Tuning maching identification help

[liestman]

Can anyone identify the brand of tuners these are? They are old enough that the finish on the knobs is getting "character" and I was interested in replacing the knobs with ebony or horn knobs. The tuners have no name anywhere. The knobs are 3/4" across and the shafts have two flats on them. I actually bought them in the 80s but cannot remember the brand and that is hindering my attempt to find knobs for them. Any help is appreciated!

[Dale Ludewig]

They're Grovers.

[liestman]

Thanks! I had only seen Grovers that were labeled before.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I just had a look at the Grover website & even their ''Vintage Retro'' series of tuners had the Grover name on them. Also,i've never seen Grovers with that shape of tuner knob - i think it's some make of Grover ''look alike'' :- https://www.grotro.com/Grover/VINTAGE

Even a trawl through 16 pages of All Parts tuner found nothing remotely like them. I suspect that they're a Pac-rim make. Nothing wrong with that,except that they maybe hard to replace 'like for like'.

The only one that i found with a knob like the one in the pic.,is this one from Guitar Tech. - ''Strings Direct'' sell them,
Ivan

[liestman]

Thanks Ivan. I looked at a bunch of places too and had the same result but did not find the Strings Direct ones.

[Ron McMillan]

Your tuners have a lot in common with modern Gotohs like these ones.

If they are by any chance interchangeable with Gotohs, there are a number of websites offering replacement Gotoh mini tuner buttons in a variety of materials.

[liestman]

Thanks, Ron. I actually got some mini Gotoh replacement buttons but the holes in the buttons where the shafts go in were just that - cylindrical holes. The shafts themselves and the original buttons have two flats, which locks the button in place, rotationally anyway. The replacement buttons, with no flats, just rely on the tension from the end screw to keep them from rotating around the shaft. Seems less than ideal. I don't really need to replace the tuners. I may just have to keep the buttons that are on them and continue naturally distressing them as I have done for the last 30 years.

[Dale Ludewig]

On reassessment, I should have said they look like Grovers. But you're right, the button shape is different. I guess I was assuming that if they were from the 80's, they'd be the real thing. Maybe not.

[liestman]

I put them on sometime around '83 and probably bought them from Elderly. Not much to Google back then. Anyway, I think I will keep the well worn buttons, since they have flats in the holes and lock in quite well. I worry that the cylinder-drilled ebony buttons would slip around the shaft. Then again, if that is the norm, maybe they don't slip in practice.

[pops1]

Stu Mac sells different buttons, some with the flats. If you can get close you can always file a little on the buttons or the shafts to make the change work. I have an 1890 banjo and put newer tuners on a couple decades ago that go thru small holes so as to not modify the banjo much, and when I put the original buttons back on I had to modify the shafts of the tuners to fit. I chose to modify the new and not the old, but here I am not sure it would make a difference.

[liestman]

Thanks pops1. The only ones I see with flats are the vintage type with not screws in the end. I will just keep what I have I guess.

[colorado_al]

You swapped them out once, easy enough to do a second time. If they work well and it is just the buttons that are discolored or roughed up, I'd just keep it as is.

[liestman]

Yep, that is my plan.

[Ray(T)]

They have something of a "Schaller" look to me; without the usual engraved logo.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi John - I should have posted a link to the Guitar Tech. tuners - here it is :- http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/parts...ineheads-p3694
Ivan