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2016 J45 Custom. Your opinion on tuners


haystack

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For J-45s I prefer the classic white/cream button tuners, but that's just me. It won't be a direct drop in installation though. I think Sal put them on one of his slopes in the past.

http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Parts/Tuning_Machines/Solid_Peghead_Guitar_Tuning_Machines/Golden_Age_Restoration_Guitar_Tuners_3and3.html

 

I used them on a Custom Build of a Nick Lucas style guitar:

unnamed3_zps7vhhnhyy.jpg

unnamed23_zpslaoigjxf.jpg

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Just switched out the tuners with whiter-than-white buttons on my new J-35. Installed a set of Golden Age Restoration 3-on-a-plate tuners with cream buttons, from StewMac. Looks MUCH better but more importantly, they seem to tune more smoothly.

 

If you can afford Waverlys, they're great. I have them on a custom-built dread and they are plenty smooth and worth the dough, if you ask me.

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Just switched out the tuners with whiter-than-white buttons on my new J-35. Installed a set of Golden Age Restoration 3-on-a-plate tuners with cream buttons, from StewMac. Looks MUCH better but more importantly, they seem to tune more smoothly.

 

If you can afford Waverlys, they're great. I have them on a custom-built dread and they are plenty smooth and worth the dough, if you ask me.

 

I have these exact tuners on my Gibson J50

 

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On J-45 standard cream vintage looking ovals are the go, but on the more blingy custom version i think these would look great.

 

I'd suggest some nice Waverly tuners, like these:

 

0811686b19db7f69c2f029fd74b43077.jpg

 

You can get them in a lot of different finishes and combinations.

 

Fred

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I really like Waverly tuners (Bozeman, MT, USA) or Schaller tuners (Germany). You guys will kill me, but I really like the Tronical tuners, too (Germany); their gear ratio is insane.

 

I am not a big fan of Asian tuners, but they are pretty darn good. Grover has really stepped up the game. I just don't like Asian tuners on my American guitars much. (I know, I like German tuners but not Asian ones! I just prefer tuners that come from a place with decent pay, decent working conditions, decent living conditions, that still end up being great tuners besides, and Waverlies, Schallers and Tronicals fit the bill and come in a nice variety for whatever look you're going for.)

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Here's what I did with my Songbird. Should work easily as well for your J-45. http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/124765-tuner-swap-on-songbird-deluxe/page__p__1699411__hl__%2Bnid2007+%2Bsongbird__fromsearch__1#entry1699411

 

I'd suggest some nice Waverly tuners, like these:

 

0811686b19db7f69c2f029fd74b43077.jpg

 

You can get them in a lot of different finishes and combinations.

 

Fred

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You guys are frickin great! Thanks so much. I really wanted to stick with Gibson product type stuff but those Waverlys are beautiful. Honestly the gear on these tuners are a bit disappointing for a 3grand guitar. So a little function plus a little added class would be nice.

 

Thanks for the offer on the other pegs there. I see you have a interested party so I'll leave that alone instead. Thanks for your other links too. Good ideas all around there.

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You guys are frickin great! Thanks so much. I really wanted to stick with Gibson product type stuff but those Waverlys are beautiful. Honestly the gear on these tuners are a bit disappointing for a 3grand guitar. So a little function plus a little added class would be nice.

 

Thanks for the offer on the other pegs there. I see you have a interested party so I'll leave that alone instead. Thanks for your other links too. Good ideas all around there.

I share the sentiment on the tuners Gibson chooses. Waverlies are made in the same town as Gibson Acoustic guitars. I understand that they can probably get the Chinese Grover replicas for $15 a set, but come on. American guitars deserve American tuners. And they're made in the same town. Cut a deal, get them for $50 a set, and advertise the heck out of it. If they can't eat the cost of getting great, American tuners, then charge an extra $30 per guitar. They raised prices and made a big deal out of engraved pickguards and rolled fretboard edges. How much more exciting would good tuners be. But I freely admit I don't understand how business works, and I'm okay with that.

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I share the sentiment on the tuners Gibson chooses. Waverlies are made in the same town as Gibson Acoustic guitars. I understand that they can probably get the Chinese Grover replicas for $15 a set, but come on. American guitars deserve American tuners. And they're made in the same town. Cut a deal, get them for $50 a set, and advertise the heck out of it. If they can't eat the cost of getting great, American tuners, then charge an extra $30 per guitar. They raised prices and made a big deal out of engraved pickguards and rolled fretboard edges. How much more exciting would good tuners be. But I freely admit I don't understand how business works, and I'm okay with that.

 

I'm with you. I'd be willing to pay a bit more if the guitar comes with first-class tuners. It saves me money I'd spend later when I change them out. Of the last five production guitars I've bought -- two Gibsons, an Epiphone, a Hot Rod Steel and a Republic -- I've switched out tuners on all but the Epiphone.

 

And yeah, Gibson could negotiate a good rate for the tuners and shipping shouldn't be an issue. I Mapquested it and it is 2.5 miles from Waverly's plant to Gibson's Bozeman facility....

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I share the sentiment on the tuners Gibson chooses. Waverlies are made in the same town as Gibson Acoustic guitars. I understand that they can probably get the Chinese Grover replicas for $15 a set, but come on. American guitars deserve American tuners. And they're made in the same town. Cut a deal, get them for $50 a set, and advertise the heck out of it. If they can't eat the cost of getting great, American tuners, then charge an extra $30 per guitar. They raised prices and made a big deal out of engraved pickguards and rolled fretboard edges. How much more exciting would good tuners be. But I freely admit I don't understand how business works, and I'm okay with that.

