Lost a Tuner Key Screw for my Gibson F-9

**werbel** · May-30-2012, 10:29am

Greetings, I am seeking assistance in locating a replacement tuner key screw for my Gibson F-9. It is a very odd shaped little screw. The manufacturers of the tuning machines, Grover, tell me they cannot supply one due to their contractural agreement with Gibson. And despite three phone calls and several emails to Gibson over the past 5 weeks or so, they have failed thus far to provide me with a replacement. I have been told twice it will be two weeks, and those two weeks have twice come and gone. I have scoured the internet and haven't been able to locate any myself. I would be happy to purchase one if someone out there has an extra! If this is SOP for Gibson, I am very disappointed.
Thank you, Mandolin Cafe.
Julie

**Bernie Daniel** · May-30-2012, 11:06am

Pretty annoying I'd say! Sounds like someone takes your call and then drops the ball? Anyway to bump the request up to a supervisory level? Some of the senior staff for Gibson mandolin production are on this forum maybe one of them will pick up on it and help. Also there are other members here who do know the folks at OAI and maybe they will help.

**Willie** · May-30-2012, 1:21pm

I assume you are taliking about the small screws that hold the tuning knobs onto the shafts....

I would remove the other seven and find some other screws that would work and install them...Probably find them at Lowes or a hardware store....

**Rroyd** · May-30-2012, 2:04pm

If you can find one with the correct thread size, which should be possible at any well-stocked hardware store, or perhaps an auto parts store, it's possible to modify the head to match the others. You can use an electric drill as a lathe; secure it with a padded clamp, put it a padded vise, or even just tie it in the corner of an open drawer with surgical tubing, chuck up the screw, lock the drill on, and reshape the screw head with a file to match. The finish may not match, but at least you are back in business.

**werbel** · May-30-2012, 9:36pm

Thank you for your suggestions. No luck at the hardware store--that would be too sensible. And I wish I were as able as Rroyd, but anything involving a lathe and surgical tubing is best left to others. So I settled for a letter to Gibson's CEO, which I hope will be read by an administrative assistant who plays mandolin and is empathetic. Meanwhile, I would still like to purchase a screw if one is available in forum cyberspace.

**MikeEdgerton** · May-30-2012, 10:03pm

Originally Posted by werbel

Thank you for your suggestions. No luck at the hardware store--that would be too sensible. And I wish I were as able as Rroyd, but anything involving a lathe and surgical tubing is best left to others. So I settled for a letter to Gibson's CEO, which I hope will be read by an administrative assistant who plays mandolin and is empathetic. Meanwhile, I would still like to purchase a screw if one is available in forum cyberspace.

Could you post a picture of the back of your headstock so we can tell you what you need? If you have the right tuners I have the screws. If not I can give you an e-mail address at Gibson that will get you what you need as long as you haven't burned too many bridges already.

**werbel** · May-30-2012, 10:49pm

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Thank you. Mike. If all goes according to plan, there is one headstock photo and one photo of the afflicted tuner.

**Rroyd** · May-31-2012, 12:22am

Are you anywhere near the tri-cities, and have plans to attend the festival there? If so, and Mike doesn't have the screw you need, and you don't make any progress with Gibson, feel free to PM me.

**MikeEdgerton** · May-31-2012, 8:16am

Those are Gibson Grover tuners. They were made just for Gibson and I should have the screw. PM me (Click on my name and select Private Message) and send me your address. I'll drop one in the mail. I have them at home. I got them from Gibson when I lost one.

**frenchquarterfly** · Jun-03-2012, 11:47am

Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton

Those are Gibson Grover tuners . . . . made just for Gibson and I should have the screw . . . . I got them from Gibson when I lost one.

Mike-- I'm in huge admiration of your quick ability & kind generosity w/being able to help out this lady.

EVERY time that I have a similar mandolin parts acquisition need which would logically first call for my reaching for simple & constructive assistance/direction from Gibson in Nashville, this ready-to-buy, cash-paying customer is instead truly in DREAD of phoning or otherwise contacting them. This is because my call usually degenerates into a lengthy, disorganized mire of being referred from department-to-department of folks who can't provide a really useful nor purposeful response, any better than if had posed my inquiry to my cat. (Disregard those incidences of rude & condescending Gibson telephone respondents encountered along the way.) The one notable exception has always been the true professionalism received from their Custom Shop (guitar) Department.

