Carbon fiber end-pin question

Internet Cello Society Forums > Instruments and Equipment > Carbon fiber end-pin question
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Len Thompson Registered User (3/8/01 9:38:23 pm) Reply	Carbon fiber end-pin question I am interested in those carbon fiber end-pins, but I'm wondering if they get damaged at all from the screw that holds them. With my current metal end-pin, I have to tighten it really well to prevent it from killing off the resonance of my cello. While I know carbon fiber is strong, I get this picture of the pin being dented every time you tighten it, even if you don't crank on it to much. Anybody have a problem like this, or can you speak to any problems that have come up for you??? Len
oldmancello Registered User (3/8/01 10:07:12 pm) Reply	carbonfiber endpin I love my carbonfiber endpin (David Bice, $40). THe maker recommended that I take out the screw holding the pin, and file the "grabbing" end flat- I rounded it just slightly. Works fine, no marks on the endpin.
cellochris99 Registered User (3/9/01 5:31:19 am) Reply	carbon fiber end-pin How do you get the old end-pin out? I want to get a c.f. for mine too. Chris
Andrew Victor Registered User (3/9/01 9:52:58 am) Reply	Re: Carbon fiber end-pin question I too am delighted with David Bice's New Harmony 8mm carbon-fiber end pin. I have three of them. One is mounted in the wooden fixture that Bice sells, which has a screw-type "holder" I too originally worried about that design, but I've seen no evidence of damage to the shaft of the pin. However, I suspect that over many years, some wear will occur - but then it would be easy and cheap enough to get a new pin if that happened. The other two pins are mounted in the original fittings that were already on the cellos and I've seen no damage there either, but I think the idea of filing it is a good one and I intend to do that after I go off line. I had expressed my concern to David Bice about possible damage to the pin material, and he has just started producing a COMPOSITE ENDPIN FIXTURE, that holds the pin securly without a screw end touching it. I have one of these too, but have not yet installed it on a cello. It should never damage a pin - til the end of time. If your old endpin will not come out of the fitting, then it has some kind of "stop" either built on, welded on it, or just fastened to the inner end. The only way to get it out is to take out the whole old fitting and take the end off the old pin any way you can and then remove the pin from the fitting. Bice's pins have nothing on the end to keep then in the fitting so they can just be inserted and removed. (The points on his pins are extraordinarily sharp - so you have to be really careful - but on floors where you are permitted to use the pin point, they will hold like speared prey. I have certainly found these new pins to give a significant improvement in tone and responsiveness over the steel ones I previously had - on all three cellos. I could not really say they gave a better sound than the 10mm Ferwerda pins - that require a different fitting on all of my cellos (as would Bice's 10mm pins). If you extend the endpin as far as it can go, the 10mm pin will give you more stability (rigidity). But the 8mm pins are such a great advantage in being able to avoid changing the fitting that they were my first choice. Andy
ruthann Registered User (3/9/01 10:20:19 am) Reply	Re: Carbon fiber end-pin question I've got one, too. I got mine from Ellen at cellos2go. I don't have to crank the screw very hard in order to hold the endpin. It just doesn't slip down like the old metal one did on occasion. I've seen no eveidence of damage on the shaft either. I don't know if it changed the tone of my cello, but the solidity is wonderful. cello_suttonr@hotmail.com
Cello in K town Registered User (3/10/01 6:14:48 pm) Reply	Re: Carbon fiber end-pin question Andrew, How do you go about determing the diameter of you endpin? I'm pretty sure I have a "standard" 8mm(?) size endpin currently, but planning to get one of Mr. Bice's. I'm not sure if I should get the 8mm or the 10mm(?) I like the idea of a more rigid pin. Also, does the endpin come with gold-plated screw & fixture or is this a separate charge? (My cello desperately needs this as my endpin screw & mount is rusting from the many years of use! HELP!) Also, you mentioned about a COMPOSITE ENDPIN FIXTURE for the endpin, is this a separate charge? My cello is due for a "spring sprucing up" next month (new setup, bridge, re-dress fingerboard, cosmetic, etc) and I hope to have my "NEW" endpin put on then. Any other advice would be welcome. Randy D. --- Any advice on cello tailpieces?
Andrew Victor Registered User (3/12/01 9:48:57 am) Reply	Carbon fiber endpin David Bice recommends using his thicker, 10mm, endpin if you extend your endpin a great distance (I'd say, over 18 - 20 inches). This would require a new fitting. Measuring the width of your endpin can be a bit tricky because parallax viewing errors can fool you -for example, I thought my old endpin was 6 mm, when it was close to 8mm. I'd suggest you cut a small slot in a piece of cardboard (an index card or cereal box top will do) and gradually widen it until it just fits your current endpin, then measure the width of the slot you have made. 8mm = 5/16 inch, almost exactly. Andy
Len Thompson Registered User (3/12/01 12:26:07 pm) Reply	New Harmony Tailpiece Along the same lines: Do the new wooden tailpiece assemblies have any advantage over the similar, light weight metal tail piece with built-in tuners? They sure look a lot nicer! Logic tells me they would probably sound(vibrate) better because they are wood, but I'm just guessing. Anybody have any experience? Andrew, how does this newest end-pin clamp thing work. I take it that it's not a screw type of clamp! Len
DanK Registered User (3/12/01 7:31:26 pm) Reply	carbon endpin? Several people have mentioned this David Bice endpin. Where would someone get one of those? Also, does anyone know about the gotz carbon fiber, and how it differes from the gotz titanium? Thanks.
Len Thompson Registered User (3/12/01 9:11:53 pm) Reply	Re: carbon endpin? Dan, Cellos2go has them, as I'm sure others do as well, but Ellen Gunst sure is a nice person to deal with. http://www.cellos2go.com/