Tuning peg upgrade for Blueridge BR-40T?

[PiousDevil]

I recently picked up a Blueridge BR0-40T coming from a guitar background, and it has quickly become my favorite guitar to play. I was meant to play an instrument tuned in 5ths, 4ths is for the birds. . . stupid B string.

My only complaint is that I have to tune more often than I'd like. I'm considering looking into upgraded tuning pegs, maybe Waverlys. Can anybody give me an idea of what set I should be looking for, what specs, and hopefully where I can save a buck getting them?

[MikeEdgerton]

Waverly tuners are made by Stewart McDonald (www.stewmac.com). Anybody else that might be selling them is buying them from Stemac.

[PiousDevil]

Waverly tuners are made by Stewart McDonald (www.stewmac.com). Anybody else that might be selling them is buying them from Stemac.

Thanks for your quick reply. I've sent stewmac an email.

Any opinions on whether Waverly will offer the most tuning stability?

[MikeEdgerton]

If the tuners are the problem. Many times the tuners aren't the problem. It could be a poorly cut nut slot or slots.

[Chip Stewart]

The tuning stability of my Blueridge BR-60T increased dramatically once I had a luthier enlarge my nut slots. Are the strings binding? You can often hear the strings "ping" if they are binding followed by a significant change in tuning.

[michaeloceanmoon]

Hey Pious Devil, did you end up springing for the Waverlys? They sure seem perty! Do you get a price break purchasing just 4 tuners or do you have to purchase a set of 6? I could see getting them just for pleasure, if the finances weren't an issue. I did think the Blueridge tuners were a bit small? They seem to be smaller than the Waverly lookalikes on my Pono uke, which are stellar looking and perform splendidly.
Michael

[PiousDevil]

Hey Pious Devil, did you end up springing for the Waverlys? They sure seem perty! Do you get a price break purchasing just 4 tuners or do you have to purchase a set of 6? I could see getting them just for pleasure, if the finances weren't an issue. I did think the Blueridge tuners were a bit small? They seem to be smaller than the Waverly lookalikes on my Pono uke, which are stellar looking and perform splendidly.
Michael

Stewmac couldn't accomodate me for a set of 4, and i wasn't interested in the types of tuners that they sold in singles. I'm holding of for now until I have a better idea of the specs on the tuners.

[MikeEdgerton]

If you buy a set of 6 you can sell the other two on eBay.

[michaeloceanmoon]

Maybe three of us ought to go in on 2 sets! Hee hee!.

[TenorMan]

The tuners that come on the BR40-T are Chinese copies of Waverley's "Butterbeans". My BR40-T has a bit of a slipping problem, and I am thinking of getting these. They're spendy, but they're one of the best tuners on the planet. BTW...Waverley is made by Waverley in Montana, Stewmac is the distributor.

[MikeEdgerton]

Actually Waverly is owned by Stewmac. It's also called Stewart-McDonald Mfg. Co.

http://www.manta.com/c/mm86k7q/waverly-manufacturing

[TenorMan]

I stand corrected.

[TenorMan]

So, I'm thinking of getting a set of Waverly Butterbeans for my BR40-T. Are they the same size?

[PiousDevil]

I'll have to take some measurements. If so, I'm interested in the butterbeans with turqouise knobs.

http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_..._Pegheads.html

The snakewood knobs are nice, too, but expensive.

It just stinks that I have to pay for 6 tuners and will have two left over.

[TenorMan]

Oh yeah! Tortoise! I like those too...real snazzy! But I'd be a little leery of plastic or wood knobs becoming loose or stripped. And, as for having two extra, I think I'll just put them in a drawer, and save them in case I need them for a new guitar someday. But, yeah, it sucks that they don't sell sets of 4, or individually. The price we pay for having an instrument that goes in and out of style. When I bought my Waverly planetary banjo tuners from Stewmac a few years ago for my Kalamazoo, they sold them in sets of four, but that was because they're meant for a banjo. Oh, BTW...those ebony ones would look real sharp on a BR40-T, goes really well with the black binding!

[TenorMan]

Say, PiousDevil! How did you make out with the Waverlys? I just ordered a set of 4 from Stew-Mac. I had to call them, and they sold me four. I went with the gold butterbeans BTW.

[PiousDevil]

I never did pull the trigger on replacement tuners. Let me know how they turn out for you.

[fox]

I would like to fit geared banjo tuners to mine but I cant find any with tortoise shell buttons?

[Jacob]

Tortoise shell (plastic) buttons are offered on GOTOH® UPT Planetary Ukulele tuners.
Specs & options.

[TenorMan]

I never did pull the trigger on replacement tuners. Let me know how they turn out for you.

I'm having them put on right now. I'll keep you posted. I just wanted to let everyone know that if you call in your order, they will sell you four. If you place your order online, you're stuck with six. Oh, BTW, if you're going to install them on a Blueridge, don't forget to get the adaptor bushings. The stock tuners are Gotoh, which are a tad larger than the Waverlys.

[fox]

Tortoise shell (plastic) buttons are offered on GOTOH® UPT Planetary Ukulele tuners.
Specs & options.

Hi Jacob, yes thanks, I have those fitted to my little tenor the one in my avatar but I feel they are a little small to match the bluridge.
If I built another 8 string I would use them though.

- - - Updated - - -

[Steve Ostrander]

When I got my br40 I restrung it to GDAE. I had it set up and the nut slots filed for the larger gauge strings. It helped the tuning a lot. I think that if I upgrade, it will be to a new tenor. Nothing wrong with the br40, mind you-- its just a case of TGAS. The down side is, I hardly ever play my Larrivee D-02 anymore since I got the br40.....

[TenorMan]

Well, my luthier got them installed. The only problem he had was when he tried to remove the existing bushings. They stuck to the finish...which he had to try and match. Other than that, they look and work fantastic! And he didn't have to use the adaptor bushings, the ones that came with the Waverlys fit just fine.

[colorado_al]

Well, my luthier got them installed. The only problem he had was when he tried to remove the existing bushings. They stuck to the finish...which he had to try and match.

I had that same problem when I removed the bushings on my BR-40TCE for my Tenor to OM conversion.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-OM-conversion

I had been hoping to use 8 butterbean open back tuners, but there just wasn't enough room in the headstock.