Plastic washers on tuners.

[Matthew Koyle]

I have an Epiphone acoustic guitar that recently started having trouble staying in tune. I got out a screwdriver and tightened the screws through the tuner buttons, and while I was doing that I noticed that a couple of the little tiny plastic washers between the tuner and the tuner button were half gone.

I can't find these anywhere, and I was thinking about making my own, but I'm left wondering what the best material is.

Anybody know where to get replacement washers for Gotoh tuners or what the best material for these would be?

Thanks,

--Matthew

[Martin Edwards]

I'm guessing PTFE.

Most tuning issues are caused by the strings binding in the nut, or slippage on the post. git on over to frets.com and look at Franks excellent tutorial on the RIGHT way to wind strings on a tuner.

[Magnus Hultin]

I was given a paper sheet with this picture by a guitar repair guy in Gothenburg a few years ago. Regarding steelstringed guitars nowadays I allways use the method at bottom right, regardless of type of strings (wound or unwound) or type of peghead (slotted or not). With the string 3-4 laps around the axle it allways locks perfectly. The friction adds per lap, compare with putting the rope a number of laps on the winch of a sailboat.

[Frank Ford]

Right - those itty bitty washers are so little and thin that they tend to self-destruct. Generally, I've found that they serve no real function and can simply be discarded.

[Matthew Koyle]

I was wondering whether those washers were really necessary. The guitar stays in tune just fine, now that I tightened those screws. A couple of them were really loose and the tuner buttons moved with hardly any friction at all. I'll just pull out what's left of that washer. Thanks everyone,

--Matthew