NGD: DeArmond M-65C

[Bacchus]

Just received this through the door (along with some noodles and an Ibanez dirt pedal of some description (thanks Shad!)).

My first guitar was an M-65 and the M-65C is kind of like the deluxe version of it. So it has chrome covers on the pickups, a nice burst finish, a slightly carved top, blocks on the neck, more controls and an attempt at attaching a scratchplate with a couplescrews.

I've strung it up with d'Addario .013s and taken some photos of it next to the M-65. The M-65 (the plain red one) has a set of Mean 90s in it and sounds brilliant. I'm thinking of Dream 180s for the M-65C. I like these guitars because they're just a bit off looking and people don't usually recognise them. They also play great. I like the tailpiece on them.

I have never seen one of these guitars where the knobs had the full compliment of silver stickers still on them.

2 Questions:

1: Does anyone know of a good replacement for these generic diamond shaped tuners that you tend to see on cheap guitars? With the pickups upgraded, these really are the only weak link on the guitar. They're awful on an otherwise great guitar.

2: I seem to remember some trick about detuning a guitar, loosening two of the neck screws, retuning, letting the neck settle into the pocket and then retightening. It adds toanz and mojo. Can anyone remind me or refresh me on this?

[theshadowofseattle]

[Bacchus]

I'm loving it. Pickups are dreadful though.

It's got me a bit self conscious about how light the fingerboard is on my old one. Might need to invest in some sort of oil.

[Mo Law-ka]

Nice score, birthday buddy. I think that guitarfetish has some quality tuners, but I'm not sure if they deliver to the UK (I'd be willing to help with the exchange if you're interested, though).

Can't say that I know much about the tightening-loosening-retightening bit, though.

[cur]

2: I seem to remember some trick about detuning a guitar, loosening two of the neck screws, retuning, letting the neck settle into the pocket and then retightening. It adds toanz and mojo. Can anyone remind me or refresh me on this?

Tune the guitar to get the tension on the strings. It is this pressure that will bring the neck in tight. Then un screw the neck screws a couple turns each. You just want to loosen them a mm or so. This draws the neck very snug into the pocket. Sometimes you actually hear a little noise as it slips a smidgen. Then tighten them up again.

[sunshiner]

Such tuners are on my acoustic Yamaha F310. As I undestood the diameter of the holes the same as for Klusons, so then you can't go wrong with a set of Gotoh vintage style tuners. I guess they are better than modern made in Korea Klusons.
stewmac
stewmac

[Bacchus]

No-one knows of any tuners that'd drop in without having to put new screwholes in the back of the headstock?

[Thomas]

Are the tuners that bad? I have a set of these on my old Japanese Strat and they hold tune great.

There's something real cool about these guitars.

[cur]

those look like standard ping covered tuners. they don't have the best gearing for initial tuning, but they will stay in tune once set. I have some that I put on a guitar and the hold tune fine. maybe they are worse than ping's? and you need to upgrade to pings? wut?

ping 3+3

you might get some Vintage Squier Chrome 6 inline Tuners to fit the holes, but you would need to get a set of righties and lefties. do they make these in lefties? maybe you can flip the base plate on three of them?

affinity tuners

So this may be of no help to you, but might be helpful. probably just wasting internets bandwidth.

[Bacchus]

I've spent a few days trying to decide if I can live with the tuners. They hold tune okay but I use these guitars for slide and have to change tuning quite a bit. They're a bit sticky which could well be the nuts. I doubt either of these guitars have ever had strings as heavy as this on them. So I'll think about possible upgrades but try doing a bit of filing etc. the next time the strings need changed.