StevenW1971 Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Hey, folks. Yesterday a co-worker told me he had an acoustic guitar to give me, if I wanted it. Of course, I wanted it without knowing the brand or anything because hey, it's a guitar. Anyway, I followed him to his house and he handed me the guitar case and said, "Here ya go". I thanked him and left. I got home and, lo and behold, it's a 1953 Gibson LG-1! Granted, it has no strings and the tuning keys and bridge pins need replaced but the body is in really good shape with a couple minor dings. Either way, it's a Gibson and it's a 60+ year old guitar! Now, the reason I'm posting in this is to see if you all could lend a guy a hand and tell me where I can find replacement tuning keys (the whole set up) and bridge pins. I assume that most any bridge pins would work but I would assume I need to track down the tuning key set specifically for this guitar. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Replacement near-identical tuners are readily available for this guitar, so don't do anything rash. Post a picture of the back of the headstock, which should show the imprint of the original tuners, and we'll tell you which ones to get. They will either be closed-back Kluson three on a strip, or open-back three on a strip, but the imprint should tell us which it is. Bridge pins vary slightly in size, once again, a picture of the bridge would help us evaluate the condition of the pin holes, and suggest a source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenW1971 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Replacement near-identical tuners are readily available for this guitar, so don't do anything rash. Post a picture of the back of the headstock, which should show the imprint of the original tuners, and we'll tell you which ones to get. They will either be closed-back Kluson three on a strip, or open-back three on a strip, but the imprint should tell us which it is. Bridge pins vary slightly in size, once again, a picture of the bridge would help us evaluate the condition of the pin holes, and suggest a source. Thanks for the reply. I went to Guitar Center over the weekend and took the guitar with me. The guitar tech told me that with that age and model of Gibson the tuning keys have to be pretty specific so I ordered a set from them. Here are some pics (although I haven't taken a close up of the bridge yet. But I will).... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Those are the standard three-on-a-plate closed-back Kluson tuners that have been used on many Gibsons since the end of WW2. Virtually the exact same tuner is made today, and that's what you want as replacements. Save the originals. Do NOT throw them away. You also do not need to replace the tuner bushings if they are all there (the ferrules in the headstock in which the stringpost turns), as the stringpost diameters should be the same in the old and new tuners. The bushings that come with the new tuners have a larger outside diameter than those currently on the guitar, and would require reaming the headstock to use in place of the original bushings, so use the originals if they are all there. I wouldn't even have replaced these tuners, since it looks like all they need are new plastic buttons, which are readily available for much less than the cost of the tuners. You can even get the replacement buttons slightly aged to match the look of the other plastic parts on the guitar. A knowledgeable tech would have given the option of replacing the tuners, or replacing just the buttons. With an LG-1, exact replacement tuners won't have any significant negative impact on value, but in general, unless they are damaged (broken or bent shaft), they should be repaired, not replaced. On a higher-end vintage Gibson, having the original tuners is a plus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenW1971 Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 Those are the standard three-on-a-plate closed-back Kluson tuners that have been used on many Gibsons since the end of WW2. Virtually the exact same tuner is made today, and that's what you want as replacements. Save the originals. Do NOT throw them away. You also do not need to replace the tuner bushings if they are all there (the ferrules in the headstock in which the stringpost turns), as the stringpost diameters should be the same in the old and new tuners. The bushings that come with the new tuners have a larger outside diameter than those currently on the guitar, and would require reaming the headstock to use in place of the original bushings, so use the originals if they are all there. I wouldn't even have replaced these tuners, since it looks like all they need are new plastic buttons, which are readily available for much less than the cost of the tuners. You can even get the replacement buttons slightly aged to match the look of the other plastic parts on the guitar. A knowledgeable tech would have given the option of replacing the tuners, or replacing just the buttons. With an LG-1, exact replacement tuners won't have any significant negative impact on value, but in general, unless they are damaged (broken or bent shaft), they should be repaired, not replaced. On a higher-end vintage Gibson, having the original tuners is a plus. Wow. Thanks for the info and insights. The Guitar Tech I went to did not mention simply replacing the tuning buttons. I've already ordered the tuners but I'll definitely keep the old ones to ensure the bushings will work correctly as is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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