Alternative mandolin tuners - Waverly are not the only solution

[Gobo]

I had a new F mando made last year by Larry Muth and I do like it. I custom designed the wood and color choices and had a dark birdseye laminated on the back of the headstock. I had used Waverly tuners on my last mando and was quite happy with them but after reading about how Rubners were pretty good for less than half the price I bit on a set of Rubner gorgeous black deluxe with gold accents that suited my mando perfectly. Last night I went to change strings and suddenly stripped the worm gear on the second G tuner. What a disaster. Quickly I went to my luthier to see if there was anything he could do but... sadly no. I contacted the Rubner people and was told that they would replace them but I would need to wait for a month or so until the newly designed models with improved gearing were available. Lesson learned. This morning I called Stew Mac and ordered a set of Waverly tuners for about $3000 Canadian.

Sometimes experimentation can work out wonderfully. In this case not!

[Folkmusician.com]

$3000 CAD?

[Gary Leonard]

I hope that is a typo, that would be darn near 3/4 of the price of the mandolin!

[MikeEdgerton]

Using a rounded number of $600.00 USD it converts to 785.81 Canadian. Even with shipping and customs fees it's never going to be 3 grand.

[Zach Wilson]

Strange. I have a set of gold and black Rubners on my Red Valley from James Wilson and I think that they are excellent in every way. I haven't had an issue. I like them more then the Grovers (I think???) On my Weber.

[Ivan Kelsall]

'Stripped the worm gear' ???. I honestly can't imagine how that could have happened unless the metal in the worm gear had some form of fault in it. The gear must have been seized up solid. Even a stiff rotation would have prevented this happening (IMO).
Maybe an application of Frank Ford's tuner wisdom might have been in order ?. I used it on my Weber & Lebeda mandolin's Schaller tuners, & they work like silk,
Ivan
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musi...geartune3.html

[yankees1]

I have Rubner black/gold Deluxe tuners on one mandolin and I love them ! Great looks and function ! No problems ! I will install Rubner on my next mandolin being built next year, a Girouard F4.

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Just adding to the list of satisfied Rubner users.

I've got them on my Vessel F5. They work very well, and I've never had a problem.

D

[John Kelly]

Have fitted Rubners to several mandolins family instruments and have never experienced any problems with them, and those I fitted are not even their more expensive ones!

[Mark Wilson]

'Stripped the worm gear' ???. I honestly can't imagine how that could have happened

I understood some of Rubner tuner issues involved gears that barely meshed, even some that didn't mesh. So stripping the gear edges would be a lot easier if that was the case

[MikeEdgerton]

I'm sure the OP knows what happened to their mandolin and I'm sure they would be putting a replacement set of Rubners on if they could get them. The fact that It didn't happen with anyone else's doesn't change the fact that it happened to the OP.

[Billy Packard]

I had a beautiful set of GrandTune by Schaller installed on my Gilchrist and they work flawlessly. They cost a tad over $200.00. I bought them directly from the owner at Schaller who shipped them from Germany.

Billy

billypackardmandolin.com

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Mike E. - "The fact that It didn't happen with anyone else's doesn't change the fact that it happened to the OP."

Correct !. However,understanding 'how / why' this happened, may prevent it from happening to somebody else. It's always handy to know of any 'potential' problems with even the best of products.

Ref.Mark Wilson's post # 10 - That's something else i don't understand !. Rubner's inspection should have picked up on any faulty tuners about to leave the factory. It must have been some form of assembly problem (?), as i'd imagine that all the gears would have been manufactured on the same machines. If something was assembled slightly out of alignment,then i could see a problem ahead for the user,
Ivan

[Gobo]

Just my sense of humour. Actually over $700 CA landed in Vancouver. So an unexpected expense as I need the instrument.

[JEStanek]

I've had a set of A style Rubners working faithfully for 11 years now.

[George R. Lane]

I have a set on my Weber Yellowstone, no problems so far. I gave a set A style tuners to Bruce Weber for my two point he is building for me.

[Billy Packard]

Footnote, the Gotoh tuners that Stephen Gilchrist originally installed on the A3 failed. It did take them a while...still-the 1923 Gibson A2 has no such problems with its original tuners. I fully expect the GrandTune set to be the last one for that mandolin.

Billy

[j. condino]

Ten years ago, the day I installed my first set of Alessi tuning machines was the day all of my tuning machine struggles ended......

j.
www.condino.com
facebook at condino string instruments

[HoGo]

Ten years ago, the day I installed my first set of Alessi tuning machines was the day all of my tuning machine struggles ended......

j.
www.condino.com
facebook at condino string instruments

Alessis are certainly Rolls-Royce of tuners, each set custom handmade and hand engraved (and expensive - but worth it). I've had him made me a Loar styled set and it was great in every respect.
But I still think that most (if not all) of the cheap(er) tuners after some maintenance and proper installation can be adequate for many decades of tuning.

[j. condino]

As long as you don't go crazy with custom options, Alessi usually cost me about $100 less than Waverly; worth every penny and I like them better. He has standardized sets: ask for the Condino model.

As a side note, I don't think anyone under 50 usually associates Rolls Royce with anything desirable, just an outdated icon for crusty old geezers....!

[HoGo]

As a side note, I don't think anyone under 50 usually associates Rolls Royce with anything desirable, just an outdated icon for crusty old geezers....!

I'm still 10 under 50... :-)
Perhaps Morgan would fit better than RR even for the younger.

[Anglocelt]

As long as you don't go crazy with custom options, Alessi usually cost me about $100 less than Waverly; worth every penny and I like them better. He has standardized sets: ask for the Condino model.

As a side note, I don't think anyone under 50 usually associates Rolls Royce with anything desirable, just an outdated icon for crusty old geezers....!

Unless you are referring to the jet engines now powering various Boeings?

[Jesse Kinman]

Ten years ago, the day I installed my first set of Alessi tuning machines was the day all of my tuning machine struggles ended......

j.
www.condino.com
facebook at condino string instruments

Those are pretty sharp looking! I love the look of the Snakewood buttons too!!! I would like to look into getting some for my Waverlys if I can find them. If not the Ebony will have to satisfy my wood button craving...lol

[rfd]

the old rubners might have had issues, but the new ones with the AF bearings are top shelf. even considering the old ones, i can't imagine how a rubner tuner can strip gears. but, doo-doo do happen, i s'pose.

[kyken]

the old rubners might have had issues, but the new ones with the AF bearings are top shelf. even considering the old ones, i can't imagine how a rubner tuner can strip gears. but, doo-doo do happen, i s'pose.

I've had the same problem with Rubner F style tuners and it was always the same one, the first G string. Gear just bound up and slipped. It happened more than 2 times. They said they have remedied this problem.