Is bridge pin the main obstacle while restringing your guitar? Yes, it happens with everyone. So here we have a great solution. Simply remove the bridge pins. Well, is it not that simple here. You can not just remove it with anything and in any way. Follow this step-by-step guide to understand the process and imply it with no damages.
How To Remove Bridge Pins
There are three simple and easy ways to remove/take away the Bridge Pins.
1. Using a String Winder
Mostly these days, the acoustic guitars come along with a string winder. These string winders will help you quickly and smoothly wind the strings on the tuning pegs and your guitar. You will see that the winder’s end is notched and due to which the bridge pins will easily fit.
If you do not have a string winder, I will definitely advise you to invest in one, and you can simply find great products from amazon or any other online store. These will vary from 10-20$, which is affordable. No doubt there are other expensive string cutters available as well, but you can find a durable winder under the budget.
To remove the bridge pin, you need to fit the outside of the puller to the head of a pin. Slowly just turn the string winder, and you will notice the loosening of the pin. Make sure while turning the winder, the puller slot should face the strings and the fingerboard should face towards the guitar.
Once you secure the pin’s head and have a grip at the winder, press back against and quickly take it out, here if your winder is not of the perfect size, you will end up damaging your guitar. You can also wiggle a bit so that the pin will loosen up.
2. Using a String Cutter
Working with string cutters is easier if you are regularly dealing with guitars. You can also use a needle-nose plier here if you don’t have a string cutter. Many questions are saying what if the sharp tools harm the guitar? No need to worry here, you can always use a soft, thin fabric or soft cloth to protect the head.
Squeeze and tighten the head of the bridge pin with the help of the string cutter. Lay the handles facing towards the guitar. Straighten your pin-up and twist a little bit. Here twist and pull is the only method. Once you find the perfect grip, swiftly remove the bridge pin and take it out. Just make sure you don’t widen the hole; otherwise, the pin won’t sit back, and you will end up hiring your guitar.
3. The Tool-free method
This is the trickiest method of all. I will recommend to only use this method if you do not have any tools. All you need is a string and patience. There are three such items that you can use to pull out the pins.
A String
Tie the string and make a loop around the pin and tighten it. Twist a bit and swiftly pull the pinout. Once you do that, just untie the string and use the same string to pull other pins.
A Spoon
Yes, that kitchen spoon is a multi-tasker. You can use the end of the spoon that is pointed and thin. Keep the tip of the spoon under the head of the pin that you wish to remove. Gently and precisely press the spoon up and down, voila here you release the bridge pin.
A Coin
Take any coin that you have and slip it through the soundhole of the guitar. Use your fingers, locate the bridge’s tip, and push the coin upwards to remove it. Please make sure you don’t hurt yourself and get your hand stuck in the hole.
Bottom Line:
In the end, you can indeed remove the bridge pin by yourself, but you have to be a little careful and patient. Choosing the right tool will never give you bad results, so choose wisely. I hope you must have liked the article and would follow the steps too. I will be back with many such interesting topics soon.