Sizing Up Your Pins

Guitar Bridge pins are certainly not "one size fits all". With this size chart, our aim is to help you get the correct size pins the first time. These pin sizes cover most guitars out there. Of course, there are custom pins, old pins that are no longer made and pin sizes that were used for brief periods. Please contact us with any questions. As always, if you order a set of pins and they do not fit your guitar, we will replace them with the proper size pins. For this discussion, we break the pins down to three parts: the head, the skirt (flared below the head), and the shaft.


Guitar Bridge Pins:

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Size 1
3º tapered shaft with the diameter at the top of the shaft (just below the skirt) of 0.210"and a string slot running the full length of the shaft, stopping below the skirt.

Martin guitars prior to 1994 (except HD-28), Collings guitars prior to 2002, as well as Blanchard, Garrison, Goodall, Ryan, Santa Cruz and Taylor guitars.

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Size 2A
5º tapered shaft with the diameter at the top of the shaft (just below the skirt) of 0.220" and a string slot running the full length of the shaft and cutting through the skirt.

Martin guitars since 1994 and Gibson guitars.

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Size 2B
The same as Size 2A except the string slot actually stops 1/16" below the bottom of the skirt.

Martin HD-28 guitars prior to 1994.

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Size 2C
If you own a New Martin guitar, chances are the bridge pins are installed so that the head of the pin sticks up about ¼" above the bridge. Our Size 2A pins will fit the same way. Size 2C is the same degree of taper but with a reduced shaft diameter (0.215 at the top of the shaft) so that they will sit farther down in the bridge.

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Size 4.1 and 4.2
A larger head profile with no skirt make these pins stand out on Dreadnought and Jumbo guitars. Available in Size 4.1 (3º tapered shaft) and Size 4.2 (5º tapered shaft).

Larrivee guitars use a Size 4.1 slotted pin.

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Size 4.2C
Beginning in 2002, Collings switched to an unslotted pin with a 5° taper and a longer shaft length. The shaft diameter is 0.220" (just below the head). Also used on Bourgeois guitars.

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Size 4.2D
The diameter at the top of the shaft is 0.207” and tapers down to 0.144” with a long (0.945") shaft. The slot runs the full length of the shaft, stopping below the ball. These pins do not have a skirt - just a slight ridge beneath the ball. The slot does penetrate this ridge.

We have only seen this pin on Guild guitars.

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Size 4.3
The same as Size 4.1, except the diameter at the top of the shaft is 0.203” The string slot runs the full length of the shaft.

Fender, Ibanez, Maton, Olson, Seagull / Simon & Patrick and Tacoma guitars.

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Size 5.1 and 5.2
These pins re-create the simple, classic look of the original ivory pins used by Martin in the 20's and 30's. Vintage guitars will use a Size 5.1 with no string slot. Modern guitars, including Vintage Reissues, will use either a slotted Size 1 (5.1) or slotted Size 2 (5.2) shaft.

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Standard Our standard end pin has a diameter of 0.315” at the top of the shaft and 0.250" at the bottom. This seems to fit most guitars, including Martin. On some older guitars, using the end pin to hold a strap may have enlarged the hole. Let us know if you suspect this and we can make the pin a bit larger.

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Gurian Size Pins
An ebony end pin, used by Collings and other builders. This pin has very little taper, running from 0.297” at the top of the shaft down to 0.250”.

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End Pin Jack:
If you are removing an old under-saddle pick-up with an end pin jack, such as the Martin Thinline, you are left with a large diameter non-tapered hole. These fixed ivory end pins fit in the hole with no additional drilling or shimming. Contact us for additional information.

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Size 1 Pin	Size 2A Pin	Size 4 Pin	Size 5 Pin	End Pin

Fitting instructions are included with every set of pins. Our size tolerances normally run +/-0.003" for an accurate fit.

[ Guitar Ivory Bridge Pins | Sizing Up Your Pins | Ivory End Pins and Strap Buttons | Our Prices
| Nuts & Saddles ]

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