Tuner maintenance

ploppy · Post by **ploppy** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:19 am

Ok, some of the original tuning pegs on my bronco seem to be getting quite difficult to turn to the point where i'm worried one or two might damage if i turn them too hard.
So i'm thinking of stripping them down and cleaning the gears out.
Whats the usual thing to regrease with? 3 in 1 oil?
I've got some ordinary automotive grease and some molybdenum grease for car bearings and cv joints etc kicking about - would these do or are they likely to go the opposite way and give me tuning problems?
What d'you reckon?

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:03 pm

WD-40 ought to do the trick, but I haven't gotten to that point with my guitars.

Ahh, you're across the pond. Do they have WD-40 there?

h8mtv · Post by **h8mtv** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:14 pm

A dab of light oil such as for sewing machines.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:19 pm

Hammond oil (for tonewheel-style electric organs) works perfectly and doesn't make a mess.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:34 pm

Sparky wrote:WD-40 ought to do the trick, but I haven't gotten to that point with my guitars.

Ahh, you're across the pond. Do they have WD-40 there?

WD-40 is a bad choice. It's ok for short term use, but it will corrode the metal over time. A light machine oil would be a better choice; maybe graphite if you're confident it'll stay dry in there (assuming they're sealed tuners).

ploppy · Post by **ploppy** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 4:27 pm

Cheers guys, sewing machine oil it is then.

Post by **dots** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:45 pm

Ankhanu wrote:
Sparky wrote:WD-40 ought to do the trick, but I haven't gotten to that point with my guitars.

Ahh, you're across the pond. Do they have WD-40 there?
WD-40 is a bad choice. It's ok for short term use, but it will corrode the metal over time. A light machine oil would be a better choice; maybe graphite if you're confident it'll stay dry in there (assuming they're sealed tuners).

+1

i love wd for certain applications, but for anything long term it attracts too much dirt.

Phil O'Keefe · Post by **Phil O'Keefe** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:12 am

Good luck getting them open.

If you do, please take pics.

Fender's F tuners are some of the worst tuners ever made. I HATE how they stiffen up, and on the Fender-built examples (as opposed to the Schaller built version), there's no way to take them apart to relube them.

They look bitchin' - but functionally, they're far inferior to even basic Pings. Supposedly the RI's are far better, but trust me guys - those F tuners sucked back in the 70s too; they were one of the examples of CBS era Fender's decline in quality.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:17 am

First hand experience with several crap og F tuners. On the same guitar there was one that was too stiff to turn, one that had a gear slipping and one that was way loose. The Schaller made reissues are bomb! I've played several different sets including on my musicmaster and they are solid as hell. Nice tuners, seriously.

Phil O'Keefe · Post by **Phil O'Keefe** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 8:40 am

Haze wrote:First hand experience with several crap og F tuners. On the same guitar there was one that was too stiff to turn, one that had a gear slipping and one that was way loose. The Schaller made reissues are bomb! I've played several different sets including on my musicmaster and they are solid as hell. Nice tuners, seriously.

Thanks Haze. I've considered putting a pair of the Schaller F Tuners on to my '71 Mustang, but I'm still hesitant to have it drilled out for the Schallers. If I do it, I'll ask my buddy at the Fender CS do it for me, so I know it will be done "right", but still... is it "wrong" to mod a vintage guitar (it's 100% original, except for the body paint, which was refinished by me) if that mod keeps it visually stock but makes it functionally "better"? I think the usability aspect trumps everything else. It's of no use to me if I hate the tuners on it. At least the reissues look the same once they're installed.

Now that I've talked myself into it, I need to try to track down a set of white button Schaller F tuners...