Tuners for slotted headstock

**reb0964** · Oct-18-2006, 11:07pm

I got a reply from this question before but australia is a bit to far for me to believe its the only place these can be found....anyone else know,,,,??? Oh and by the way,,,thanks to the person from australia that posted a reply!!! Russell

**Paul Hostetter** · Oct-18-2006, 11:46pm

Regular gears intended for flat headstocks work fine too - you just have to lay out your slots carefully to accommodate them. It's not essential, but the bushings that are usually set into the face of a flat headstock can make nice bearings for the ends inside the slots, while also concealing the fact that they're really the 'knobs' intended to stick up from a normal flat headstock. Here are a couple of shots of Dupont headstocks that have adapted flat headstock guitar gears.

[img]ftp://w4a025:Mozzani@ftp.lutherie.net:21//pub_html/dupont.headstock.jpg[/img]

You'll notice bushing in both faces of the slots in the lower image, although the one closest to the gear itself is really unnecessary. Actually, neither is really necessary, as you can see in the lower image, but - why not?

**Martin Jonas** · Oct-19-2006, 5:02am

Russell,

Schaller make tuners for slotted headstocks. Model MG2 is in gold, MNi2 in nickel. No idea about US sources, but they are sold by the big UK luthier supplier Touchstone Tonewoods. Not too expensive, either: £38 for the nickel, £47 for gold.

Martin

**Mando Medic** · Oct-19-2006, 8:07am

If you'll contact me off line, I have several sets of Schallers, new old stock, for slotted head mandolins. Kenc
MandoMedic@comcast.net

**Jim Garber** · Oct-19-2006, 10:01am

Originally Posted by (martinjonas @ Oct. 19 2006, 06:02)

Schaller make tuners for slotted headstocks. Model MG2 is in gold, MNi2 in nickel. No idea about US sources, but they are sold by the big UK luthier supplier Touchstone Tonewoods. Not too expensive, either: £38 for the nickel, £47 for gold.

Touchstone seems to be the only dealer willing to carry those anywhere. Nowhere in N. America can you find these, AFAIK.

Jim

**kww** · Oct-19-2006, 10:22am

Anyone know where I can find a six-on-a-plate version? My tricordia has some cheapies with a lot of slop, and someday I might want to upgrade. From the looks of things, I should start my search now if I want to replace them in 2008.

**jarhead122** · Oct-19-2006, 12:37pm

Anybody know what sort of tension one needs for a straight peg tuner (like a violin)? Would they work on a mando or--dare I say it--a uke? I noticed touchstone tonewoods had #2257 listed under ukes, but I wonder if that would really stay in tune. I need slot tuner that installs from the outside in due to a ID10T issue on my first uke. Thanks

Jared

**Jacob** · Oct-19-2006, 1:33pm

Rubner has them on their catalog cover.

**Paul Hostetter** · Oct-19-2006, 2:38pm

Jared - I'm not sure I understand your question. Pegs don't need tension - rather, the string tension mandates certain things of the pegs. 1:1 tuners work fine for gut or nylon, but they're really not up to the task of steel strings. Toothed gears were a nice innovation!

Boy, the person who designed the Rubner site sure got carried away. Wish you could bypass all the silliness of their front page, but the catalog of tuners has some really nice-looking stuff. Has anynone brought from them?

**dave17120** · Oct-19-2006, 2:48pm

"Anyone know where I can find a six-on-a-plate version?"

Depends what size you need, but when I was building my mandriola, I got some from Touchstone........ probably intended for 12 string guitar, but would work, as above with a slotted head too I guess.
Good luck, Dave

**Paul Hostetter** · Oct-19-2006, 3:27pm

Apropos: click here I really don't think I'd use Schallers, but the approach is a good one.

**Paul Hostetter** · Oct-19-2006, 5:57pm

I just got this off-list email from Rolfe Gerhardt:

Originally Posted by

Hi Paul,
I'm unable to get on the Café, but I read the thread there about classical style tuners and realized that people don't know that Grover has a classical style string post that will substitute for the string post on their regular mandolin tuners. I have quite a few of them if someone wants some.
Rolfe
Phoenix Mandolins LLC

Why can't he get on this list if he's reading it???

**Mastersound** · Oct-19-2006, 6:24pm

Gotoh do a 4 on a plate version for a slotted headstock too.

**Paul Hostetter** · Oct-19-2006, 7:55pm

Gotoh does all sorts of interesting things, but the problem is you can't buy them anywhere.

**kww** · Oct-19-2006, 8:21pm

Originally Posted by

Paul H.Why can't he get on this list if he's reading it???[B]

Because Scott leaves signup disabled most of the time. People can read, but can't join. I had to send a pleading e-mail when I wanted to sign up, and I think that is normally the case these days.

**Eric Foulke** · Oct-20-2006, 12:34am

Originally Posted by

Gotoh does all sorts of interesting things, but the problem is you can't buy them anywhere.

Paul, I met some Gotoh reps at the last GAL convention from a company called DOMO International located in Vancouver, BC and Blaine, Wa.: domointl@gmail.com. Email me if you want their phone #.
I have the 2005 Gotoh parts catalog, all kinds of interesting things, including horizontal mandolin tuners

**Paul Hostetter** · Oct-20-2006, 1:00am

If there's an outfit called DOMO International, it's invisible on Google. I have the catalog too, which is why I said there are interesting things. Getting those interesting things seems to be another matter.

**Martin Jonas** · Oct-21-2006, 1:11pm

The Rubner catalogue is indeed interesting. If you have problems with the site, here is the direct link for the PDF catalogue for guitar and mandolin tuners. Rubner are a former East German company in the Saxon town of Marktneukirchen (the traditional centre of the German music industry) that reverted to the founder's family on reunification. I see that they have an item that is much requested around here: mandolin tuners with round ebony buttons (actual ebony, not black plastic!). Strangely, the catalogue makes no mention of whether the tuners are side or front-mounted. As both instruments shown on the cover are side-mounted, I suspect that this is the standard.

No mention of prices or distributors anywhere, though, not even in Germany, only a direct contact e-mail address.

Martin