Therefore, regarding this line from your reply, ". . . I got them from Gibson when I lost one.", I am now extremely eager to read a further added response from you in the hope that you could possibly recount & specify, as an example, EXACTLY how you managed to navigate through that disorganized confusion at Gibson. And, how did you successfully acquire a simple Gibson mandolin part -&/or- how are you able to just simply get to the right person there who has SPECIFIC knowledge of parts, price, & availability pertinent to any of their mandolins currently being marketed ?

(If anyone else reading this is surprised by my account -&- if he/she should ever happen to have a really boring moment, then sieze a learning opportunity by selecting a random, but similar mandolin part for inquiry and then call any one of the Customer Service Depts. of Collings, Rigel, Weber, etc. . . . then follow by calling Gibson. The difference is startling !)

**MikeEdgerton** · Jun-03-2012, 3:18pm

It was actually fairly simple, I got Danny Roberts' e-mail address and sent him a message. He sent me the screws. The OAI Division seems to be the stepchild of the Gibson operation. I think if you called customer service with a problem with the integrity of a mandolin that they would know how to handle it. When you contact them looking for parts, new or vintage, for any instrument you generally get referred to Stew-Mac or some other parts supplier. They just don't seem to be equipped to handle those requests. In the case of an item as simple as these tuner button screws they haven't got a clue. The person you're talking to may have never seen a mandolin. Some day Henry will figure out that there is money to made selling parts.

For what it's worth Julie's tuner screw should be in her hands this week. If you have a set of tuners with buttons held on with screws go get a small screw driver and snug them up. You'll be glad you did.

**rico mando** · Jun-03-2012, 9:25pm

my 2001 F-9 has different tuners . and I bought it new

**MikeEdgerton** · Jun-03-2012, 9:29pm

I know they were using these tuners in 2005. I don't know when they started. I don't recall seeing these on anything below the F5G but apparently they put them on the F9's at some point. They were built by Grover and sold only to Gibson.

**werbel** · Jun-04-2012, 5:22pm

Mike kindly provided me with an errant screw, just in time for the Vashon Island Strawberry Festival, and I have placed a screwdriver in my case to tighten the buttons. I second his suggestion about the wisdom of tightening them every so often. A number of mine were quite loose, and I know I haven't tightened them in a couple of years. Don't want to lose any more after taking one of Mike's precious stash.

Rico, I acquired my F-9 with those tuners in 2004.....

Thank you again, Mike.

**MikeEdgerton** · Jun-04-2012, 6:12pm

Originally Posted by werbel

Mike kindly provided me with an errant screw, just in time for the Vashon Island Strawberry Festival, and I have placed a screwdriver in my case to tighten the buttons. I second his suggestion about the wisdom of tightening them every so often. A number of mine were quite loose, and I know I haven't tightened them in a couple of years. Don't want to lose any more after taking one of Mike's precious stash.

Rico, I acquired my F-9 with those tuners in 2004.....

Thank you again, Mike.

Glad to help, enjoy that F-9.

**greg_tsam** · Jun-04-2012, 7:17pm

I lost one of there screws of my Breedlove sometime in the first 6 months of buying it. I always meant to go down to the hardware store and find one but never did. Luckily the button didn't/hasn't fallen off yet and it's been a couple of years. It's probably more likely to be found at an "old fashioned" hardware store that still has bins of various things but they're harder to find in these days of Home Depot and Loews.

**MikeEdgerton** · Jun-04-2012, 7:25pm

The screws on these Grovers have what I would call a stylized head on them and they are a brushed silver color. I'm assuming they are metric threaded though I've never checked. The Lowes near me keeps a pretty decent supply of metric and SAE stainless screws. The Sears Hardware near me has an excellent selection of Chrome screws and nuts. The stand-alone hardware stores around me vary in their choice and selection of screws. For whatever reason, between instruments, bicycles, and the other things I find myself involved with I'm friends with all of those departments. The other place I've found a decent selection of stainless stuff is the marine supply stores. I'd love to find a distributor near me that had all of this stuff in stock and available.