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Thread: Newly installed Schaller tuners

  1. #1
    music with whales Jim Nollman's Avatar
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    Default Newly installed Schaller tuners

    I've meaning for awhile to post some images of a set of tuners, newly released by Schaller. In the spirit of full disclosure these were sent to me, upon public release, as a "review set". Both A and F configurations come in several different metallic finishes, of which I chose copper. With ebony buttons. I'm posting today, because I just installed them on one of my instruments, a BRW three point oval hole, built by Ben Wilcox. The mandolin originally came with mother of pearl tuners which were capable, but lacked the pizazz of the new copper Schallers. To my eyes, this blond top mandolin looks much better off with the ebony buttons. These Schallers also stay in tune way better than the original tuners. I especially notice how easy it is to fine tune by just tapping on the buttons once the auto tuner says it's in tune, but I can still hear a slight beat within a specific course of strings. Anyway, I thought some players might be interested in these new tuners.
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  3. #2

    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    I love ebony button tuners. They look great on there.
    Soliver arm rested and Tone-Garded Northfield Model M with D’Addario NB 11.5-41, picked with a Wegen Bluegrass 1.4

  4. #3
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Those look great!
    How do I get on the "review list"?

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  6. #4
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Appears much different from their regular production tuners as well.

    Re designed backing plate, worm and the round gear
    + no longer using a serviceable screw to fix it to the capstan shaft..

    so more like the other high end tuners ..



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  7. #5
    music with whales Jim Nollman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    I think you got it right, Mandroid. Indeed, these new Schaller tuners were designed to compete for the high end market. They seem as solidly machined to me as Waverly's. Plus, the copper/ebony combo is a winner, a new look for the market, and as aesthetically pleasing as the ebony and silver Rubner's I have installed on my Altman.
    Explore some of my published music here.

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    Sierra F5 #30 (2005)
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  8. #6
    Mandolin & Mandola maker
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    These are the new Schaller grandtune mandolin tuners. Schaller are using the new technology developed for their open gear guitar tuners on their mandolin tuners. They come in a large variety of options in terms of finish and tuning knobs. If they are anything like their grandtune guitar tuners they likely to be on a par or very close to Waverly. I have not got a set to try yet, but I am working on it. I have used their grandtune guitar tuners and they are excellent.
    Peter Coombe - mandolins, mandolas and guitars
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  9. #7

    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Not for sale yet?

  10. #8
    Mandolin & Mandola maker
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    You can get them direct from Schaller, or from the Schaller distributers now. I tried direct, but the transport costs are a killer so I backed out. The Australian distributer does not have the model I want yet.
    Peter Coombe - mandolins, mandolas and guitars
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  11. #9
    music with whales Jim Nollman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Peter got it right. My contact at Schaller referred to them as "grand tunes", and described them as an adaptation of their guitar tuners of the same name. He also said the commercial release had occurred a few weeks before he sent me mine. I've had mine for about a month.
    Explore some of my published music here.

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  12. #10
    Confused... or?
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    ... + no longer using a serviceable screw to fix it to the capstan shaft.
    I'm a bit puzzled. How is the round gear attached to the shaft? I had assumed the "S" was a press-in cover over a screw head, but maybe not?
    - Ed

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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    From Ed above - "I had assumed the "S" was a press-in cover over a screw head, but maybe not ? ". I had the same thought.
    From an assembly practicality standpoint,i'd say that there was still a screw there - other than that they'd use a fixed rivet = a bad idea !.
    How much better they are than the standard Schaller tuners i have on my Lebeda,i'd like to know. Those are smooooooth !,
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  14. #12

    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    I see Stewmac doesn't carry the Grand Tune tuners for guitar. Might cut into the sales of Waverly's. However the do still have Schaller products, just not in mandolin. Be interesting to see if they would add them to their line up.
    I emailed LMI to see if they have them or are going to get them.

  15. #13

    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Chris at LMI says mid summer.

  16. #14

    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Jim, are those the bushings that came with them? Are they more shallow like you'd expect with Grover or Gotoh or are they very deep like the old ones?

  17. #15
    Registered User bbcee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    @Jim Nollman, are those reversed direction? It looks like on the Schaller site, they're only selling F-style tuners reversed.

