irivlin Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Would anyone have an idea what the original tuners supplied on the 1936 Gibson Super 400 were? I have just bought one of these guitars and it has five tuners of one type (metal knobs) and one tuner with a plastic know. They all could be replacements of course. Ideally, I'd love to get tuners that were appropriate for the guitar. I also need an end pin/strap peg appropriate for the era. Any suggestions or assistance greatly appreciated. Ian (Australia) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 I believe the standard original tuners were engraved Grover open back tuners with "butterbean" buttons: I've also seen 400's from the general period with Grover Imperial tuners: More rare, but also nice, are these Kluson sealfast tuners with catalin buttons: As far as end pin and strap pegs... not sure what to suggest. If the guitar has none (and no holes), I would really hesitate to drill holes for them. To some, this would make the guitar less desirable and valuable, to some extent. I'm not saying I agree with that 100%, but some collectors would frown on it. At that time, there were different pieces of hardware designed for attaching straps. Straps would be tied on, rather than having an "eye" that slipped over a button or peg. They were not generally located at the neck heel at that time, but on the back of the headstock (and at the butt). I'll try to find photos... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Here's an all-original (except for the pickup) 1934 with the Grover open-back butterbeans......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabberwocky Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Would anyone have an idea what the original tuners supplied on the 1936 Gibson Super 400 were? I have just bought one of these guitars and it has five tuners of one type (metal knobs) and one tuner with a plastic know. They all could be replacements of course. Ideally, I'd love to get tuners that were appropriate for the guitar. I also need an end pin/strap peg appropriate for the era. Any suggestions or assistance greatly appreciated. Ian (Australia) Wow! Do show a picture or two of this beauty. Does it have the smaller upper bout and f-holes? If you wish to splash out, try Waverly Open-back tuners with the ivoroid or butterbean knobs. Gotoh of Japan also makes them. You can get the former from Stewmac.com and the latter from lmii.com . This old girl deserves the best, don't you think? One day, one day....... Edit: I did a search for a 1936 Super 400 and found a page at Gruhn Guitars. It shows Grover Imperial tuners. http://www.gruhn.com/features/s400-36/AR3950b.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I did a search for a 1936 Super 400 and found a page at Gruhn Guitars. It shows Grover Imperial tuners. http://www.gruhn.com/features/s400-36/AR3950b.jpg Not rare to see Imperials, but not "stock", and probably more the exception than the rule. According to Van Hoose, the open back Grovers (top photo I posted) were stock until 1938, when the Kluson Sealfast tuners (bottom photo) appeared. He states that Grover Imperials (middle photo) were a popular choice to replace the open back Grovers in those early years, because the stock tuners didn't work as well to keep the guitar in tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 I believe the standard original tuners were engraved Grover open back tuners with "butterbean" buttons: I've also seen 400's from the general period with Grover Imperial tuners: More rare, but also nice, are these Kluson sealfast tuners with catalin buttons: As far as end pin and strap pegs... not sure what to suggest. If the guitar has none (and no holes), I would really hesitate to drill holes for them. To some, this would make the guitar less desirable and valuable, to some extent. I'm not saying I agree with that 100%, but some collectors would frown on it. At that time, there were different pieces of hardware designed for attaching straps. Straps would be tied on, rather than having an "eye" that slipped over a button or peg. They were not generally located at the neck heel at that time, but on the back of the headstock (and at the butt). I'll try to find photos... Well, I couldn't find photos of both the head and tail strap attachment hardware, but I finally stumbled onto a photo of an old Super 400 headstock with the hardware I was talking about for the head: The hardware for the butt end was equally simple in design, but I guess they're pretty rare, as they were phased out before WWII, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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