Tuners for Eastman

[billruns]

I have a "good sounding" Eastman MD815V that I am having trouble keeping in tune. I don't want to "put lipstick on a pig," as one member recently stated so Waverlys are out. Any suggestions? I know Eastman uses their own tail piece so nothing else matches up, but what about new (better) tuners?

[colorado_al]

I'm pretty sure that the Eastman MD815V uses Schaller tuners and those are generally pretty good. Are you sure it is the tuners that are causing the problem? Are all of the gear screws on the tuners tight? Has this always been a problem on this mando or is it a new problem? Is the nut properly cut? Bridge? You might be getting some binding that is causing the strings to change as you play.
How old is the instrument? Might be under warranty if they are not working well.

If you want an upgrade from the Schaller tuners, check out:
http://www.rubnertuners.com/mandolin-machines/
15:1 gear ratio, PTFE bearings, and they are really nice looking as well. Many options.
This lists their A style tuners. I recently spoke with them and they said they are re-tooling their F style tuners and they should be back on their website in about 2-3 weeks.

[mandroid]

Sometimes the way they were fitted detracts from their function,
But for a full on Volume producer like Eastman,
I Expect the peg head was drilled with a jig holding head stocks
and putting the 8 holes in accurately , repeated many times a day..
BUT you never Know ..

Take the Tuners Off and see if they work fine on their Own. add a Little Oil where it rotates

if there is any Binding the hole spacing may need adjusting

[houseworker]

Bet to take your instrument to a luthier who's used to working with mandolins. The tuners aren't likely to be the cause of the problem, rather it's a setup issue.

[allenhopkins]

Will "better" tuners make your Eastman stay in tune better?

Very few tuning problems are caused by tuners slipping, not holding string tension. Tuners may be hard to turn (usually curable by lubrication and/or adjustment); they may have loose or cracked buttons, or may be improperly installed, not fitting well into their holes in the headstock.

I have some cheap tuners on older Regal instruments that are, well, cheap -- they don't turn smoothly, even with lubrication. I put up with them, but that's me; others would replace them. I figure, hey, a Regal's a Regal, they weren't made to be "classy."

But Eastman tuners, at least the ones on my Eastman instruments (I have four), are pretty good. Before I jumped for a set of new ones, I'd check other possible reasons for the mandolin's not staying in tune.

[mandroid]

Sometimes the tuning changes on Mandolins because its Made of Wood.

and the short scale and Higher tension makes it Noticeable sooner .