Comparison of Martin Liquid Metal bridge pins vs plastic bridge pins

[@johnjones-uc3ni]

The prices Martin charges for their guitars one would think they should come standard with the liquid metal bridge pins.

[@jasper_north]

I did exactly the same!! I dont think I heard a difference. I am now switching back to the originals. They look much better instead of these red ones…. Problem is I lost 1 OEM pin so now I ordered a new set. Plastic came with a reason I think…

[@JS45678]

My liquid metal pins arrive today (chrome) $99. My only hope is they are more durable as my wooden pins tend to crack or break after a few months of heavy playing and frequent string changes. My hearing stinks so I don’t care about tone as much as I’m hoping I can use these expensive metal pins for 3-5 years before they crack or fail. Thank you for your video!

[@adamh7947]

Your D18 sounds great with both sets. Very nice instrument.

[@JohnnyRebKy]

A bridge pin upgrade really needs a saddle upgrade to go with it. A bone saddle will be a substantial change for the better 👍🏻. Martins come with a bone nut but have a tusq saddle

[@TC_Conner]

Personally, I could not change the saddle on any of my Martin guitars, that would be done by a qualifed Martin guitar luthier. I've never replaced the bridge pins, and now you've got me wondering if I should get both the pins and saddles replaced on my Martins. Both are less than 10 years old - D28 and GPC PA4.

[@JohnnyRebKy]

@TC_Conner It's the most simple upgrades one can do. Your local music store should easily be able to handle it for you.

[@TC_Conner]

@@JohnnyRebKy I don't have a "local" music store, unfortunately. I have to take them to a music store in Pittsburgh, about an hour and a half from where I live. But I've taken them there before and trust them to do good work.

[@garytudor4655]

Ebony pins match really well with mahogany

[@michaelgonzalez7744]

The d18 comes with plastic bridge pins!?

[@LoveConquersAllblogs]

Yes, pretty much all Martins come with plastic pins.

[@Jasongfrank]

Only the modern deluxe models come with the liquid metal pins. All others are plastic. I swapped for wood on my HD-28, but I am trying to decide if I like the metal or the wood better. Either is better acoustically than plastic, but almost everything I can find compares metal to plastic, That's 2 very distant ends of the spectrum. First time I changed the strings on my HD-28, I noticed they were bent badly from the pressure, so I got some ebony pins, and they sound great for just $12. Can't see spending over $100 on bridge pins, but no reason to change them out on the the OM, since they came with it.

[@treatb09]

My d28 authentic. 6,800$. Plastic pins lol. The plastic pins actually warp around the ball of the string and that bend locks the bridge pin into the bridge plate and the ball of the string. Thats pulls up on the bridge plate distributing energy throughout the top. You have to remove them a specific way to prevent damage to your bridge plate. Its all subtle difference with customization that you can do to a guitar to personalize it. If you want the martin sound. Thats it. Whether they were designed specifically for that? Or its a happy flaw that became a mechanical property of martin’s designs? My 1955 gibson j45? Plastic bridge pins. Never warped.

[@trey_dizzle4161]

@@treatb09 my $1500 streetmaster 000-15 came with ebony pins

[@treatb09]

@@trey_dizzle4161 its about compression of the pin. How the the different woods change under humidity changes. The plastic Slotless pins are rather soft. Ebony, spruce, maple, or other various materials over the years all change differently under humidity changes. Aliphatic resin creeps alot, but hide glue doesnt. . Modern tech affords confidence. But the old world technology wont crack or warp as easily. The instruments today just dont sound as good. But the authentic sounds proper. The hid glue gives under tension rather than compromising the wood. Its expensive craftsmanship... but worth it if you will play the rest of your life. I could explain every single detail but itd take a book

[@treatb09]

Hmm. Quite a difference. Clearer. Cleaner sounding. A high frequency ring as some have stated. I can hear it. Which thats always there but now these pins are boosting that frequency and sustaining it. So less sensitive people are now hearing it noticeably. 100$?! Thats ridiculous. However, they off a truly different sound. N they do work as promised.

[@stevo1068]

Allta mach den Mund zu, du beißt dir deine Zunge ab wenn du weiter so verkrampft auf der Gitarre,die du nicht spielen kannst ab.Du bist ein Anfänger der zwei Akkorde greifen kann, also mach hier nicht den großen Macker.Eine teure Gitarre kaufen kann jeder.Du kannst sie nicht spielen.😅