Best Fit Tusq Pins

[nanccinut]

With so much data or should I say personal opinion does anyone have a set of Tusq pins in their D-35 Guild right now they plan on leaving in? Can you pass on with huge thanks in advance what part number seems to fit best if you think yours is fine and dandy when it comes to substain on the high -E side On my low-E side everything seems great. My Westerly Guild appears to be of the 87-88 era.
confused -nanccinut

 

[GardMan]

Nanccinut,
Tusq pins come in only two styles/sizes. The presentation style has a smaller diameter (0.192 dia). None of the 7 guilds I have personally owned have had original pins smaller than 0.207", so I would advise going with the Martin style, which is a bit larger (0.202"), and is likely to fit your Guild slightly better. Here is a link to the Martin style in the different color/inlay combos. Find the number of the color you want, then check with Don (LTG leader) and see if he can get them for you.

As I mentioned, I felt even the Martin style Tusq pins were too small for my Guilds (which included two D-35s until I sold my wife's '78)... marginally so for two that had 0.207" pins, very much too small for those with 0.220".

Good luck,
Dave

 

[nanccinut]

Thanks Dave -Looking at their selection it appears that Martin 2mm is ballpark close to the correct fit for a D-35! Are you saying that at least this should be a bit more perfect fit than over the counter ( in a large fish bowl plastic pins) which is where some of my pins come from even though they don't pop out? How this came about was once I was working on a cheap EL' Dagas that had a broken neck and was missing some pins which not thinking was a big deal decided to steal a few from my Guild ,hence replaced with a few from the fish bowl.
HUGE thanks again Dave
from the nanccinut

 

[GardMan]

nanccinut,
Don't know that Tusq will fit any better than plastic pins out of the fish bowl... Pins come in a multiptude of sizes (see here), so it entirely depends on your pin holes and what's in the fishbowl. As I mentioned in one of my replies to your other thread, my current 6 Guilds have come to me with 3 different sized pins. Many folks would say that pins don't affect tone (I maintain I heard a subtle change... brighter and more sustain... when going from plastic to Tusq, and less change going from Tusq to bone, other than aesthetics and fit).

On the other hand, I would suggest swapping the saddle on your D-35, unless you have already done so. If the original saddle is still in, I would be willing to bet that it also is plastic. 5 of 6 of my past and present Guilds have come to me with plastic saddles. Don't know what's in the D-55, yet. Replacing with a Tusq (Martin style 3/32" would likely be correct for your guitar, but will require sanding and fitting) or bone saddle will have much more effect on tone than swapping pins. Don (dklsplace) could probably help you with those, as well. For that matter... I have swapped out 5 plastic nuts, as well.
Dave

 

[Punkybub]

...when it comes to substain on the high -E side On my low-E side everything seems great.

Aside from different pins, the break angle (angle of the string from the saddle to the bridge pin holes) can affect sustain and tone too. You can have a luthier slot the bridge a little bit to give a better break angle to the strings that seem dull. It's helped the sound on every guitar I've had it done to that needed it...!

 

[nanccinut]

Thanks gang for the advice. My bridge is wood for sure, rosewood I believe! Drilled the 1/8 " hole through the Low-E corner of the saddle slot myself for the LR Baggs pick-up wire narrowly missing the bracing underneath on the soundboard. As far as the 3/32 Martin size in Tusq can you tell me the part number I should be trying to get my locaal to order in with thanks? -nanccinut

 

[GardMan]

The bridge on your D-35 is rosewood. But, the original saddle was likely plastic. The appropriate Tusq "martin-style" saddle would be PQ-9100-00 (it will need some sanding and shaping to fit... unless you have made saddles before, I would suggest having your local luthier install it and set up your guitar for you).

 

[dreadnut]

I have the presentation style Tusq pins in both my dreads, they fit perfectly. Don can get 'em for you.

Your plastic nut and saddle are likely micarta, that's what Guild was using, along with Martin. I had Don install a bone nut and saddle on my DV-52, I think the bone and the Tusq both gave a slight improvement in tone.

 

[walrus]

Let me chime in that I replaced my D-64 pins with Tusqs a few years ago, and recently had the bridge and saddle replaced with bone. I noticed the guitar sounded brighter - no louder, thank God, but definitely a nicer tone.

walrus

 

[dklsplace]

I have the presentation style Tusq pins in both my dreads, they fit perfectly. Don can get 'em for you.

I had to use the Martin style tusq in my D25. Haven't been able to use the presentation style in any of my jumbos.