tuners

  1. billkilpatrick
    i've got two mid-mo/muddy mandolins - one (m-4 mid-missouri) with standard tuners and the other (m-0 muddy) with "better" tuners (mike's words.) of the two, the standard tuners seem to stay in tune better than the "better" ones. i used to know what make the better tuners were but now i can only guess - they're beautifully made, nickle with perloid handles.

    why is this? ... why are the better tuners more difficult to keep in tune? what am i doing wrong?
  2. Dave Weiss
    Dave Weiss
    Hi Bill, I think the "better" tuners are Grovers. The ones that came on mine are the solid knob/shaft type. I did a search (some time ago) and found them, but haven't been able to find them again... Mine never seems to go out of tune, except when affected by humidity and then goes sharp or flat across the board.

    Dave
  3. bmac
    bmac
    I have the standard style tuners on my Mid-Mo. They may be inexpensive but they work just fine. I suspect that the Grovers, though prettier, function no better... Some folks equate expensive with quality but in my small collection of old lower end mandolins I have some over 100 years old with original tuners which work just fine... I have no beef with expensive tuners but if you expect them to work better as well as look better you may be in for a disappointment.

    I have become quite a fan of inexpensive tuners. Maybe if I had a Gibson I would think differently.
  4. 8ch(pl)
    8ch(pl)
    Well, the tuners on my Samick A style went. One of the tuning knobs slips and won't tighten.

    I bought a set of Stewart MacDonald Golden Age tuners. They had the Pearloid button version on a closeout sale for $49.94.

    They slid right in to the existing Bushings. I really like them. Probably next year I will get a set for each of my Mid Missouri mandolins. They look nice and turn smoothly. With all the other little upgrades I have done, I don't see the harm in a nice set of tuners.

    I also bought a set of the 1920's style tuners for my Mandolin-Banjo. They have the old spacing between the posts. I am putting them away for Christmas. the tuners on that instrument are slipping badly.
  5. bildio
    bildio
    I'm a newbie beginner with an Eastman MD504 oval hole A-style.

    I've been considering getting a Big Muddy ever since (not a long time) I learned that there a wide nut mandolins.

    Since I'm the type that likes to tweak things I am wondering about the Grove tuners & a CA bridge for adjustability.

    My question is: Can the Grover tuners be installed using the existing screw holes in the Big Muddy or is drilling new holes & filling old holes required?
  6. Dave Weiss
    Dave Weiss
    If you really feel the need to tweek a mando you should probably stick with your Eastman and tweek away... Big Muddy/Mid-Mo's do come in wide neck models, but all are not wide necks. Why in the world would you even consider changing tuners or a bridge on a mandolin that you haven't even seen yet? The real beauty of these little mandolins is that you can take them out of their case, check to see that they're in tune and play the snot out of them! They don't need to be "improved" to sound good.
  7. bildio
    bildio
    I just noticed that the M3 comes with Grover tuners. So, no tweaking required.
  8. 8ch(pl)
    8ch(pl)
    Bill, I have almost the same Mandolins as you do, An M-4 and an M-1 (same as M-0 with binding). I have noticd that the M-1 with it's Mahogany back and sides is much more affected by humidity change than the M-4 in Rosewood. In short, I think the Mahogany may absorb more water than the Rosewood.

    perhaps this could be the difference in tuning that you are finding.
  9. 8ch(pl)
    8ch(pl)
    I also meant to say that I have not changed the tuners on the mid Missouris, like I said I would in my first post of this thread
  10. bmac
    bmac
    In my view the Big Muddy/Mid-Missouri is a fine lower end mandolin, perfect for beginners and the financially challenged but serious player. It was my first mandolin and a great introduction to mandolins until it succummed to a broken steam pipe where it was stored. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well built American made instrument. Mine came beautifully set up, and I assume they all do, unlike many Asian built brands. I also love the understated brand name stamping on the side of the headstock.
  11. Steve Williams
    Steve Williams
    FWIW...I did put a CA flat top bridge on my MW-O, and have been quite pleased with the results. I had problems with the G strings jumping out of the notches (factory new bridge and strings) which I don't have with the MM-8 that I bought at the same time...I wasn't in the mood to work on the bridge or bother Mike, and I already had the CA bridge, so I swapped them out. Not a dramatic change, but noticeable enough that I personally can recommend someone try it if so inclined. YMMV

    A more "in your face" change involving a Big Muddy bridge is one that I recently used as a replacement on a 30's plywood Stradolin that needed a bridge. I had an extra for the MM-8, and I got on Murphy Henry's website and reviewed Red Henry's diagrams for drilling holes in solid mandolin bridges. I fitted the MM-8 bridge to the Stradolin's top, set it up and played it, and then took it back down, drilled the bridge as per one of Red's patterns, and set it back up again. BIG difference! It is what it is, but...like most Stradolins...it sounds way better than it ought to! I'm well pleased with it.
  12. FatBear
    FatBear
    Both my instructor and my luthier hated the standard tuners. I was a dufus, so didn't know better. I recently replaced them with Golden Age tuners because Mike Dulak said he thought the screw hole placement was similar. I got the aged brass version to go with the golden wood of the instrument and the bronze Allen tailpiece I was installing. And I got black knobs because they were cheaper and I liked the look of them. They help give an older, more understated elegance to the instrument. (I'm not sure the words "elegant" or "instrument" are allowed to be used in reference to a mandolin, but there: I did it!)

    I posted a photo of my mandolin which includes the tuners if you look closely.

    The tuners seem smoother than the standard ones, but I think they need some tweaking. I had them all strung up before I realized that I should have put a bit of Nut Sauce on them. I did it too late and so it hasn't really spread around yet. (You don't want to use too much.)

    I will say that tuning is certainly easier than it was before and the strings seem to stay in tune well. But there is still the occasional pop! from a wound string followed by re-tuning it.
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