Official Luthiers Forum!

I've had no joy trying to find a set of inexpensive open-backed tuners (just because - - - I enjoy making each guitar different from its littermates).

And please, nobody suggest I buy eighty-dollar tuners fro S-M. Other suggestions will be gladly received.

Thanks!

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Peter Havriluk

What's the price range?

Not inexpensive, but not 80 dollars - I've used these on 4 or 5 instruments and they seem to work fine - https://www.lmii.com/gotoh-open-gear-tu ... ttons.html

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Nice tuners for sure, thanks. But way out of my budget. I don't have more than two hundred bucks in any one of my projects, total. I don't think my hands can reach far enough in my jeans to find thirty dollars hiding in a pocket. Again, looking for serviceable and inexpensive tuners.

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Peter Havriluk

These too much for you at $25 + p&p? - https://www.northwestguitars.co.uk/wj28n-open-back-tuners-for-gretsch-acoustic-guitars/
I've used them and they're fine.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I have bought tuners from this eBay seller that were reasonably nice quality for the price:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/393433061538?h ... SwLDRg57h5
https://www.ebay.com/str/taisamlumusica ... 3561.l2563
You could visit his store or contact him to see what other styles he has available. What I have bought from him was probably 1/2 the price of a comparable brand name product, nicely made but not a high end premium product. I think he sells a number of products made by other manufacturers so study the pictures and don't buy the cheapest stuff he might sell.
The Wilkinson tuners Colin posted look like they might be a good choice and avoid some of the vagaries of Chinese commerce if they fit your price point and aesthetic proclivities.

Thanks, folks. The Taiwan vendor's prices are acceptable, but the $15.00 postage from Taiwan quenches my interest in that vendor. That and filtering out the 'classical guitar' parts. I think I'm looking for unicorns - - - open back, solid peghead, steelstring no-brand tuners.

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Peter Havriluk

I gotta be missing something - I know you didn’t want SM $80 tuners, but they do economy open 3+3 sets for $19.47

These look similar (same as?) to the Tuners Colin posted, a little cheaper and free shipping.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/264882752743?h ... SwmyBfdOV-

I'm a fan of the StewMac economy tuners. They work fine (I actually prefer the relatively low 14:1 gear ratio) and are wonderfully lightweight. The only real drawback is that they're more delicate than most. But surely no one would ever whack the headstock into anything, right?

They fit the budget parameters, but they're for a slothead, like a whole bunch of others I looked at. Thanks, anyway!

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Peter Havriluk

Indeed just what I was looking for. Ordered. Happy days.

Thanks!

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Peter Havriluk

Grover tuners are Warp Drive are a deal if you spend all that time building a guitar a $40 set of tuners is an investment cheap is a cost good is an investment

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I've been using the 18:1 Grover sta tites. They're about my favorite these days. Not the cheapest, but a good deal and they work great.

Dave

In order to control cost, in the realization that there's always something better available if I spent more, I try to stop shopping when I find something that will do the job I have for it well enough so as not to present a problem. There's always going to be better than what I have. Worked so far.

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Peter Havriluk

Sometimes you can find a deal on good quality name brand tuners - close outs, new old stock, etc. Occasionally someone will buy a set of tuners and then decide to use something else. I will buy a set of tuners I may not have an immediate use for if I find them at a good price. If I don't use them before I croak then someone else can get a good deal on them. Some of the tuners I paid $35 a set for are now almost $100.
I use economy tuners on cheap and cheerful instruments and experimental types. Still, I try to find cheap tuners with standard spacings and dimensions, so they can be swapped out for something better if warranted.
Even so, on my better guitars the tuning machines are often the single most expensive component of the instrument.

Clay, we share the same hymnbook. I'm still trying all the variables I can apply to my projects, and inexpensive tuners are in that mix. I've had good luck with takeoffs, leftovers from gone-west companies, shops selling dusty stock, and Oriental imports. These from S-M are the first I've bought from any luthier supply.

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Peter Havriluk

Hi Peter,
I agree we have a similar philosophy on some things. I also like to hold costs down when it comes to my hobbies. I long ago realized I would never get rich building musical instruments, so I have endeavored to not get "poor" by it. As such I try to hold material costs to around $100 or less per instrument. In this I have been somewhat successful, trading additional processing labor in order to still use good quality materials.
As I mentioned, tuning machines often represent a significant part of this cost - sometimes as much as 50%. They are something the average woodworker can't cobble together. Unfortunately the quality of an instrument is often judged by the quality of the tuners, so if it is an instrument you may want to sell, using a good quality set of tuning machines is a must.
I have had good luck buying tuners from Stew Mac, and when they offered discounts for buying multiple sets, that is what I would do.
Sometimes you find good deals on close out items from them.