I think with a desent angle between the top of the brigdestrip and the guide-slots in the powerpins, the force now will result in a downward press at the back of the brigde. This will be a natural explanation of increased sutain/volume. Cause this force increases the "physical acoustic connection" betwenn the brigde and the soundboard. Otherwise I really do like your educational and entertaining videos a lot. They keep on inspiring me, and give good advice. You are one of my favorites !!!
Howdy!
I like the sound with the old Strings...those light once don't impress me that much... Maybe some mediums would sound a lot better... Aniway, i like that guitar... Maybe if you decide to sell it one day, post it... I would think seriously about buying ... 👍
Greeting from Croatia
That looks like it would raise the chances of breaking the bridge. Maybe would be good for a cheaper guitar that you wanted to enhance the sound. But not for a nice guitar. I think it increases the odds of bridge damage due to the lever action. Also not sure how it wouldn't raise the action on most guitars. I think the sound is slightly better. I like the bridge pin puller. I might get one of those.
I quite like your Gibson, never heard of the Jubilee before but it sounded good to me. Those power pins made the guitar sound like a plywood topped 70s Yamaha acoustic, okay if you like that kind of thing but not my cup of tea. Like you I’m a bit concerned about the mechanical stress those pins are exerting on the bridge. I think I’ll give them a miss.
9:52 The Big Rock Bridge Pin Puller tool did it.
What a beautiful guitar and is that a Brazilian back I see peeking out?
I'll keep my plastic Hyundai 12-string pins beveled on the end, thank you. Hyundai - that's a real guitar, built in the eighties
as a Korean production guitar. I don't want to sound all ghetto but that Hyundai 12 is the only guitar tough enough to withstand adventurous street performance where sometimes you literally run for your life on occasion. The Asian beauty only takes about 27 years for the wood to season then it starts to sound pretty good (about 9 years ago) and when I bought it for a Benjamin in '86 I Crazy Glued the saddle in and added 2 small bolts cuz it was coming off (the saddle)the face of the guitar - the action is a bit challenging so I play lots and lots of slide guitar in an open Db tuning that I invented that is neither major nor minor (extremely resonant like that thing that gets played next to the sitar I'm not googlin it) and my sensei says Db is the key of Earth, of Gaia. The 12: really, kids, unless you own the sturdiest guitar on earth need to be tuned down, pretty much between C and D (as opposed to standard tuning). Sam Ash Percussion wanted 33 bucks for mallets so I took two drumsticks that I found on the street and wrapped #64 rubber bands (elastics to all you Brits) on the ends forming a solid ellipse of mallet end. Total cost for mallets: 7 plus change for 3 years worth of rubber bands. I drum out groovy beats on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood on the Hyundai 12 with the homemade mallets and I bloody rock. You can't hear the guitar over the traffic but you can feel the beat.
I think we all agree that some inventors need feedback like Jerry's feedback. Improvement avoided, yay!
I am always reminded of how a mute on a violin bridge actually works by merely adding mass to it. Beyond the increase in mechanical complexity, I would be interested in knowing how much weight this contraption adds to the bridge compared to 6 plastic pins ?
It's not merely the weight. It has a lot to do with placement. The specific location where the mute is placed can make it huge difference. For instance on a violin mute you can use a close pin as a mute. Did you put it at the top in the middle between the top two strings it has a large muting effect for All For Strings. If you put it in a different location on the bridge it mutes it differently. You can put it on where it is more or less parallel to the top under the strings and it needs it totally differently again. It really depends a lot on where the mute is placed on what it does to the sound. The pins on the guitar are after where the sound mostly happens. Meaning that most of the sound is already transferred down through the saddle before it ever gets to the pins. It's a whole science in an of itself
@@RosaStringWorks Thanks for your insight Jerry. I agree that it's not a direct comparison, but I have noticed on Violin mutes that the heavier the mute, the less sound is produced.
i really like the pin removel tool
Happy New Year. Good review Sir.
Changing the pins can be effective. Changing from plastic to bone or ebony can have a significant effect on sustain and attack. But these pins just dont work on this particular guitar.
I' thinking (I know people tell me not to) what's the point in going through all that when you can buy brass bridge pins anyway.
