tuners ?

[J. Hames May]

I have an inexpensive no name mandolin that I would like to shange the tuners on. I'm embarressed to say how little i paid for this thing but after tuning and intoning it sounds decent . it has no name outside and the label is off inside .I don't want to spend a fortune but think with a decent set of tuners it would suit my purpose until I find something else that I like . any advice would be helpful

[John Kelly]

If you have managed to get it tuned to your satisfaction then maybe the existing tuners are fine for now. If the mandolin is a reasonably modern one then any of the many brands of tuners could be substituted providing that the stringpost spacing is standard - 23 mm between posts on most modern tuners. If you had problems getting it tuned, remember to check the nut slots for tightness as this can cause tuning problems too.

[Folkmusician.com]

Changing tuners is not always as straight forward as it should be. The first thing would be to measure your current tuners:

Specifically:
Post spacing
Post width
Pull out a bushing and measure the width and depth.
Depth of the headstock.

Mounting screw holes are easy enough to deal with, but the other things can cause issues. Obviously, the post spacing is a big deal, but bushings sizes are not always the same either and this can be a lot of trouble to deal with. Sometimes you can keep the original bushing if the post width is close on the replacement tuners.

[bart mcneil]

I think that Stumac sells an inexpensive set of new tuners for exactly your purpose. I have used them on a couple of my cheap old mandos and they work just fine.

But what's wrong with your present tuners? if they are slipping I use violin rosin on their worm gears and on the posts going through in the headstock. This has worked for me on worn or slipping tuners because the violin rosin increases friction and prevents slippage. Unless there is a mechanical problem I would suggest trying that.

[Bill Snyder]

If they are old and dirty, or just dirty, then cleaning and lubricating sometimes works wonders. Before you change them try it. Follow the directions in this tutorial on the subject from Paul Hostetter.

[Paul Hostetter]

And for heaven's sakes, don't put violin rosin in your tuners. Yikes!

(Thanks, Bill!)

[newtomand]

why would anyone put rosin in or on metal tuners?

[sunburst]

As has been hinted but not directly stated in this thread, nearly any tuner set that is not damaged or defective will tune the strings. Tuning problems are usually caused by poor nut slots. For better tuning, re-slotting or replacing the nut may well do you more good than replacing the tuners.

[bart mcneil]

When an old tuner is slipping out of tune just sitting there or when the instrument is being played an increase in friction will often stop that from happening. Rosin can be used to increase friction and stop the instrument from slipping out of tune. Rosin, being a wood product is not, to my knowledge, damaging to either the wood headstock nor to the metal parts of the geared tuners or its shaft through the head stock wood. In essence what I am suggesting is the same thing as as you do with a worn automobile engine when you switch to a heavier weight motor oil. The rosin is not visible and to my knowledge will damage neither the wood nor the metal or tuner shaft... Non-geared tuners respond very well to rosin as well, it reducing the tendency of the non-geared tuners to allow slippage.

Wooden violin type tuners on old banjos respond very well to the rosin as well, it being just sticky enough to resist the tension of steel strings yet still allow easy re-tuning when necessary.

[Pete Jenner]

In essence what I am suggesting is the same thing as as you do with a worn automobile engine when you switch to a heavier weight motor oil.

...or stuff banana peels in the gearbox...

[bart mcneil]

But rosin normally smells a little better over time. Besides It is difficult to stuff a banana peel inside a tuner gear or shaft... not impossible but difficult and a little messy.

[J. Hames May]

would rosin not gum up the gears ? I am slowly returning to my normal state of mind..........confusion

[Bill Snyder]

J. Hames May, look at the link I included above and also check the nut slots.

[Austin Bob]

Mandolins have a lot of tension on the strings, along with a short scale. Add the fact that the strings are tuned in unison, and you end up with an instrument that can be finicky and seem difficult to tune.

Inexpensive tuning machines start at $30 and go up to over $500, so there definitely is a difference in quality.

But as others have stated, unless the current tuners are damaged or badly rusted, you would be better off spending the money to have your mandolin set up properly. In other words, if you put $500 tuners on a mandolin that is not set up properly, you will still have a mandolin that does not seem to stay in tune.

If the tuners are bent, as was the case for my first mandolin, then they may in fact need replacing. If that's the case, it may not be a simple matter due to the spacing and diameter of the holes.

Do an internet search for guitar/mandolin repair in your area. If there is a local resource, give them a call and ask how much they charge for a setup. It may be money well spent, as they can address the multiple causes of the mandolin being hard to tune, as well as recommend which tuners to buy if you do need replacements. The best ones to get would be the ones that fit correctly, and this is where experience pays off.