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Thread: Replacing Tuning machines with non-standard distance between pegs

  1. #1
    Registered User Sevelos's Avatar
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    Default Replacing Tuning machines with non-standard distance between pegs

    I have bought a Mandola made by a Vietnamese luthier. The instrument is nice but the tuners are quite bad (some brand called "Yibuy"). I found them to be selling on Ali-Express, and here is a link:
    https://www.###############/item/400...c00MWaING&mp=1

    I would like to change the tuners and would be really happy if it was possible to just unwscrew the old set and screw-in a better one. However, it seems that the distance from screw-to-screw and peg-to-peg is about 25mm while any other brand I checked, Grover 309 for example (which I considered), have a distance of around 23 mm.

    These are the specs on the site :
    Brand name: Yibuy
    Pegs pitch: approx. 25mm/0.98"
    Mainboard to the hole distance: approx. 22.5mm/0.89"
    Overall Size:approx. 115 x 38 x 42mm/4.53 x 1.50 x 1.65"(L x W x H)
    Weight: 202g

    Anybody knows of some good, compatible set of tuners (e.g., with 25 mm distance), up to 75$ ?
    Any other suggestions? How complicated would it be to change to the Grovers, for example, taking into account the differences in distances? Should I consider individual tuners instead of rows of 4, perhaps?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Replacing Tuning machines with non-standard distance between

    Posted this before the change, but it was lost. Anyway old Gibson's suffer from this same spacing of the tuners. Before the new ones came out with the old spacing I bought whatever tuner I wanted, cut the plate apart in the center of the screw holes. This allows the plate to space out to the longer spacing and still allows the screws to hold the plates on in the original holes.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  3. #3
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing Tuning machines with non-standard distance between

    Let me answer this again. That size is not the same as either of the standard sizes. A few years ago Kentucky used an off sized tuner on one of their models. It might be the same model tuner, it might not. If I were you I'd be looking at the individual mini guitar tuners such as the Schaller mini tuners. You'd need to find someone that would sell you the two extras.

    https://www.guitarcenter.com/Schalle...SABEgLLgfD_BwE

    If you're comfortable plugging the holes, putting a piece of veneer on the front and back of the headstock, redrilling the holes and refinishing the headstock you could make it fit standard post spacing's.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Replacing Tuning machines with non-standard distance between

    I took pop1's advice earlier to "upgrade" the tuners on a Rogue. Here is the post with pix.

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...59#post1751959

    The tuners I used were cheapos but worked out to be a vast improvement. Good Luck!

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