Jerry, I like your evaluation. The only problems that i have with it, are, that you over tightened the Power Pins , causing the crunching sounds that you were hearing, as you tightened them, this pulled the front of the pin down into the pin hole and crushed the leading edge , at the same time it deformed the Power Pins string channel, making it difficult to mount the strings properly. I think the fact that you need to have the saddle so low, indicates that this instrument may be in need of a neck reset, as you know, that should cure the high action problem, so that you can raise the saddle a little, and yes ,we do have longer screws. I would like to propose that i send you a new set, with longer screws, and black top washers, that should cover the enlarged pin holes , caused by the over tightening. They only need to be snugged , you can feel the lock washer compress, and then a little nudge past that. I believe that , you do need the complete system , installed on a guitar, that doesnt have issues ,to get a fair evaluation, and to really see what Power Pins do, and to have them work properly. I know your time is valuable, so i do appreciate your doing this. Im hoping that youre willing to continue with this experiment,I just think it would be cool to see how that guitar plays and sounds, when setup correctly with Power Pins, im sure your subscribers would be interested too. Thanks again
I'm sorry it didn't work out. I don't feel like I did any of the things you're saying. I don't believe I overtightened it there was no deforming of anything. The pins are in perfect condition. The bridge is still in perfect condition. If you would like the pins back send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and I'll be happy to return them. In my opinion it's over and done with I'm sorry it wasn't more favorable. As I stated as clearly as I could, it did not work out on this guitar but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work out on a different guitar with a taller saddle.
In my opinion,it helped the sound.
The pin puller is a great idea, throw the power pins in the back of a drawer, the original pins sound the best, and look the best. Why change a good thing that's worked for years.
I think that idea is putting enormous stress on an angle/area/direction of the bridge that it wasn`t designed to take!
it looks like brazilian rosewood, very nice and very valuable. I would leave it as is just for the value. Love your work and the Rosa mandolin.
It did sound a lot brighter, but not being able to use washers to spread the load is worrying.
Overall I'm not that enthusiastic but one area where I think they would shine is on a guitar whose bridge is coming up from age and tension this could be a good DIY solution to keep you going. Just the luthier in me thinkin.
It would be interesting if you compared it to a deer antler without the powerpin, I agree that there was not really enough improvement to justify risking your guitar
It sounded a bit better with the Power Pins.
While mounting the strings like that changes the stresses on the strings themselves and how secondary stresses effect the bridge some, you are not really changing the main stresses on the guitar itself very much. Since the Power pin's metal body, mounting screws and lower plate should ensure that those forces get redirected to the underside area just like normal. Only now, those stresses aren't per string and per hole, but ganged all together through that bottom plate.
If the Power Pin thing mounted just to your bridge, without the screws and bottom plate, then yes those stresses would be pulling just on the backside of the bridge. But the screws, if properly tightened should definitely place the main stresses where you'd normally expect.
Only real difference should be the secondary forces that'll cause the strings cut a forward grove into your bridge, that should happen less since that specific stress should now be as wide as the screw instead of just a strings width. But even the normal way could cause an ill attached bridge to lift in the rear.
As I mentioned it's probably okay on some guitars. It definitely didn't work on that guitar with the low saddle.
Your wrong when the strings are on the normal way they are pulling straight up against the bridge plate. These act like a pry bar pulling the way they do.The metal on the bridge plate links them together to minimize the pressure on each string it still pulls on the guitar in an un-natural way.
@@kennethevans138 That would be true if the string was attached to the bridge, it isn't.
The string is pulling on one end of the crowbar, which is attached to the underside at the other end of said crowbar...
Maybe think of that metal part the string is attached to, that said screw is then attached to, as either a "sway" bar or even as if it was an actual "crowbar" and where it gets attached matters.
@@DeepPastry Do you work for this bridge pin company because your channel has no content . It looks like a new account set up just to argue for this product. How long have you been playing guitar? I've been playing 40 years. I also worked in construction for many years. I have a pretty good idea of what is built structurally sound and what isn't in my opinion this junk isn't . All I can say is if anybody wants these on their guitar it might be a good idea to see if Jerry has time to repair it before they install them. Show these to Martin or Gibson and ask if they will void your warranty. I bet they do.
@@kennethevans138 ... What? So much wrong with that.
How exactly is pointing out that a metal bracket attached to a screw would redirect the main force to the normal location mean I work for them?
If you worked construction, maybe contemplate that a cantilever is something you should be familiar with.
Sounded darn good to me. I dont think I would put it on because it seems like a pain to put on.
Nice picking.
I'm not sure what part of physics I'm missing. Setting aside the changes to sound that changing the break angle and string height would likely cause, how would it make any difference in sound what you do to the string beyond the terminal nodes? There is no string vibration on the far side of the nut and bridge. So long as either end of the string is held securely to hold tension, no vibrational transfer happens there. You can play a string and put your whole hand on the string behind the nut. So long as you don't change the tension, it makes no change to the tonal quality. I had a guitar teacher say it was a bad idea securing a strap with a lace behind the nut because it would interfere with the "tone". He was definitely not a physics teacher.
Lindsey Eli had bass pins in hers. Did she have to put that plate in? It looked like they just replace the old pin for bass one. She love they.