Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone any reviews on Grotoh 18:1 Sta-Tite tuners (open back) or Schaller 12:1 (open back) vintage tuners. I can not afford to put Waverly's on at the moment. I appreciate any reviews at all. Thanks

The Sta-Tite tuners are Grover not Gotoh....

Lots of folks have had problems with the Grovers, but the Schaller open-back tuners seem to be a nice alternative to the Waverly's. The Waverly's are better, but you pay for the quality.

Don Williams38988.6909490741

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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."

I have used the Schaller's 12:1 vintage and have had no issue I have also used Grover 18:1 Sta-tite with no issues. I do know for a while there were some problems with the Grover's Post but I have hand no issues recently. I think Grover is the brand you meant when you said Grotoh's. Gotoh makes a vintage tuner but they are not open backs

MichaelP38988.69125

I've used the Schaller open back (gold) and they were very good tuners. I used the Grover sta-tite in their cheaper version. I ordered them by mistake. I meant to order the ones with the butterbean keys. They were good, but I liked the Schallers better. Sorry, but I have no experience with the better sta-tites.

Al

I am one of the people who had problems with the Grovers but contacted Grover and they were not only aware of the problem but report they have corrected it. They were having parts made off shore and then assembled in the US. Problem was that the gear for the Vertical and horizontal tunners were slightly different size and they were't aware of this. If they got tye wrong gears in they hyad a problem. Aparently they have corrected the problem at the Off shore end and the ones I received as replacements are great. Stew Mac had a bunch of the bad ones as did another big company. Bad press for Grover.

I believe that Gover only makes the Sta-tite-vintage in a butter bean knob It is all I have ever seen it in.MichaelP38988.7205671296

The Orriginal STA-TITE (97/98 SERIES) had both round and Butterbean but the STA-TITE 18:1 looks like it only has the Buterbean. If you buy them by the gross though I am told you can get a variety of nobs. The Santa Cruz ones are just that I am told.arvey38988.7363888889

Gotoh indeed does make an open back vintge tuner .. SD700s .. mighty fine units for the bucks. the post and gearing are rock solid, no backlash, no play at all. Unfortunately, only butterbean style button, in all chrome, gold, x-gold and x-chrome I believe. Possibly cosmo black, like a gun metal chrome.

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

I use the Grover Sta-tite 18:1 open backs and have had no issues.

Mike

Wow-Lots of knowlegable replys!
I've used all the mentioned tuners .
The Gotohs are very well made!
The Grovers have improved and the price is great!-BUT the finish on them is not so good!
If I had to just buy for value I'd take the Gotohs!
I use Waverlys all the time-they are supreme !
BUT -Gilbert now sells a steel string tuner which I got a custom set for a Harp guitar I'm making and they are just beautiful and very precise!
Mike

www.collinsguitars.com

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Mike Collins

Uh, Mike....
    Pictures
        Please.
You know the drill

I found the Old Grovers (14:1) didn't have a great finish but the 18:1 is great, Better Than Gotohs IMHO. Waverlies beat all though.

Good points Hesh on the Grovers, we had a thread a few months ago about this very subject and I recall folks stating that the Grover Sta-Tites had a much cleaner and nicer finish and appearance to them then did the Schallers of similar design. As Hesh stated, Grover in the 60's and early 70' was considered the premier tuner to have.

Mike

Sorry about the the mistake I did mean the Grovers. It looks like there is a great amount of support for the Grovers. I have used the Schallers regulars and wondered about the open back. I to had read about problems with the Grovers. I now have quite a bit of info in which to make my decision. Unfortunately Waverly is not going to happen on these guitars. Thanks guys.

[QUOTE=Mike Collins] Gilbert now sells a steel string tuner...[/QUOTE]
Say what?!! Seems like I remember Lance mentioning that some time ago, but I could find nothing about it on their lame excuse for a web site.    Same thing for their drill press sanding plate.    Some vendors just do NOT get it!!!

Ron I have used the Schaller vintage open back tuners, and have to say that I like them. If your not going to use Waverly then for the money you can't get a better vintage look than the Schaller for the money. I also rather like the 12:1 ratio more than higher ratios.

Colin

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

Gotoh open backs on more than a dozen instruments over the past several years. Absolutely NO PROBLEMS.
Short of Waverlies, they are all I would use in open back tuner situations.

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Hank Mauel

I've used quite a few of the Grover 18:1 tuners and have not had a problem with them yet. Check them over when you get them. If the screw in the gear looks like is has been forced (i.e., the slot is messed up)send them back and get another set. When they had the problem before it was evident by the screw heads.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Gilbert tuners;
E-mail -gmatonis@earthlink.net
He is in charge of Gilbert tuners and will supply you with all the info you need to purchase them.
Mike Collins

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Mike Collins

[QUOTE=Mike Collins] Gilbert tuners;
E-mail -gmatonis@earthlink.net
He is in charge of Gilbert tuners and will supply you with all the info you need to purchase them.
Mike Collins

[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but I want to know what they look like and how much they cost before going that far. Are they for slot or solid heads, or both? That's what a web site is for--if they only knew that!