Bridge Pins – distance to neck

[Sidney Dharmavaram]

On an old troubadour, I am hoping to change out the brass L&H Levers with Delacour levers. I have installed Delacour levers before and know that the bridge pin is set much closer to the neck than the L&H bridge pin. This change on the troubadour would bring the strings closer to the neck. My question: is moving the plane of the strings okay?

[paul-knoke]

Yes. Moving the strings closer to the neck will reduce the torque on the neck and prolong the life of the harp.

[Sidney Dharmavaram]

I finally got the courage to start this project.  What I ended up doing is cutting the bridge pin shorter.  Do you think this is acceptable or would drilling the hole deeper be preferred for a particular reason?

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[Biagio]

I’d drill them deeper and while at it use threaded pins.  Depends on the original hole of course but in any case I want at least half the pin length below the wood surface.  Any shorter and there is a good chance of them getting pulled out of line.

 

Biagio

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I have never seen these called bridge pins. I think they are stationary nuts.

[Biagio]

“Sometimes you feel like a nut – sometimes you don’t” as the old ad says.  I have only heard of a nut on guitars, violins, and similar.  It goes with out saying that they are stationary.

This is what I mean by “threaded bridge pins.”  I like the hex headed ones shown here from Dusty Strings; there are other types with different heads.  The threads make it much easier to set the length than the older type with smooth shafts.  The hex head lessens a chance of burring compared to slotted or Phillips heads.

http://manufacturing.dustystrings.com/harps/hardware/threaded-bridge-pins/

 

Biagio

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Biagio.

[Sidney Dharmavaram]

The new levers came with threaded bridge pins, but the problem is the diameter is smaller than the existing hole.  I did examine that the cut bridge pin still has a tad more than half of its length below the surface as suggested.

[Biagio]

Well, I guess you have a choice Sidney.  Go ahead with the cut down ones or plug the old holes with a hardwood dowel (or even just bamboo skewers and Titebond glue) and re-drill.  Depends on how comfy you feel with the shorter shafts and how much work you want to go through:-)

Speaking for myself, as long as the strings are already off I’d go with “plug and re-drill”.

Have fun with your “new old harp”!

Biagio

[teifiharps]

Hi Sidney,
That is fine in theory but make sure you have enough adjustment for the change in intonation that may come with fitting new semitones.

regards

Owen

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