 

I thought the same thing when I saw someone mentioned Waverlys being from Bozeman. The look of these tuning pegs on the guitar is subjective, but their function sucks. There is definitely a problem with jumping as opposed to smooth transition with these. I did settle on some. I'll post photos later.

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Aren't the Grover Rotomatics on the J-45 Custom real Grovers? I agree they don't look right. I would like these, they are actually ivory and not green. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/tuning-machine-heads-for-guitars/kluson-3-per-side-tuning-machines/361713000181000

 

I tend to prefer the funky green ones. :) Schaller in Germany makes some really nice open-backs with greenish Kluson. I know you prefer the ivory anyway!

 

They are "real" Grovers in that Grover, the American company, was purchased and production was moved to China. Or, even if they weren't purchased, production was moved to China. Grover needed all its machinery fixed up, and they were not on the top of their game. The first Chinese batches aren't so hot, but they have continuously improved, and I think they're at least all right now if not outright good.

 

But I don't know. I don't think they're real Grovers anymore than Epiphones are real Gibsons (a shame, because Epiphone used to be, well... Epiphone), or anymore than Chinese Guilds are real Guilds. And the irony is that these Chinese Grovers are probably better than anything Grover USA made for quite a while.

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I tend to prefer the funky green ones. :) Schaller in Germany makes some really nice open-backs with greenish Kluson. I know you prefer the ivory anyway!

 

They are "real" Grovers in that Grover, the American company, was purchased and production was moved to China. Or, even if they weren't purchased, production was moved to China. Grover needed all its machinery fixed up, and they were not on the top of their game. The first Chinese batches aren't so hot, but they have continuously improved, and I think they're at least all right now if not outright good.

 

But I don't know. I don't think they're real Grovers anymore than Epiphones are real Gibsons (a shame, because Epiphone used to be, well... Epiphone), or anymore than Chinese Guilds are real Guilds. And the irony is that these Chinese Grovers are probably better than anything Grover USA made for quite a while.

 

Yes I understand, and yes I think made in China is not bad. In the 1990's I had a lot of problems with USA made products and I saw the writing on the wall. I used to work at Guild in Westerly in the 1980's and now their "Westerly" collection is made in China. They were made in Kaman's Ovation plant in CT just recently until Fender pulled the plug on that operation. I wonder how those guitars came out. Guild is now owned by Cordoba, I have one of their high end classical guitars and it is very nice.

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I tend to prefer the funky green ones. :) Schaller in Germany makes some really nice open-backs with greenish Kluson. I know you prefer the ivory anyway!

 

They are "real" Grovers in that Grover, the American company, was purchased and production was moved to China. Or, even if they weren't purchased, production was moved to China. Grover needed all its machinery fixed up, and they were not on the top of their game. The first Chinese batches aren't so hot, but they have continuously improved, and I think they're at least all right now if not outright good.

 

But I don't know. I don't think they're real Grovers anymore than Epiphones are real Gibsons (a shame, because Epiphone used to be, well... Epiphone), or anymore than Chinese Guilds are real Guilds. And the irony is that these Chinese Grovers are probably better than anything Grover USA made for quite a while.

 

Hey. No knocking Epis :) I have owned a few and they are absolute hit or miss. I owned 2 jumbos. One (after toying with setup and a nut), could hang with any gibson. The other got sent back. The shop agreed how bad it was. Spent weeks with various attempts and sent it back home to die. I currently have a midnight blue 60s Tribute Plus and I can assure you, other than headstock, there is zero difference. (ok, well, also, it's an assembly line guitar, but still) . I'm only lightly defending epiphones here. I do just think they're the best "underbrand" out there. I've been a Takamine guy for 18 years in comparison to their underbrand, there is no competition.

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Hey. No knocking Epis :) I have owned a few and they are absolute hit or miss. I owned 2 jumbos. One (after toying with setup and a nut), could hang with any gibson. The other got sent back. The shop agreed how bad it was. Spent weeks with various attempts and sent it back home to die. I currently have a midnight blue 60s Tribute Plus and I can assure you, other than headstock, there is zero difference. (ok, well, also, it's an assembly line guitar, but still) . I'm only lightly defending epiphones here. I do just think they're the best "underbrand" out there. I've been a Takamine guy for 18 years in comparison to their underbrand, there is no competition.

 

No, my real beef with import copies is not that I think they're necessarily inferior guitars. I just don't agree with the manufacturing and importing of goods made in a completely different economic sector and then shipped to our own bubble. Sometimes the quality is actually greater. Back in the day, electronics from Japan were far superior to American, but I they were sold on the same level I think (I don't know the '80s and '90s are a haze for me), and I think many import tuners are just as good, or better, than American ones (German tuners are fantastic, but again, they are sold on the same level, not made in a country with low labor standards).

 

Importing something because we think it's excellent is one thing; importing something because it can be sold at a much lower price point is another.

 

I realize it's a political and economic discussion, which is like religion for some people. I only bring it up to underscore that I did not mean to insult the quality of their work. As you say, it can vary tremendously. Some are fantastic, and some are crud. I think China is turning out, en masse, some really fantastic guitars that can sit alongside American guitars easily, yet cost a fraction. That does worry me. And, yep, they turn out many guitar-like objects as well, lumber with strings.

 

(I know some will say the quality of Montana Gibsons vary tremendously as well, but I disagree there. I don't think Gibson Montana puts out any duds, and if they do, they are quickly discovered and sent back. No, they're not perfect, but they never were, and I think what one calls a "dog" is probably just in need of some TLC--some play, new strings, the right player, the right ear.)

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