Tuner problem

[phynie]

A while back I got new Schaller tuners for my mandolin. Much to my disappointment, I bought the incorrect configuration. The old tuners were gear above worm and the new tuners were worm above gear. I had them installed and they work great. But, the headstock was obviously designed for gear above worm tuners. My question is, could I just take the tuners and switch the sides of the headstock they are on? In other words could I take the left tuners and put them on the right side of the headstock and the right on the left? I have no problem with reversed gear tuners. I just was not sure if I would be doing them harm or not. The tuners work fine the way they are they just look a little funny. Any feedback would be great. Thanks!

[sunburst]

If you have an "A" style, with all the tuner shafts the same length, you can turn them over. If you have an "F" with different shaft lengths, you may have problems.
I used to take Shallers apart and put them back together with the tuner shafts on the other side, but that was before they started using cast plates, and I don't believe you can do it anymore.

[phynie]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it was an a style. The shafts are all the same length. So, Sunburst, I won't run into a problem?

[sunburst]

phynie, I'm pretty sure I've see Shallers mounted either way, and I know I've seen other tuners mounted so that the string tension would tend to pull the gears apart rather that tighten the mesh of the gears. As long as the peghead bushings are properly installed and acurately positioned, I can't think of any reason you would have trouble.

[Michael Lewis]

One point about swapping the shafts on the newer Schaller machines, reverse the positions of the shafts on the same plate, then put the assembly on the other side of the headstock. That is, swap the top shaft with the bottom one, then switch the two center shafts. Then you can do the set for the other side.

[MichaelJ]

I changed the tuners on my 54' Martin C-15 (A), and noticed that the new one's were stamped with a "L" & "R". The old tuners were non-reverse and the new one's are reversed... If your old tuners were not reverse cut then swaping them side-to-side should give you the same direction as your old machines.

Did the holes need to be drilled? I had to cut mine to 11/32" to make the Schaller tuners fit.

mj

[phynie]

Yup, the holes had to be drilled. I went through with the procedure last night and it worked fine. And as you said. the tuners I have are reversed gearing so, when I reversed them, it made them standard. crazy.

[murf22]

Anyone put grocers on a Kentucky

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Grovers

[MikeEdgerton]

What model Kentucky? The KM-150 was using an odd sized tuner spacing.