JLD Acoustic Guitar Bridge Pins (#AN3694)

I recently put the Bridge Doctor in a 50 year old Martin D12-28 12-string that had been carelessly stored for the past 20 years and had developed a large belly bulge causing the bridge to tilt significantly toward the sound hole resulting poor action and poor intonation. This is a common problem with 12-strings due to the extra string tension on the soundboard.Some research which led me to two methods to correct belly bulge. The first was to remove the bridge and clamp two hot plates around the bridge area then wait - sounded like an expensive trip to a luthier. The other was the Bridge Doctor. The reviews were encouraging and installation looked to be pretty simple, so before taking the guitar to a luthier, I gave it a try.Although the brass pins version is recommended for 12-strings, I went with the screw version. I didn't like the look of the brass pins and was concerned about not having enough break angle - plus the brass pin version cost more than twice as much.Installation was easy. I used a screw driver type handle that accepted my drill bits, allowing me good control. After I'd cut the rod to length and made sure it contacted the tail block, I tightened it in with the Allen screw, being careful not to overtighten. I'd expected it would take some time for the soundboard and bridge to adjust, and would be followed by additional tightening. However, I was surprised to find that even after the initial installation, the bulk of the belly bulge was already gone and the bridge tilt was much improved.Over the next week, I have checked the tension on the Allen screw every couple days and found that I was able to give it 1/2 turn the first time, a 1/4 turn the 2nd, since then it's stayed about the same. I left it like that for a couple months to give it time to get used to the changes.The result? When I started, the belly bulge measured over 6mm - now it's about 1mm, about the same as my new D-18. The bridge tilt has leveled significantly, so that now the action and the intonation are much improved.Note that the Bridge Doctor will change the tone so that the top end loses brightness if it is too tight. So, after the belly was reduced and the top stabilized, I loosened the Bridge Doctor so it was just snug enough to keep the belly from coming back. This allowed the tone to regain most of its brightness.The Bridge Doctor saved me hundreds of dollars that I'd have had to pay a luthier to fix this guitar. I now have a guitar that plays great and saved a lot of money. What's not to like? Got an older 12-string that starting to show some belly bulge? Install Bridge Doctor, or take it to your luthier and have them install one for you. It'll remove the bulge you have and prevent it from coming back.One thing to note, the dot which was provided to go into the screw hole in the bridge is black, not abalone. This would have worked better for me anyway as all my bridge pins are black, but instead I made a wooden plug cut to an exact fit and stained it to match my rosewood bridge.

This work great in my old 12 string. No issues at all and it stays in tune now. Just take your time on the installation

Surprised to find this isn’t a copy but a genuine factory part. Looking forward to installing this. Appears easy for the mechanically inclined guy who has tools and either a kitchen table or a workbench.Only thing I don’t like was the description of the part is misleading. The description of this item (currently) is “ JLD Acoustic Guitar Bridge Pins (#AN3694).”Well, the JLD Bridge Doctor uses brass pins, but the JLD Bridge System (System and Doctor are terms used in the enclosed directions, although colloquially both seem to be referred to as “Bridge Doctor”) utilizes a drilled hole in the bridge (not “bridge pins.” The part number, however is correct (3694). Don’t expect to receive the brass pin mount Bridge Doctor (part # 3695), despite the misleading title of this item on Amazon. You will get JLD part # 3694.Since that’s what I wanted I’m happy. Maybe the appropriate person will remove the “bridge pins” wording from the title so people like me aren’t confused at the discrepancy in terminology.

Easy to install and worked perfectly.

It does what it claims. It's not a combination neck reset and top flattening, but it does reduce the bow in the top considerably. I have a 1963 Guild F-30 that I bought new. I didn't take very good care of it when I was younger and the top has a pronounced bow. It's a very nice sounding guitar. It's horrible looking and people are often surprised by the sound. I figured that the worst that would happen would be that the device wouldn't do anything. One little installation surprise was that I had to cut it down a bit. It was bigger than the cross section of the body under the bridge plate. A couple minutes with a razor saw solved that. The rest of the installation was a snap. To drill the hole in the bridge I made a pilot hole with an electric drill and then used a quick change bit in a ratchet screw driver to enlarge the screw hole. No problems. If I did a couple of these I think I could get the installation time down to under 30 minutes.I've adjusted it a couple of times and reduced the bow. Bonus, there is a bit more sustain. Because the neck angle is changed there is a bit of buzz that wasn't there before. I haven't gotten around to that yet.All in all this is a good way to improve a guitar you care about but don't want to spend a huge amount on. This is much cheaper than getting the top flattened professionally. It improves the action and, in my case, changed the tone a bit for the better. Expect to need some set up after installation. You are changing the geometry of the guitar. One con. The piece of plastic described as MOP was dark grey in mine. I used a bit of silicone putty to anchor it in the hole.

i have a lag tremontaine cedar top guitar that is a bit of a sleeper. had it for 12 years, it’s an inexpensive guitar with a nice warm but crisp tone, somewhat lightly built, nice playability, compensated saddle, good lookin’ satin finish. recently noticed some slight bridge bellying, and didn’t want that to progress at all. bridge doctor! i also acquired (20+ years ago) a ‘60’s guild m20 that turned out to be a basket case. just a sliver of saddle, high action, pretty severe bellying. the bd “saved” that guitar back then, went from unplayable to kinda workable if i stay above the 5th fret, so i consider that a win. the bd has been in the guild for 20 years, and the guitar has remained “stable”. the lag definitely sounds even better with the bd installed, more sustain, tonal spectrum is pretty much unchanged, just more “solid” across the range. this is the model that requires drilling a hole through the bridge, be careful, go slow, no problem. i’m getting another one for my other guild m20 (chinese model), no more worries about that guitar’s future! highly recommended…

Let’s start with the bad. I now have a screw through my bridge, and the “pearl” cover looks hideous. So I just now have the screw showing. However, the good makes up for all of this. This device will not only fix your bridge/belly problems, it will transform your guitar’s sound for the better. I could not believe the change this device made to my 1968 yamaha fg 150. I bought the guitar in nearly unplayable shape. The bridge doctor did its job of lowering and tilting the bridge back to normal. Not only did it do that, it increased the sustain and overall tone quality of my guitar, and by a lot. It turned an almost non-playing beater guitar into a beautiful sounding AND easy playing vintage guitar, for very little money. If they could come up with a better cover than the current pearl dot, I’d put one of these on all my guitars.

Like many of you, I've installed countless JLD bridge trusses... and this AIN'T one of them! NO SIR-EE! This is simply NOT a genuine JLD Bridge Doctor, even though it's sold as such.THIS IS SAD... After waiting weeks for this JLD to show up, Scharf Industries LLC (sounds American) sent me a USED one with pencil marks and a stripped screw center hole.Genuine JLDs come in a thicker plastic bag wIth a yellow stapled cardboard header and include several other things: instructions, allen wrench and a pearl dot to cover the screw head that goes through the bridge. In the old days it even came with a drill bit.This one came with none of that and came in a cheap torn plastic baggie. The sound post looks shorter than normal and to have been cut by a previous owner. The body looks to be made reasonably well but the center spacing hole for the adjustable white nylon spacer tube is stripped out. Also, the white nylon tube is slightly longer than the saddle rest on the body which, when installed, will aim the sound post below to center line of the tail block. This can be helpful if there is an output jack mounted in the tail block, but it does not "look" to have been done on purpose, just bad design.