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How would you remove broken bridge pins from an acoustic without the main soundhole?

Peter Mortensen
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jake luke
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2 Answers2

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If the knob on top has gone, then use a drill bit slightly smaller than the end taper of the pin - use another pin as a guide. Drill slowly, perpendicular to the bridge, and most of the pin will disappear. Use a slightly larger diameter bit to take out most of what's left. The remains will then be easy to dig out gently with a small screwdriver. Do not use a bit any larger than the original hole size - measured by inserting a bit into another bridge pin hole.

Rockin Cowboy
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Tim
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  • Great idea. But I would not even go as large as the original hole size because material from the pin being drilled out can wrap around the bit and have enough abrasive action to enlarge the hole beyond the diameter of the drill bit. – Rockin Cowboy Oct 10 '17 at 16:42
  • @RockinCowboy - fair comment. Personally, I'd finish off the job with a parallel reamer, but that's the mechanic in me coming out. – Tim Oct 10 '17 at 16:54
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I think if you take a small drill bit, and drill into the pin, then take a small screw, and screw it into the hole you just made, you could pull it out using the screw as your grip

Jamie Jackson
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  • It sometimes works, but other times the screw will make the pin remnants even tighter in the hole. – Tim Oct 07 '17 at 17:08
  • I was also wondering about the expansion of the pin in the hole. Id be interested to know if he was working on an ovation, because they do have access to the bowl from the back. – Jamie Jackson Oct 07 '17 at 19:28
  • If you want to vacuum out the annoying remnants that fall into your guitar, sometimes it's not too hard to remove the wooden end pin (if it is wood). – Areel Xocha Oct 08 '17 at 11:21