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Hi all

I have settled on Waverleys as my open back tuner of choice, but of course some customers prefer cloased back tuners.

Thought I'd ask for opinions on quality closed back tuners, what closed back would you use for a steel string acoustic ?

Looking for something Waverley quality ideally.

Gotoh 510 ?

Many ThanksRussellR38820.631099537

I like the styley vintage style Gotoh's, unobtrusive but pretty enough to go with a variety of wood schemes and body styles.
Cheers
Charliewood

Gotoh 510s are my choice for closed tuners. My experience has been great quality and super smooth tuning. I'm not a big fan of the button shape most of them come with but that is my only complaint (and it is really not a complaint at all).

Great tuners and I highly recommend them.

joshJosh H38820.8203587963

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
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House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Gotoh 510's are the best I have tried. I like the look too!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

510s all the way.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Russell, just look the client in the eye with a steely stare and say "No, your having Waverly tuners".

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Russell,

I actually prefer the look of gold Gotoh SG301's - especially with ebony buttons. There's something about the look of the 510's that I don't like - they look a bit big and tubby to my eyes. But hey as you know, I'm usually the odd one out

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I prefer the Gotoh Minis that Stew mac sells. I'm not sure what the number is but the ones I use are not 510s. The buttons are small and simple. Every guitar but one I've built had these tuners on it (the one classical had Gotoh slothead black chrome with ebony buttons, very stealth).
These are what I use:
Gotoh tuners

[QUOTE=Dave White] Russell,

I actually prefer the look of gold Gotoh SG301's - especially with ebony buttons. There's something about the look of the 510's that I don't like - they look a bit big and tubby to my eyes. But hey as you know, I'm usually the odd one out [/QUOTE]

You know... they makea version of these in the "mini" size.

I agree with you. I like the smaller tuners as well. But I like the shape of the 510's on certain types of guitars.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Brock,

I use the small ones that Paul talks about above on my guitar bouzoukis (great as you can buy them singly) and travel guitars. It's just something about the button shape on the 510's - even the minis - that doesn't sit well with my eye. The 510's seem to be the hand builders "standard" currently but in terms of "efficiency" I don't think you get much for the big price gap compared with the 301's - Gotoh make great tuners.

But if a customer wants the 510's I'd put them on.Dave White38821.3577777778

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I,ve used Gotoh minis, but to me they didn't have the feel of quality, as far as I understand, the gotoh 510 have higher quality components internally.

Is this right ?

Dave I've not tried the Gotoh SG301.

For me personally I am a waverley convert and I like the open back look, and just love the feel of the things.

Check out the new open back Sperzel locking open back tuners, very cool.Not on their website though.
Evan

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http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] Sunbursted 510's of course.[/QUOTE]

Hesh, you're breakin' my heart! Don't do that to that guitar dude!


So what's wrong with good ol' Schallers? They're a fine tuner. I've never had anything but great luck with them. The Gotoh's are nice, but considerably more expensive if my memory serves me...
That said... I kinda like the Gotoh 510's myself. I like the H-3065's. I really like those orangish MOT buttons.
Another favorite are the gold Schallers with ebony buttons. They are very classy looking.
Don Williams38821.381099537

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

In the LMI catalog I have the Gotoh tuners of which I refered are labeled Organic Steel String
GGM6GS is the order#
Those are the ones I think look pretty sleek on most models
The Gotoh Slot Head Steel Strings would look nice on a parlour guitar tho'
Thanks for the tips guys.
Cbheers
charliewoodcharliewood38821.4409375

wow sorry about the suggestion about the open back Sperzels , I have a set of the Gotoh organic looking Delta 510s very cool.
Evan

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http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

Russ,
I'm with Dave W.--I think. I mean by that, that I don't know model numbers off the top of my head. I like Schallers, but the post has a lot of slop in it. Until you put on the collar. Whereas the Gotoh version of the M6's has no slop in the post at all. Also, the ratio is a bit higher.
However, their buttons leave a casting line all around the middle of the button...very cheap looking. (Schaller has 'em on this point.) SO--I get the Gotoh's with ebony buttons, or the synthetic ebony button (which is indistinguishable from ebony).

These here buttons:




Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

One more thing to consider is weight.
Do you want to go super light?
Is this going to be for a finger style, or a British Tony Rice wannabe?
And how about the tone you're after? I once heard Dana Bourgeois say that if you want to heighten the midrange, put on the full size tuners. (Over here, the bluegrass boys clamp their capo on the end of the headstock to make their guitars sound louder. More weight--which is damping some neck vibration.)
But for you, if you are getting the sound you want with open backed tuners, then maybe you should stick to the mini versions of the closed type.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

[QUOTE=Steve Kinnaird]Over here, the bluegrass boys clamp their capo on the end of the headstock to make their guitars sound louder. More weight--which is damping some neck vibration[/QUOTE]

And here I am doing that because it is a convenient place to put the capo when not in use! Who knew?


Don Williams38821.5403009259

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Call me hard headed, but I am a Grover man from
way back.

Mike

I agree with Dave about the 510's. I don't care for the look. I'm using schaller's so far and really like them. I used a chrome set on my first, but have two gold/ebony sets for my current builds.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

[QUOTE=Pwoolson] I prefer the Gotoh Minis that Stew mac sells. [/QUOTE]
So do I, but with the oval buttons. Decent gear ratio, good, long-lasting quality and inexpensive. Also available at Warmoth.

[QUOTE=Don Williams]So what's wrong with good ol' Schallers? They're a fine tuner.[/QUOTE]
Lousy 12:1 gear ratio; expensive if you're on a budget; one button shape, that I don't like. Schaller's locking tuners, though, are better designed than most, and have an improved ratio (14:1 IIRC).

[QUOTE=Don Williams]The Gotoh's are nice, but considerably more expensive if my memory serves me...
[/QUOTE]
The basic Gotoh minis are much less expensive. The 510's and up are more costly than Schallers, but probably a better tuner, too.

The ratios are nigh-on entirely irellevant; you can tune up just fine on a 4:1 ratio without having to do all that much work, frankly.

I like Gotohs quite a bit, and their 'cheaper' machines are great quality at a great price. The 510s (which seems to be a general numerical designation for all their top of the line stuff; there are a number of different Gotoh '510' things, from bridges to tuning machines) are beautiful, but may or may not suit your overall aesthetic.

[QUOTE=Mattia Valente] The ratios are nigh-on entirely irellevant; you can tune up just fine on a 4:1 ratio without having to do all that much work, frankly.[/QUOTE]
No, they aren't. No, I can't. Frankly.