Welcome to SCGC Players Forum › Forums › A General Discussion › Open geared tuners
- This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 4 months ago by Matt Hayden.
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November 7, 2019 at 6:03 am #3103
Hi my friends:
I haven’t posted since the old forum but I visit the new forum frequently. I am in the process of ordering a new guitar and wanted to know if Waverlys are the best quality and most reliable. Looking at the SCGC website, all the models seem to come with open geared Waverly tuners.
Secondly, do open geared tuners need occasional lubrication? May be its a dumb question, but I’m hoping all of you can enlighten me.
Thanks, Luke
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November 7, 2019 at 1:27 pm #3104
Waverlys are great. They beat most other tuners, open back or closed.
I suppose a drop of 3 in 1 oil every decade or so would be a good idea. (I have Waverlys on my SCGC. Bought it in 2002. Never oiled them. Hmmm.)
I recently put Rubners on a mandolin and I like them just as much. Rubner was going through some production changes recently, but all guitar models are in production.
Daniel
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November 7, 2019 at 2:28 pm #3105
Welcome Back Luke, thanks for posting, I’m sure your answers await
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November 7, 2019 at 3:01 pm #3106
hi LukeF, it’s like splitting hairs to say one is better than the other, Waverlys are very good.
I have installed Schaller GrandTunes on three of my guitars, including my SCGC VJ. The other tuners I can recommend are Gotoh SXB510, I have a set on order. Oil attracts dust/grime and I never use. bert
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November 7, 2019 at 10:56 pm #3107
Thanks Daniel. I like the vintage look of those Rubner tuners but I decided to stick with ordering the Waverlys because of their long history and familiarity.
Thanks Bert for the tip on Schallers and Gotohs. I asked the person who is building my resonator guitar about the Gotohs, and he couldn’t find the SXB510.
Thanks to both for your opinions on the need to lubricate or not. Since there was a slight difference of opinion, I gave the “Mother Ship” a call. Carolyn said that they recommend using Tri-Flow oil, but only when the gears feel a little hard to turn.
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November 8, 2019 at 11:55 pm #3112
Waverly tuners are good – they last and have a really amazing warranty. I had an issue with the ones that I’ve got on my OM (old nickel plated butterbeans, worn to the brass) and Waverly replaced them without a problem. They’re excellent for new instruments. And they never, ever needed oiling. The reason they needed replacement was that the loctite on the threads of the adjustable bushings had broken free…..if I had known that, I wouldn’t have had them replaced, I’d just have put another drop of blue loctite in and adjusted them properly, because the old ones are in good shape – I fixed them after removing and replacing them. Kinda feel bad about exercising the guarantee when they could have been fixed, but StewMac doesn’t generally advise fixing.
For instruments that have had closed tuners installed (e.g., have a headstock hole larger than the 1/4″ that Waverly needs), your choices are limited:
- use the oversize bushings from Waverly
- fill the holes and redrill to 1/4″
- use the Gotoh SXN-510V series, which is what I did on a Martin – they’re open back but have a 3/8″/10mm enclosed shaft like a closed-back tuner. They fit beautifully and work mechanically in the larger holes without issue.
Which Waverly style did you get? Button style?
- This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Matt Hayden.
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November 9, 2019 at 2:10 am #3115
+1 Matt, the collar bushings on my 2008 Collings CJ went bad and StewMac replaced the Waverlys under warranty, extra great service and wonderful tuners. Today I replaced the hideous Grover Rotomatics on my 89′ Martin OM with the new Gotoh SX510s (model # SXN510V-06M – Roto replacement). The SX510s are right up there with the best.
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November 9, 2019 at 3:11 am #3116
Hi Matt: I’m getting the Waverly nickel open tuners with ebony buttons.
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November 9, 2019 at 5:03 pm #3117
Waverly tuners use a 16:1 gear ratio. That ratio certainly works. However, many folks find a higher gear ratio more precise and easier to use, e.g., Gotoh (SG510) with 18:1 or 21:1 ratios (closed gears). Gotoh open back gears (SX510) are at a 15:1 ratio.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by sdelsolray.
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November 13, 2019 at 4:44 am #3130
Bert – that photo looks just like the headstock of my 2000 OMC-15E! I really like the SXN-510Vs.
Luke, I have the nickel / ebony button Waverly tuners on my 00-29. Gorgeous.
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