    I've got an older set of worm-under reversed Schallers on my F4, and besides these new ones looking really nice, I'd like to get them normal direction if they're making them.

  18. #16
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    I'm assuming they are these tuners. They started showing up on eBay a while back from a seller in France.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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  19. #17
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Schaller cuts the gears in both CW and CCW* .. I have had one of each ,

    made with F type multi length shafts..


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  20. #18
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    Schaller cuts the gears in both CW and CCW* .. I have had one of each ,

    made with F type multi length shafts..


    *|/////| & |\\\\\|


    And I now own a set of each
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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  21. #19
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    those new ones cannot be taken apart quite like the past versions.. Precision Die cast plates FTW.

    Appears the shaft bushing near the knob is removable to get it assembled,

    their prior plan the round gear held down a little spring steel plate and a low friction plastic piece

    were keeping the tuners together, removing the center screw let it all come apart..





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  22. #20
    Registered User bbcee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Just heard back from Schaller - pretty great customer service, besides replying in less than a day! this is for ordering directly from the site:

    Our F-style is reverse, but we can also make a custom version non-reverse.
    If you are interested in, please use in our shop the field „remarks“ at the last page and let us know you need „non-reverse“.
    Best regards

  23. #21
    music with whales Jim Nollman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    The bushings are not the ones that came from Schaller, which were copper colored, like the tuners themselves. Unfortunately, when I was replacing the old tuners, I found that the Schaller bushings wouldn't fit into the holes without widening the holes with a drill. I wasn't willing to try that on my own, for fear of ripping the headstock veneer, so I left the originals in place. I kind of like the silver bushings because they contrast with the copper.
    Explore some of my published music here.

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    Portuguese fado cittern (1965)

  24. #22
    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    I have recently seen a guitar with this new, super-deluxe design fitted. Very good indeed. Impressive. I have a guitar here that needs new tuners and I am thinking of giving them a try.
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  25. #23
    Adrian Minarovic
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    I hope Schaller will clear their terminology for reverse and nonreverse...
    What they used to call reverse was standard (in US sellers nomenclature) e.g. "worm under" set while Schallers "standard" was the same as guitar gear ("worm over") BUT the F styles were ALL assembled as "worm under" regardles of the gear cut from factory so sellers just thought they were worm under. Of 10 sets I bought over time from various sellers, two were wrong orientation. Luckily the old Schallers could be reassembled to follow the gear cut. But if they assemble these new at factory the wrong way you have a problem...
    Adrian

  26. #24
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    Adopting common machine thread terminology , A RH thread is righty- tighty,(CW) clockwise..

    the opposite is CCW counter clock wise..

    maybe it could be put in the SAT Tests? seems a mechanical logic/visualization
    set of questions was in mine, 50 years ago..


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  27. #25

    Default Re: Newly installed Schaller tuners

    I was also sent a sample set for review. While I have not yet installed them on a mandolin, I have to say that from closely examining them, these are game changers! The materials and design are A1 and the precision machining is phenomenal. For example, I held the base-plate in one hand and a string post in the other to check for play and they felt absolutely rock solid. Not the slightest bit of play. I have tried nearly every tuner out there, except Alessi, and none of them are without play in this regard. This means that the cog cannot be forced out of perfect alignment with the worm by misaligned hole spacing. I'm guessing they just won't go into badly spaced holes. I use a pin drilling jig to drill the holes in my pegheads and just to reassure myself, I dropped this set into a peghead that I had already drilled for Waverlys and to my relief, they dropped right in.

    The bushings are much smaller (thankfully) than the older style. I measured the outside diameter of the flange to be 10.5mm. The barrel of the bushing extends 5.5mm into the peghole and I measured its diameter to be 8.9 mm. They fit a little tight in a 11/32" hole and to my liking, they fit perfectly snug using an "S" letter drill at .348"

    These tuners are just so good, I'm going to make them my standard tuner from now on. Other than receiving one free set in return for feedback, I have no financial interest in these tuners and I have to buy them like everyone else. (Which I have already done.)




    The photo below is from the Schaller website.

    www.apitiusmandolins.com

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