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I just read the thread about new stuff from StewMac and too have wondering about slotted vs non-slotted pins. The new pins look awesome but was wondering how you go about slotting the bridge/bridge plate.

Slotless Bridge pins

Thanks

larry

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hi larry,

i only use unslotted pins, so heres what i do,

first you need to ream your bridge pins holes, for the first one take it slowly until you get the pin seated at the depth you want, then mark the reamer at that point so that the others will hopefully be pretty close to that mark.

then you need a keyhole saw just lightly run a groove at the front of the pin hole to get started then use the saw to make the groove, keep checking with the string, ideally you want the absolute minimum amount of groove to give enough clearance for the pin to fit to the same point you reamed it too.......

sorry if this sounds like gibberish, but its sunday night and i'm a little tired

StewMac sells a little saw for $3 designed to cut slots in bridge pin holes and to ramp the slots.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

I'm absolutely against using unslotted bridge pins. Without all the bridge
plate patches and replacements, cracked tops and bridges, etc., I would
loose at least 60 to 300 dollars of repair on most of the acoustics that
come through!

Slotted bridge pins, Taylor fret wire, and Gibson headstocks are blessings
to a repair shop.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

great idea,

the stewmac blade is kind of "budget" now its easy to put a decent blade in

I had turned my StewMac blade around to cut on the upstroke, but that
jigsaw blade looks even better.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Similar to TJK, I made my own, just take a piece or 5/8 hardwood dowel and cut a slot with the jigsaw blade and epoxy it in. Costs about $1.50 and works great.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

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Those jigsaw blades work even better, and faster, in a, drum roll please....



...jigsaw <bg>














really...

Bravo Mario! I, too, use a jigsaw to slot the bridge!!!!

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

Makes you wonder, eh, Sylvan?

You guys are much braver than I.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Rod -
I put a leather pad on the bottom of a cheap jigsaw to protect the guitar.
Filed a blade until it was smaller than a 3/16" hole. Much better control and
much straighter slots than I could ever achieve with Stu Mac's hand saw. If
you try it, I think you will be really suprised!

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

2 layers of masking tape on the bottom of mine. I'm too cheap to use my good leather on a $10 Black&Decker yard sale higsaw <bg>

There's a key-hole blade that works great and fits the holes; just grind down the set on the teeth to narrow the kerf...

Thanks Mario and Sylvan. I may finally have a use for my Black and Decker zip saw.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

You guys rock, that's what I'm going to try on the next one (gulp).

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

good tip Mario and Sylvan. I think I'll need a smaller jigsaw that what I
have (A big rigid saw), but I'll go and get me a little one for this! I have
milled the slots in using a cross sliding vise before and it works REALLY
cleanly, but takes too long.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

You can get really thin, narrow, fine-kerfed jigsaw blades for cutting wood or laminates (those might prefect chipout at the top, actually). I'm not going to try this with my 900 watt saw, because it's too heavy. I'd guess you want to curb the pendulum action to a bare minimum?

This may be a dumb question, but are you guys using the jigsaw to cut the slots before you glue the bridge to the top, or after? Seems like it would be easy to do before but you would have to go back and reslot for the top and bridge plate.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

The top 5 stupid questions to ask about slotting a bridge:

Number 5.............. Is 2 inches too deep for the slot?

Number 4........... Should I try slotting with a jigsaw while watching TV?

Number 3........... Is it ok to use the jigsaw after a hard day at the office?

Number 2........... Did you say jigsaw or chainsaw?



And the number 1 stupid question to ask about slotting a bridge is:


What would happen if I plugged this SUPER HEAVY DUTY jigsaw into 220 volts????

YIKES!!!!

The pickguard looks salvageable

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

LOL Funny (Sad?) Didn't really look like the size of that blade ever represented a serious attempt but I guess that should lighten the top a bit.

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Thank You and Best To All

OOOOKAYYYYYY!, I'LL REMEMBER WHAT NOT TO ASK ?