Grover, Schaller, Gotho, ... what's the best ?

[BluegrassPhilfromFrance]

I'm planning to have an octave mandolin built by a french luthier and I'm wondering what are the BEST tuners (A- Style) actually available on the market, knowing that I have bought already the Waverly for my Monteleone mandolin. Heard a lot of good things on the Grover De-Luxe and what about the Grover Sta-Lite

[Bandersnatch Reverb]

Well, you've got only a few choices there.

Schaller or Grover deluxe are about the same, the Grover is a little finer greared, but not much.

Waverly - you know about those

or... you could always have it fitted with some mini-Grover guitar machines (which are probably smoother than any of the open geared tuners out there).

[Fretbear]

If it is a custom A style peghead, there is absolutely no question, you should get sealed individual tuners. I have a set on my bouzouki and they never slip. I am dreaming of the day somebody begins offering light-weight one-piece or even multi-piece F style sealed tuning machines.