Official Luthiers Forum!

Chamfering the bridge pin holes lets you fit the pins closer to the bridge and they look better IMO.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

When I say my tooling and approach is pedestrian, I mean it. The bit wobbles in the holder till it contacts the hole, finds its own center. Press a few times, and I'm done. Total investment maybe $5. And yes, do it. It just looks better.

Seems you are getting good results with that bit -- however without the pilot feature that style bit has the tendency (in all applications) to produce a pentagon shaped hole pattern, resulting from improper feed and speed chatter. Just a warning for those thinking of trying it.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

My left hand fingers see it differently. They want to fit in the space between the adjacent strings. If that space varies, then that becomes more difficult. If anything, the larger strings need an exaggerated amount of space between them because they vibrate more widely. (The really crucial point is that your fingers must all be exactly the same size.)

Eric, you're fingers might be more cooperative if you took those big mittens off. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

No doubt, using it in tight chuck, hand held drill, you won't like the result. That's why I mentioned the process. Not everybody has a drill press, so Ken's warning is well advised. So, please add $1000 to my tooling cost (drill press). ... Or buy the $32.50 chamfer but from SM

Note: I'm not a snob. I'll probably buy that bit because I can't help myself.

Yup

That T.A.S. is a terrible thing.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Martin used to drill the bridges with equal spaces between the strings, but I think that stopped when the necks were narrowed in 1939. Today, every Martin I have checked is equal centers.
In addition to allowing the bridge pins to be set lower, countersinking the holes prevents chipping. I also do it on end pin holes.
My favorite countersink to do this is a four flute that has a 1/2" shank. I turned the shank down to 3/8" so I could use it in a hand drill. It works equally as well in a drill press or with a hand drill. No chatter.

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John

Well, it's an amazing thing. You would think the mittens would be a real handicap, but most people are surprised at how little my playing improves when I take them off.

Sounds like we should jam sometime!

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.