loar spaced F5 tuners?

[harrison phipps]

I am working on a Gilchrist F5 mandola & it needs new tuners.  The 29/32 post spacing on the tuners I got from Stew Mac are too close together for the peghead holes.  Do you know where I can get a good set with post spacing 30/32?  

Waverly makes a set but they are $600!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[keith angus]

Harrison: Johannes Brentrup (http://www.brentrup.com) posted some v/interesting pix of a trick that he pulled involving 'GROVER' STA-TITES' &Mandolin sets to overcome a spacing problem. I ran into this on the 'UN-OFFICIAL MARTIN GUITAR FORUM' in the 12str. guitar slot. i'm going to try something similar to deal with a tuner replacement/ string-post spacing problem ihave with a 12str. slot-head I'm reno.'ing. Chek it out.

[Paul Hostetter]

Why does it need new tuners? What does it currently have?

 

Perhaps you should ask Steve Gilchrist either how to save the ones it has (first choice) or what else to do. I have a page about tuner restoration here. Perhaps it will help.

[keith angus]

Mr. Hostetter: A most interesting&informative feed-back. This sort of thing is,in my humble opinion, what makes 'THE forum' such agreat place.

[harrison phipps]

I contacted Steve Gilchrist & said he used vintage tuners on some instruments, that's the case with the one I am working on.  For some reason the 2 sets do not match & the owner is looking for replacements for them both.  The vintage pickguard S.G. used has started to disintegrate so I am making a new one but am left so far with only $600 Waverly tuners as an option.  The instrument warrants the Waverly's but the cost seems unreasonable.

[Paul Verticchio]

" & the owner is looking for replacements......but am left so far with only $600 Waverly tuners as an option."

I'd say it's more like your customer's option.  Let him or her decide how much they wish to spend.

I agree that the instrument is a fine candidate for the Waverley's.  They'll compliment one another.

Best of luck with your solution (:

[Paul Hostetter]

I agree $600 is pretty stiff. Moving the holes a little bit is not so hard to do—invisible and clean, if you finesse it just so—and then they'll fit the more common spacing of more affordable machines. Fortunately there are some good choices in tuners these days.

 

Thanks for tagging in with an explanation. It's the only one I could have imagined. I vote for tweaking the hole spacing.