$400.00 for a set. Are they worth it? And if not, what comes in second? Gotoh?
$400.00 for a set. Are they worth it? And if not, what comes in second? Gotoh?
"That shotgun made a crowd outa Paw." Lester Flatt
I think so but I know a lot of people disagree. Second to them (or first in some eyes) are the Gibson Grover tuners. They are great tuners and much cheaper than the Waverly tuners. Contact BigJoe for them.
If F-model mandolins have F-holes then why don't A-model mandolins have A-holes???
And BigJoe is whom?
"That shotgun made a crowd outa Paw." Lester Flatt
BigJoe is with Gibson and posts here on the Cafe from time to time.
If F-model mandolins have F-holes then why don't A-model mandolins have A-holes???
Thank you.
"That shotgun made a crowd outa Paw." Lester Flatt
Yes. In a word, they're worth it. Only pennies a day!
Doc
As far as I'm concerned, they are worth every penny! Of all the tuners I have used in the past, the Waverly's function the best
Darrell
Gibson MM #V-70335 5/2002
It depends on what you put them on and the overall worth of the the investment. $400 tuners on a $500 mando is a little nuts.
I decided to have Waverly tuners when my F4 was being built. There are excellent but only worthwhile on a high-end instrument.
Waverly's are not $400 a set. Last time I bought Waverly F tuners (2 years ago), Silver plated were $475 (or $450, I forget) and gold were like $500. I bought a set of Waverly A tuners in the last year and those were $450 for a silver plated set.
The caveat w/ Waverly's is this: although they are the best tuners available, they will not function properly unless installed exactly according to the directions from StewMac. I installed a set on a Sam Bush Gibson I had, and the Waverly's worked perfectly cause they matched the set of Schallers that had been on there. However, the set on my Kimble 2 point didn't work so well because the Schaller post spacing on the A tuner didn't match. They fit on their, but the angle of the string post, among other things, didn't match.
Ideally, you'd buy Waverly's for a mandolin that someone is building for you so the holes could be drilled correctly. If you're buying to replace a set of tuners, you may not be satisfied w/ the results.
Jim
I purchased a set of silver F mandolin Waverlys with ebony buttons for $416.50 inc. shipping in June of this year, directly from Stew Mac.Originally Posted by (JimRichter @ Oct. 31 2005, 19:20)
Dear TJ
Thank you for contacting us. We are selling Waverly Mandolin Tuners,
although they no longer appear on our website or catalog. They are made
on a per-order basis. The cost per set is $400 (or $475 with genuine
mother of pearl knobs.) You can see them at the following:
http://waverlytuners.com/mandolin/
We highly recommend that a professional luthier install the tuners due
to the precise nature of the tuners.
If you have any other questions or comments, please contact us.
Best regards,
P J Gilmore
Stewart-MacDonald
1-800-848-2273
www.stewmac.com
"That shotgun made a crowd outa Paw." Lester Flatt
My only complaint about the Waverly tuners is the weight. They are extemely heavy and put too much mass on the headstock increasing sustain. This can reduce chop and string note clarity. The Grovers are a bit closer gearing ration and weigh much less. I have Grovers on one mandolin and Waverly's on two. The Waverly's are a great tuner, I just like the lower weight of the Grovers. It is my personal taste and not everyone will agree, but just thought I would state why I prefer the Grover. However, the Waverly's are a great tuner. No question about that.
Have a Great Day!
Joe Vest
What type of buttons do the Gibsons have? Are they listed on the web site somewhere at Gibson? I didn't see them but I think I'm still half asleep. Sorry. I always check the cafe 1st thing when I wake up. Thanks John
My avatar is of my OldWave Oval A
Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.
Big Joe: #The weight difference between Schaller F tuners and Waverly F tuners is 19 grams (Waverly being 12% heavier) and the difference between Schaller A tuners and Waverly A tuners is 5 grams (Waverly being 4% heavier) according to a builder/scientist who used to post here regularly. #From a builder's standpoint, how can this "reduce chop and string clarity" and "increase sustain" as you state?
Thanks.
John the standard buttons are white pearloid but mop buttons are an option.When I purchased my Gibson Grovers I think the cost of mop was $50.00 a set.Needless to say I went with the standard buttons due to the cost of the tuners alone. Lp
J.Lane Pryce
Thanks for the link to StewMac. It's peculiar that they still sell the tuners, but don't have them in their catalog or on their web site. I'd looked. I noticed a luthier a few days ago who charges $500 extra for gold Waverly tuners, and I thought that was amazing. I hadn't realized that's what they cost these days. My A. Lawrence Smart mandola has gold Waverlys, and I didn't realize how expensive that option is. It sounds great, but do the tuners make it sound $450 greater than Grovers? Hmm.
if you want to check it for yourself, get a set of Grovers and try them. The proof is in the pudding. I think the Grovers do sound better than Waverly's. I also don't like the Schallers at all. I never have. I prefer the Gotohs much more than Schallers. My preference order is: Grovers, Waverly's, Gotohs. I don't even list Shcallers. This is my opinion and experience. Nothing more.
Have a Great Day!
Joe Vest
Gilchrist does Gotoh.
Although Steve Gilchrist uses Gotohs, I believe he completely rebuilds them. By the time he's finished his Gotohs are far better than stock units IMHO.
I too prefer the Gibson Grovers to Schallers, Waverlies, or stock Gotohs. Waverlies are beautiful and very well made, but their weight can be the difference between a well-balanced F mando and one that you have to keep re-adjusting or hold up with your left hand while playing.
I haven't done any A/B tonal comparisons, but for me the ergonomics alone make Waverlies far less desirable.
Interesting stuff. #Are the Gibson Grover tuners different than the stock Grover Deluxe tuners? #
Steven, I think it depends on the mandolin. #I've played two Collings MF5 mandolins that both had Waverly tuners. #One felt head-stock heavy and the other didn't. #The first Collings (the one that felt head-stock heavy) had Waverly tuners retrofitted to replace the Schallers it had and the Collings that didn't feel unbalanced came stock with Waverly tuners. #My Brentrup A mandolin came stock with Waverly's and it feels perfectly balanced.
I think Collings is also using Gotohs as their standard tuner but I'm not sure if they re-work them like Gilchrist does.
reesabar, actually all of the Gibson Grovers have real pearl tuning buttons or at least every set I have seen does. BigJoe could answer for sure. Jim Roberts, the Gibson Grovers are much different than the standard Grover Deluxe tuner.
If F-model mandolins have F-holes then why don't A-model mandolins have A-holes???
I've found a Tonegard works well to redistribute and balance the weight, if the Waverlies seem too top heavy.
And you get the benefits provided by the Tonegard. Works for me........
I would be more concerned about marring the finish using a tonegard. just my opinion
Darrell
Gibson MM #V-70335 5/2002
Hans Brentrup installed Waverlys when he built my V23. They work wonderfully, have evony buttoms, and look really sharp.
When the weight and carrying position of the mandolin is figured into the equation, the weight difference of the tuners is unnoticeable by me.
And I certainly don't have a financial stake in nor does my employer sell or supply Waverly tuners.
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