Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm building a 00 size 12 fret short scale slot head guitar. This is my first slot head and I know very little about the type of tuners called for. I've looked at several of the usual places like StewMac and manufacturers I recognize. My budget is around $75 and good condition used is a viable option. I'm making a maple neck with wenge stringers, maple body with Ebony binding. Black tuner buttons would seem a good choice. I prefer nickel but would consider something else. Any recommendations will be appreciated. Thanks.

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Brad Hall
Mystic Dawg Guitars

I must say I've been very happy with the Stew Mac Golden age tuners especially if you want that vintage look. They also have the vintage feel though too but they work well enough.

I've used StewMac Golden age tuners on several slot heads with acceptable result but I don't think they are as smooth as individual tuners from Grover or Waverly. If you are going to use three on a plate style the drilling become critical - either buy or make a jig or at least set up your drill press very carefully. Here I have put a block of wood inside the slot to minimize chipping and a piece of tape on the bit as a depth indicator. I've carefully leveled the outside of the headstock with respect to the bit





Also, a minor point but if the outside wall of your slot is vary thin the little screws that come with some tuners might poke thru into the slot - measure before you screw them in.

I am fan of Grover 18:1 Sta-Tite Slotted Peghead Machines, kind of look like Waverly's -- well made, reasonably priced. Not that its a big deal but since they are individual units hole placement is a little less critical.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Brad, I am exactly where you are at now. My 00 is a 14 though.
After looking, reading, asking and reconsidering I think I am going try the Rubners.
They seem to get good reviews and the US rep gets great reviews, so unless I hear something horrific, I will go in that direction. Actually I think I will order right now.
B

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

Bri, I wasn't familiar with Rubner tuners. They certainly are beautiful and look well made. Except for 2 sets around $85, they are pricey, about $120 and up. But so are the better sets from Stewmac and others. Which type did you order?
Geeze Freeman, your photos look like something I would do. Thanks for the advice. I may end up taking Ken's advice and go with individual tuners. I think I can solve the blowout problem by drilling the shaft holes before I cut the slots.

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Brad Hall
Mystic Dawg Guitars

Yes always cut the holes before the slots. I made that mistake on my last one and used a block like freeman did and it works well too but it's much easier to drill out first. Individuals are certainly easier to do by eye but Stew Mac makes a relatively inexpensive jig for it that makes it a mindless easy task in short time. If you think you are going to do more of these it's worth it. I bought a classical jig from LMI about 25 years ago and only used it ten times but it was so worth it, might even use it again some day.

Gotoh are a great choice and around your price limit. I have used the grovers and their quality control is crap, some have real loose shafts and have way too much backlash.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I like Gotoh tuners for this application. They hit a good level of quality at a price that feels right.

I just built two slot head parlors and used Waverlies on them - they are by far the smoothest tuners I've used but a bit out of your budget. The individual Grovers seem like a good compromise, but on some of my guitars I want the vintage look so I've used the Golden Era plate tuners.

The reason I do it in this order is that I use a scarf joined headstock and its so much easier to thickness the headstock and drill (or route) the slots before gluing it onto the neck stick.





You can either make the ends of the slots half rounded (like mine) or drill small holes and make them square - once I glue the head plate on I just run around inside the slots with a router and a follower bit. Obviously you can drill or route them later, particularly if you made a template, but this has worked for me.

Also, when I did my slot head 12 string and wanted to use the 6 on a plate tuners I made a drilling jig to get the hole spacing perfect.



The flat plated sits on the side of the headstock, the bar stock goes on top and is clamped to it. I've got a set collar on the drill bit to set the depth. Use a brad point bit.



Restringing this puppy takes a little longer than usual LOL.

One last thought about slotheads - when you ramp the end of the slots towards the tuners thing about the way the string will run (and which side you will wind it towards). You don't want the strings to hit the sides of the slots if you can avoid it.

I'm going to be the voice of dissent here: I had moderate hopes for the golden age tuners but was pretty disappointed. They looked ok but there was lots of slop and they were pretty rough. Turning them uninstalled they would occssionally bind a little and under tension there were times where they would bind badly and would be VERY difficult to turn-I would have to back them way off or kind of turn them back-and-forth to get them to keep turning.
I ended up taking them apart, lubing things up and reassembling. That did help but they were still pretty rough.

Had the guitar I put them on not been a gift for a child, I would have never let it leave the shop with them installed...and I won't be using them again.

Check out the Rubners.
He will give you luthier pricing if you ask.
They are smooth as a baby's butt and look good to boot.

I've been all over the Rubners web site and I don't find any guitar tuners for steel string slot heads. Every set has rollers for nylon strings. Where are you finding them?

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Brad Hall
Mystic Dawg Guitars

I think all of their styles can be ordered with steel or the larger nylon string rollers. http://www.rubnertuners.com/customer-specific-design/. I am not sure anyone is selling SS rubner tuners retail. I always thought them Classical guitar tuners.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Thanks John. I inquired on their web site listing and got this answer;
"Thank you for your interest in the Rubner machines.
You can order any model with rollers for steel string slotted head guitars. We are in the process of adding the option under the "roller type " tab for each machine description. If you would like to order, just choose a classical roller and send us a note with the order.
I hope this helps!

Kent George"


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Brad Hall
Mystic Dawg Guitars

Rubners are amazing! You can get a plain Jane set for under a hundred.

There is a picture of one of my guitars in their Customer Gallery.