TheBadger Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 I just bought a new R6 (actually a limited run with the ‘59 neck) - two days in, I love the guitar, but I’ve noticed the low E tuner has a fair amount of “backlash” when loosening the string - ie. the peghead itself won’t turn until almost half a turn of the key, and feels very light until it “bites” and the peghead starts turning. I’m fairly sure it’s not a nut issue (though the nut does “ping” a little on other strings and the low E seems a little high in the notch, so it would probably benefit from some filing too). The issue doesn’t affect tuning stability - but clearly something isn’t working as it should. Any advice on what I should do? The dealer is, unfortunately, halfway across the country as I bought the guitar online, and since I like and want to keep the guitar it seems unnecessary and risky to ship it for a warranty service. On the other hand, given that it’s a Custom Shop guitar and was not cheap, I’d expect the tuners to work flawlessly on day 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy35 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Contact the retailer. I had a very minor issue with a 50's Standard (the tailpiece had a few scratches) and after sending a few pics, the seller just mailed me a new part and didn't want the old one back. If it was a reputable dealer, they should hook you up. If not, then you know where not to buy from in the future. The other option would be to just replace the tuners yourself. I got a set of these that have much finer sweep (18:1 ratio vs. 14:1 OEM). Given the cost of the guitar, $80 or so isn't really that much of an issue, certainly less than the cost of shipping and anxiety about it getting damaged in the process. I know know these fit an R8 but you need to check the dimensions for your particular neck (overall post height, bushing diameter, peghead thickness, etc.) to make sure these fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 On the other hand, given that it’s a Custom Shop guitar and was not cheap, I’d expect the tuners to work flawlessly on day 2. Exactly.... I would definitely be ok with swapping out a single machine head with one that either the dealer or Gibson sent. I would not cough up the cash for another set of machine heads. that just don't seem right to me. We all know what Gibson is charging for these. IMHO.. Someone should address this and as immediately as is possible. Let us know what happens next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBadger Posted December 2, 2020 Author Share Posted December 2, 2020 Update: thanks for the suggestions to contact the dealer. They were very sympathetic to Klusons not being the most reliable, and are going to track down a spare, either from their own parts or from Gibson. Will still need to get it fitted, but that nut looks like it needs some filing too so a proper setup is in order I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 8 hours ago, TheBadger said: Update: thanks for the suggestions to contact the dealer. They were very sympathetic to Klusons not being the most reliable, and are going to track down a spare, either from their own parts or from Gibson. Will still need to get it fitted, but that nut looks like it needs some filing too so a proper setup is in order I think! IMHO, Gibson is about the absolute dead last when it comes to properly fitting a nut on a new guitar, so having that done, just comes with the territory with a new Gibson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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