<HTML>In a message dated 3/6/02 1:26:54 PM Central Standard Time, edwithen@oregontrail.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">I isolated several strings and determined that pressing against the hitch pins eliminated the problem.  In the past I have made improvement by gently tapping hitch pins in and/or using epoxy on them.    My question is, what kind of danger do I run by tapping in these pins.  Am I likely to split the bridge?   Other considerations?? Ed Carwithen </BLOCKQUOTE> Ed By the question you are asking, I am not sure your definition of a hitch pin is the same as mine.  The hitch pin is the pin around which the string is looped, (or in the case of a bass string, it is attached to). Bridge pins are on the bridge, which jog the strings side to side. Now, if you are asking about hitch pins, I wouldn't want to tap those down. I don't think that would do any good, and they probably wouldn't tap down anyway. But you could tap the strings down at the hitch pins, to make sure they are snug on the plate. If you are talking about the bridge pins, yes you can tap those down. In fact that will improve the tone. You can also tap the strings on the bridge, to eliminate false beats and buzzes. I hope that answers your question. </HTML>