Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on January 27, 2016 at 8:58am

I think the cheap geared tuners like Gitty sells are just the ticket for CBGs. Don't cost  much, work well.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Hergert on January 27, 2016 at 10:07am

Well.  I picked up a couple of "6 on a plate" tuners for 12 string acoustic guitars at a guitar show in town last summer.  I make 3 string gits so I cut them in half.  I like them be cause they are more tightly spaced than the 3 on the plate.

Since I bought them at a swap meet, I do not know what brand they are.  I did order some from Amazon but I have not gotten them yet. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01149FIYS?psc=1&redirect=true...

For $9, I am getting 4 guitars.  Not too bad. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Hergert on January 27, 2016 at 10:10am

Here's what I am talking about with a scarf cut.

Attachments:

• IMG_1515.jpg, 251 KB

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Hergert on January 27, 2016 at 11:45am

Wayfinder -- Yeah.  It's an easy design.  I am all over easy.  It lends itself well to CBG too - "no rules".

The frets give me a chance to practice fretting.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Hergert on January 27, 2016 at 11:50am

I did pick up some of those at the swap meet too.

Same principle.  The 6 on a plate are a little more compact.  They are close enough, I need to turn the keys just right to use a tuner crank. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mr. Triked on January 27, 2016 at 10:55am

I have yet to use tuners. I just use eye bolts. Outside of strings, I get most of my guitar parts from scrap or trips to the hardware store.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Primitive Acoustics on January 27, 2016 at 6:15pm

I have had the economy tuners fail over time, plastic knobs breaking off and gears failing. I have good luck with the Speal tuners from Gitty and they seem to be a good value. I also use generic sealed tuners with decent results.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on January 27, 2016 at 7:42pm

My purchases of open gear type tuners has been 50/50. I refuse to buy any in the future. I only buy the sealed type now without issue so far.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on January 27, 2016 at 9:16pm

I've tried loads of different machineheads, and in the budget price range the quality can vary wildly, from acceptable to downright junk. Some of the "sealed back" tuners can be just as bad if not worse than the open back ones, it's just that you cant see how sloppy they are inside the cover. I've come down to using a select few types in most of my builds, and I get them direct from the manufacturers.

I like these because of the vintage vibe, effectively a copy of the Grover Sta-Tite - very chunky baseplate, and the metal buttons are held on by setscrews rather than just friction-pressed onto the shaft.

These are also very nice quality, and I was surprised at how much better they are than the usual "Kluson Clones", most of which have very sloppy gears which can't be adjusted.

For sealed tuners I use  VanGent deluxe , made in the Netherlands...as good as Schallers but not as pricey.

And another machinehead from VanGent, a simple open back, but the quality is streets ahead of cheap Chinese stuff. The gears are chunky and well machined, and there's very little backlash or slop in use.
It's tempting to go for the cheapest or most readily available, but after you've used a quality set of machineheads, you'll know the difference. Makers such as Schaller, Grover and Gotoh make some great stuff, and also cheaper (but hardly bottom of the range) Wilkinson make some very good machineheads.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sean O'Donnell on January 27, 2016 at 11:34pm

Nice selection, Thanks. What are the first ones called?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on January 28, 2016 at 4:07am

We have these made for us. You can find similar looking ones on eBay, but they really aren't as good as these, unless you buy genuine USA-made Grover Sta-Tites. Even then, the most basic 98 and 97 series Sta-tites just have pressed steel baseplates, you have to pay more money for the nicer 97-18 ones with cast baseplates.

Open back machineheads - ChickenboneJohn's website

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bristol Blue on January 28, 2016 at 7:59pm

From experience on regular guitars I own or have owned: Genuine Klusons were still working fine on a nearly 40 yr old Gibson when I sold it ...Kluson Replicas by Gotoh both "Snot Greens" and the small vintage Fender types work OK. Schaller :There is a reason Rickenbacker use these and it is not because of price; they are accurate and don't slip ! I have an AXL Badwater Eldorado  - The tuners on  this are worse than useless- by the time one string is in tune the other is off again. Bad tuners IMO is the number one thing that will let any instrument sit unplayed ! 

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page