View Full Version : how long do tuners last
how long should tuners last before they have to be changed? mine are getting a tad sticky.
thanks,ira
John Flynn
Jul-07-2006, 8:39pm
I imagine the life varies a lot, depending on the quality of the tuners, how well they were installed, the usage and the maintenance. I have tried original tuners on 80+ year old mandolins that worked fine and tuners on mandos less than 5 years old that didn't.
Have you tried lubing your tuners? They really should get some lube every string change. I use ProTec Synthetic Gun Grease on mine. It has a great syringe-type applicator. The "grease" (which is really more like a white cream) is really "slippery," it resists picking up dirt particels, it stays put and doesn't drip, and it has no smell. A lot of people just use 3-in-1 oil, although I don't care for it.
Two other things to check are the tuner bushings and the nut slots. Either of these can cause what seems to be a tuner problem, but isn't. If a bushing comes loose, it can bind and you may or may not be able to tell with the instrument strung up. Nut slots will tend to bind over time also and the slots may have to be re-filed. A good luthier can easily diagnose and fix either problem.
Dave Hanson
Jul-07-2006, 9:39pm
Top builders in the UK tend to use single mini geared tuners rather than in line sets, [ except for F models ] either Gotoh or Schaller, these should last forever.
Dave H
Steven Stone
Jul-08-2006, 12:20am
[I use ProTec Synthetic Gun Grease on mine.]
Could you supply a source for that stuff? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
John Flynn
Jul-08-2006, 8:14am
Could you supply a source for that stuff?
I get mine at my local gun store. However, you can get it online from ProTec's site:
http://www.proteclubricants.com/lubricants/
What I use is the third item down on that page, entitled "ProTec™ GUNgrease Syringe." You can buy using PayPal.
BTW, if you only use it for mandolin tuners, that 10cc syringe will probably last a lifetime.
Steve L
Jul-08-2006, 9:42am
I use trumpet valve oil when my tuners need a little help.
Paul Hostetter
Jul-13-2006, 5:48pm
http://www.lutherie.net/tri.flow.jpg
A clean, properly lubed gear should last a century or more. I see lots of the old ones hanging in and working just fine.
I think tuners should last as well but....
http://www.waverlytuners.com/images/mando_quote.gif
That is from this (http://www.waverlytuners.com/mandolin.html) site.
Paul Hostetter
Jul-17-2006, 10:40am
Waverly mandolin tuners are really sweet, and if I was building a new high-end mandolin, I'd probably use them. But they are not happening for most mandolins, because their post spacing doesn't work for so many existing mandolins. Gibson used three slightly different spacing configurations, Waverly offers one of them.
They also cost a fortune (you notice the Waverly site doesn't muddy things with that detail), and a second half-fortune to make them fit an instrument if those holes are 1/16" off. I have been around this block many times over the last 40-some years. Making the old ones work right is miles ahead of any replacement.
Darryl Wolfe
Jul-17-2006, 10:55am
and..here we go again http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif