What brand of tuners are these

**ronwalker49** · Jan-17-2016, 9:22am

I was wondering if anyone can tell me what brand of tuners come on a Kentucky KM 254

**lenf12** · Jan-17-2016, 9:42am

A picture would help with the ID but I'll venture to guess they are Gotoh tuners, pretty much standard for Kentucky mandolins.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

**Ivan Kelsall** · Jan-18-2016, 2:00am

Judging by this pic.,Len's correct. They're Gotoh MA40's, the same style that are on my Ellis "A" style mandolin. Ky. left - Ellis right,
Ivan

Click image for larger version.

Name: Kentucky KM254 tuners.JPG
Views: 181
Size: 39.7 KB
ID: 142760

Click image for larger version.

Name: Ellis tuners - Gotoh MA40's.JPG
Views: 157
Size: 329.1 KB
ID: 142761

**ronwalker49** · Jan-18-2016, 6:40am

I have been having a tough time getting a picture posted..

Click image for larger version.

Name: Tuners.jpg
Views: 126
Size: 69.9 KB
ID: 142763

**ronwalker49** · Jan-18-2016, 7:09am

oop's

**houseworker** · Jan-18-2016, 7:12am

Excellent tuners.

**MikeEdgerton** · Jan-18-2016, 9:08am

They are made by Gotoh.

**multidon** · Jan-18-2016, 9:53am

The Kentucky are worm over, the Ellis worm under. Does Gotoh make both versions, or is one set installed reverse from the other?

**MikeEdgerton** · Jan-18-2016, 10:11am

Gotoh makes both versions for F style, I would assume they make both for the A style.

Gotoh lists two different A style tuners like this on their website, the MA40 and the MA40R (Reverse).

http://www.g-gotoh.com/international...-machine-heads

**EdHanrahan** · Jan-18-2016, 10:40am

Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton

... I would assume they make both for the A style.

Maybe a naïve question, but: Would they need to make both for the A style? Simply exchanging the sides would seem to keep the worms and button-twisting in the same orientation, but moves the gear from over-to-under. That's assuming all posts are the same length.

I realize that the post- and screw-holes wouldn't aline when flipping them on an existing instrument, but for a new build I don't see a difference... as I sometimes don't.

**MikeEdgerton** · Jan-18-2016, 10:50am

I think Paul Hostetter had an article about this on his site. I'll see if I can find it.

**MikeEdgerton** · Jan-18-2016, 10:56am

Paul has some information on tuner direction at the bottom of this page. It doesn't really answer the A style question but I don't think you can just swap sides and maintain the right direction for tuning. I will know in a day or so though as I have a set of Gotoh A style tuners I bought on a whim coming in and I have no idea if they are worm over or under. I'll have to check them when they arrive.

**Ivan Kelsall** · Jan-19-2016, 3:09am

Gotoh do indeed make a 'worm over' & 'worm under' variation of their "A" & "F" tuners. Tom Ellis will fit either to his mandolins on request. The direction in which the gears turn has nothing at all to do with the under/over style. It's all to do with which direction the worms run. In this pic.of my own Ellis Gotohs,you can see that the worms run inwards on the 'bass' side & outwards on the 'treble' side. If they each ran the opposite way, then despite them still being 'worm under',they'd turn the opposite way to tune up/down.
The other pic.is of my Lebeda Schaller tuners which do run in the opposite direction. Still 'worm under',they need to be turned the opposite way to what's become the ''standard'' direction,
Ivan