Newbie bridge pin pop

[determined2bme2]

Hi everyone,

The 6th string bridge-pin on my Takamine sticks out a bit. The string goes thru okay and the pin without the string fits fine. But together the pin sticks out from the start and when I start tightening there's nothing to do to keep it there. I keep it pressed down but near the end it pops out (about 4mm in all). It plays well and isn't difficult to tune. Is this kind of thing common, is it bad for my bridge, what can I do?
Sorry for the mind deafening numbness of my question only this is my 2nd guitar - the first had a flat bridge with no pins.
:confuse:

[t_shirtsnjeans]

Make sure the ball end is not under the pin, but beside it so the ball is pinched between the body and the pin. Kinda like ' lo ' instead of the 'o' under the ' l '. Does that make sense?

I usually push my pins in with the round part of the ball rolling against the pin and when I push the pin in I can tell if the ball is still at the bottom or beside the pin. Once you get the pin in all the way pull the string to see if it will pull up the pin also, if it does just keep working it until the pin no longer rises.
Also you don't have to have a jammed tight fit, just snug is all so if the wood on the guitar swells you won't ruin something trying to get the pin out next time for a string change.
Ok, went into paint and drew these diagrams, this is probably what's happening to your pin.....
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/gitpikker58/incorrectbridgepinsetup.jpg
Here's the correct way it should be...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/gitpikker58/bridgepinsetupforstring.jpg
These are cutaways of the body, the 'ball' end is the circular end of the string.

Note: Not to scale, pentatonic, or iambic pentameter either. :p

[determined2bme2]

Thankyou t_shirtsnjeans and thankyou paint.

Okay, but the string that comes up thru the bridge and goes off to make music gets squashed between the bridge and the ball of the pin.
The other strings are thinner and take a shortcut, cutting into the wood of the bridge.
Will the 6th string cut into the bridge?

[guitaraholic680]

i think mine has at some point. Just a lil though. What i do, when my bridge pin pops out, i push it back in and keep going. Tshirtnjeans is absolutely right about what is happening to your strings and the bridge. If u want to be careful, press on the pin the whole time while tuning. Also, what i do, i put the ball end in just a lil bit. Then i slowly push it down with the pin. THis is slow enough to push it under the bridge where i needs to stay and not at the bottom of the pin.

[determined2bme2]

Thanks guitaraholic680.

I even bend the string just above the ball. I push it in with the pin until I feel it blocked on the other side. Keeping it taught I can remove the pin and put it back so I know the ball is in place, the head of the pin is 2mm from the bridge.
While winding the string I keep the pin pressed hard and when i'm almost there - doiing! - it pops out to 4mm.

Once there it doesn't move anymore and doesn't bother me, I'm just thinking that it might damage the bridge or at least the hole. I'm such a perfectionist sometimes!

[FadedCayenne]

yeah. it's really not that big a deal.... just try bending the string a bit. also, make sure the groove in your pin is going so the ball is on the end of it.

[guitaraholic680]

What gauge strings do u use. YOu say its 4mm out. Well, it is bound to do that, when it finally gets pulled up the the right part. Heavier and thicker strings will push the pin up even more. As long as it remains at the same tension and you don't have any tuning problems, it should be fine.