Hello everybody! Question about tuners…

[HamburgerShins]

Hi guys and gals! My name’s Sterling and  I own a TV Yellow Les Paul Special and, I just bought a 61 reissue SG. They’re both great guitars and I’m super happy with them. The Special for rhythm and the SG for lead, I’m truly in guitar nirvana. I just have one question I hope somebody here can clear up for me; why are the tuners in my SG so much better than the ones in my Les Paul? They’re both Gibson Deluxe although, the ones in the SG have buttons more of a pearloid color while, the ones in the Les Paul are more white. Other than that they look the same but I swear the ones in the Les Paul are like 8:1 while the one in the SG are like 18:1. It’s just day and night the difference in performance. Any help would be appreciated.

[Sgt. Pepper]

9 hours ago, HamburgerShins said:

Hi guys and gals! My name’s Sterling and  I own a TV Yellow Les Paul Special and, I just bought a 61 reissue SG. They’re both great guitars and I’m super happy with them. The Special for rhythm and the SG for lead, I’m truly in guitar nirvana. I just have one question I hope somebody here can clear up for me; why are the tuners in my SG so much better than the ones in my Les Paul? They’re both Gibson Deluxe although, the ones in the SG have buttons more of a pearloid color while, the ones in the Les Paul are more white. Other than that they look the same but I swear the ones in the Les Paul are like 8:1 while the one in the SG are like 18:1. It’s just day and night the difference in performance. Any help would be appreciated.

What do you mean one tunes better than the other. Does it stay in tune and hold it in tune? The tuning ration may be different, but that just means you have to turn one a bit more.

[Jesse_Dylan]

12 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

What do you mean one tunes better than the other. Does it stay in tune and hold it in tune? The tuning ration may be different, but that just means you have to turn one a bit more.

There is a lot more to a tuner than just the ratio.  That's like saying "Does a guitar play good and make a sound?  Well then what's the problem?"

I'd recommend OP ask the tuner question in the main lounge and get more responses.

Edited August 10, 2022 by Jesse_Dylan

[Twang Gang]

The TV yellow LP special is a less expensive model and thus the hardware is not the same quality.

[HamburgerShins]

Thanks for the replies, I guess I figured that because the Les Paul was a Les expensive model that might be it but, as I said, they look almost identical and, the specs don’t mention any difference.

Sgt. Pepper thanks for the response. To describe it I’d say that they are very difficult to turn and there’s an audible creek to them. But, most of all, just the tiniest turn can way overshoot the intended spot. Through trial and error I’ve learned to just try and slowly turn them forward right until you hit the sweet spot because, if you have to back it off, even just a tiny bit, it’ll be out of tune again after just a few strums. Better to just back it all the way and try to get the forward turn just right again.

 I guess my real question is when I order new ones how do I another get the cheap ones if they’re both called Gibson Deluxe?

Also, sorry if this isn’t in the right thread I’d certainly not be offended if one of the moderators moved it to a more appropriate place. And again, thanks everyone.

[HamburgerShins]

Just an FYI, for anybody that cares. When I was buying my new Les Paul I came across a piece of Gibson history attached to one of the limited edition 60’s Les Pauls that I found informative. And yes, I’m also a nerdy little fanboy about anything music related:

The tuning keys are Grover Rotomatics with the traditional "Kidney" buttons. A custom order upgrade, starting in 1959, Rotomatics were one of the first high-ratio, sealed tuning machines on the market and their smooth, precise action made them immensely popular.

So since my LP Special is modeled after a 50’s iteration…One of the guys with a VOS version could probably seal the issue forever but, there you have it.