I have a guitar question.
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@RyanHyde thanks! Here's the headstock and a little drawing of the tiny logo etched into the back of the tuners. Never noticed the logo until today!
They don't feel wobbly at all, but i'm not sure that tells me anything.


@alisynthesis Oh good, these are Gotoh style tuners. Not sure if they’re Gotohs and that’s just an old logo, but pretty easy to find, cheap, and reliable.
These will probably fit, but again, research the diameters you’re dealing with first.
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@unsafelyhotboots ouch, that really sucks
@alisynthesis @unsafelyhotboots Ouch indeed
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@unsafelyhotboots awesome, thank you!! I knew there would be some super experienced guitarists on here that I wasn't thinking of. Really appreciate the help.
@alisynthesis@io.waxandleather.com also worth adding that @RyanHyde@techhub.social touched on the points I missed - calipers are your friend for getting the correct replacement tuners.
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@alisynthesis Oh good, these are Gotoh style tuners. Not sure if they’re Gotohs and that’s just an old logo, but pretty easy to find, cheap, and reliable.
These will probably fit, but again, research the diameters you’re dealing with first.
@RyanHyde woo! I'm pretty regularly wishing for a set of calipers anyway, so I will get myself some and get on the road to locking tuners. Thank you so much!
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@RyanHyde follow-up question. Is installing new tuners something I can do myself with only rudimentary knowledge and no experience with setting up guitars? Or is that better left to someone who knows wtf they're doing?
They’re easy to replace, it just requires a bit of care with the screws because they’re tiny and strip easily.
The only tricky part is ensuring you get the right size as there’s a mix of metric and imperial options as guitars are made all over the world. Nail that, and it’s an easy job.
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@alisynthesis@io.waxandleather.com also worth adding that @RyanHyde@techhub.social touched on the points I missed - calipers are your friend for getting the correct replacement tuners.
@unsafelyhotboots @RyanHyde i'm kind of a tool fanatic and I'm really excited to have an excuse to buy calipers.
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@alisynthesis @unsafelyhotboots Ouch indeed
@RyanHyde@techhub.social @alisynthesis@io.waxandleather.com you know, zero regrets. I had a blast building it, and I learned more about how to maintain my instruments by going through the bills process than I would have in ten years of the roadie gig that came after. I would share pics but it's currently packed up in storage.
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They’re easy to replace, it just requires a bit of care with the screws because they’re tiny and strip easily.
The only tricky part is ensuring you get the right size as there’s a mix of metric and imperial options as guitars are made all over the world. Nail that, and it’s an easy job.
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@unsafelyhotboots @RyanHyde i'm kind of a tool fanatic and I'm really excited to have an excuse to buy calipers.
@alisynthesis @unsafelyhotboots Haha, honestly that was my same reaction the first time I did this. Now I use those calipers constantly, just to satisfy curiosity
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@RyanHyde@techhub.social @alisynthesis@io.waxandleather.com you know, zero regrets. I had a blast building it, and I learned more about how to maintain my instruments by going through the bills process than I would have in ten years of the roadie gig that came after. I would share pics but it's currently packed up in storage.
@unsafelyhotboots @RyanHyde that's very cool! Maybe someday I'll build a guitar. I always love visiting people's shops who are working on instruments.
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@alisynthesis @unsafelyhotboots Haha, honestly that was my same reaction the first time I did this. Now I use those calipers constantly, just to satisfy curiosity
@RyanHyde lol exactly
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@unsafelyhotboots @RyanHyde that's very cool! Maybe someday I'll build a guitar. I always love visiting people's shops who are working on instruments.
@alisynthesis@io.waxandleather.com @RyanHyde@techhub.social
There are a boatload of resources out there now that we're not there when I was in HS doing this. If you have a jig saw, a router, a bunch of good clamps, a high quality sander, and a source of good hardwood, you can get 90% of the way to a finished product then take it to a pro to fret. It goes faster if you have some hand planes as well, but those aren't essential.
For me most of the fun was countouring the back of the body and doing the body shaping. Guitar bodies are art, guitar necks are a rote process you follow step by step. And, as evidence by my hydro dipped crazy bass, you don't need to build a guitar to have that kind of fun - you just need an instrument you really want to refinish. -
@unsafelyhotboots @RyanHyde that's very cool! Maybe someday I'll build a guitar. I always love visiting people's shops who are working on instruments.
@alisynthesis@io.waxandleather.com @RyanHyde@techhub.social this is a total aside from your current dilemma, just acknowledging that.
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Someone else suggested measure with calipers, I endorse that suggestion. The diameter of the shaft and their shield is the key.
The only other thing that springs to mind is that the strings may be sticking in the nut, and then the capo pressure moves them a bit causing them to go out of tune. Clean up the nut and lube with some pencil graphite (literally run a pencil through the gap), this is easier than a tuner change so might be an idea to try first.
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@alisynthesis@io.waxandleather.com @RyanHyde@techhub.social this is a total aside from your current dilemma, just acknowledging that.
@unsafelyhotboots tangents are always where the fun starts

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Someone else suggested measure with calipers, I endorse that suggestion. The diameter of the shaft and their shield is the key.
The only other thing that springs to mind is that the strings may be sticking in the nut, and then the capo pressure moves them a bit causing them to go out of tune. Clean up the nut and lube with some pencil graphite (literally run a pencil through the gap), this is easier than a tuner change so might be an idea to try first.
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Someone else suggested measure with calipers, I endorse that suggestion. The diameter of the shaft and their shield is the key.
The only other thing that springs to mind is that the strings may be sticking in the nut, and then the capo pressure moves them a bit causing them to go out of tune. Clean up the nut and lube with some pencil graphite (literally run a pencil through the gap), this is easier than a tuner change so might be an idea to try first.
Last option is the bridge. From the video it looked like a fixed bridge so is unlikely to be the cause, but if it’s a tremolo then this may also be the culprit.
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Last option is the bridge. From the video it looked like a fixed bridge so is unlikely to be the cause, but if it’s a tremolo then this may also be the culprit.
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@RyanHyde woo! I'm pretty regularly wishing for a set of calipers anyway, so I will get myself some and get on the road to locking tuners. Thank you so much!
It’s a matter of taste, but I’m not a fan of locking tuners. The old style fender split post tuners are rock solid, easy to use, and much easier to deal with in a stressful situation like a string change at a gig. Locking tuners overcomplicate a none issue problem (imho).
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It’s a matter of taste, but I’m not a fan of locking tuners. The old style fender split post tuners are rock solid, easy to use, and much easier to deal with in a stressful situation like a string change at a gig. Locking tuners overcomplicate a none issue problem (imho).