Pinless Bridge Question

[Harry G Quattlebaum]

I'm working on a guitar I bought off of Ebay needing repair. It's a pretty high-end luthier made guitar which originally had a pinless bridge. The string ball ends slipped over steel posts installed at an angle behind the saddle, and the ball ends slipped into a recess drilled around the post. When I got the guitar the bridge had been converted by a prior owner to regular pins and holes. From looking at pictures on the internet of the guitars' bridge when it was new, some of the strings' extra windings at the ball ends were crossing the saddle. I've debated returning the bridge to the original state. I've contacted the guitar's builder, and he recommended returning the bridge to original. He was very friendly and helpful, but when I brought up the subject of the string windings at the ball ends crossing the saddle he stopped returning my emails. I'm just curious if having the thicker windings at the ball ends crossing the saddle has an adverse effect on intonation or performance, and if I'm better off leaving it as-is? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Roger Häggström]

Having the thick end of the string on top of the saddle is not a good thing. I guess the maker have had a lot of complaints about that :-) As the previous owner I personally don't like pinless bridges. I would not replace the pin bridge back to original.

[Harry G Quattlebaum]

Thanks for your reply, Roger. I tend to agree with you. I tried to be very diplomatic about the possible problem with the original design, and I was very complementary of his skills, which he truly deserved, but I guess the luthier didn't think so!