Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

  1. #1
    Registered User mommythrice's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    127

    Default Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

    A good friend of mine has on old A-style Gibson mandolin that was his dad's. He took it to the Gibson factory and they told him it was as 1950-1955 - everything is original and it's in great condition, but the old buttons are cracking and falling off. He was going to replace the tuners, but I thought that might harm the vintage value. Does that matter? I know this isn't a terribly desirable year. I don't know what kind of tuners are on it, so I have no idea how to find the buttons, but I got a good look at it. The piece that goes inside the button is just a flattened part of the metal rod coming from the screw - kind of like a flat-head screwdriver, but a little more rounded.

  2. #2
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Kentucky
    Posts
    15,863

    Default Re: Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

    Have a look here. No need to replace the entire tuner set, though the value of a 50s Gibson would not suffer badly from a replacement.

  3. #3
    Registered User mommythrice's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    127

    Default Re: Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

    Quote Originally Posted by sunburst View Post
    Have a look here. No need to replace the entire tuner set, though the value of a 50s Gibson would not suffer badly from a replacement.
    Thanks. I didn't know where to start for buttons only. They're cheap enough that we can give them a try.

  4. #4
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Delran, NJ
    Posts
    2,921

    Default Re: Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

    This is another option, also on Stew-Mac. Golden Age now makes a set of "restoration" tuners that have a vintage look. If you did want to replace the entire set, these will still retain the vintage look. Just keep the old set if you ever decide to sell.

    http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/M..._Mandolin.html
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    High Peak - UK
    Posts
    4,171

    Default Re: Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

    The "restoration" tuners are great and the aged ones actually look older than the ones I took off my '15 "A". The problem is, however, that they won't fit an "A" from the 50's - you need the modern spacing.

  6. #6
    Registered User mommythrice's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    127

    Default Re: Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ray(T) View Post
    The "restoration" tuners are great and the aged ones actually look older than the ones I took off my '15 "A". The problem is, however, that they won't fit an "A" from the 50's - you need the modern spacing.
    Ah. I was just looking at the specs to see if this would be a problem. The website wasn't clear, so thank you.

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    San Diego CA
    Posts
    2,200

    Default Re: Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

    If you do go the repair route, Frank Ford has a good walk through on frets.com:
    http://www.frets.com/fretspages/luth...newbutton.html

  8. #8
    Still Picking and Sawing Jack Roberts's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    sigmaX>=hbar/2sigmaP
    Posts
    1,701

    Default Re: Vintage Gibson - replace tuners or just buttons?

    I replaced just the buttons on my '58 a-5. All it took was pulling the old ones off, heating the new ones to soften them a bit and pressing them on. Better than new, and took less time than changing strings. (the old ones had crumbled to the point I couldnt tune any more.)
    Ha, ha! keep time: how sour sweet music is,
    When time is broke and no proportion kept!
    --William Shakespeare

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •