Vintage Supertone Mandolin - Replacing Tuner Machines

[stephenc]

Hey all,

My wife recently received a gift of an entry-level vintage Supertone Mandolin from her grandfather. Based on some basic research we think its a '60's era A-style Supertone, purchased at Sears and possibly made by Harmony.

We both play, and would like to replace the tuners as they are very worn out and hard to turn. Plus due to lack of care the tuning knobs have deteriorated and fallen off.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where we might be able to find tuners that fit? I've tried measuring but very hard for me to tell based on simple measurements what might fit.

Any information on who might sell these (or equivalent replacements) that will fit would be tremendously appreciated.

Photos are attached.



Thanks!!

[MikeEdgerton]

You're about three decades off the age. Sears stopped using the Supertone brand name in the 30's or 40's. Your tuners are worm-over A style tuners. They should be .906" or 23.0mm post center to post center. The original tuners were made by Kluson but you have your choice of several brand names.

https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and...ning_Machines/

As far as dating it goes, can you look inside with a flashlight and see if you see any stamped numbers in there? You're looking for F-<Number> or an S-<number>. I believe this mandolin was actually built by Harmony in Chicago.

The deteriorating knobs are common on certain Kluson tuners.

[NickR]

The round Supertone label- instead of the small rectangle was introduced in either 1939- or more likely, 1940. The Kluson tuners also date this mandolin to the very early 1940s. Harmony did a deal with Kluson and this helped raise the money for the management to buy Harmony from Sears, Roebuck the mail order company that sold Supertone instruments in 1941. From 1940, progressively, the Silvertone name replaced Supertone while instruments were bought from Kay and the two decades long use of Harmony for nearly all string instruments by Sears, Roebuck came to an end.

[Richard G]

Supertones were made only until the late '30s early '40s then they were absorbed by Harmony . If you see a stamp inside it might indicate the date something like f 34.

[MikeEdgerton]

Supertones were made only until the late '30s early '40s then they were absorbed by Harmony . If you see a stamp inside it might indicate the date something like f 34.

Yeah, you don't quite have that right. Harmony was owned by Sears for a period of time. Supertone was a Sears brand name that they had made by others beyond Harmony as well. Harmony didn't absorb Supertone, Sears changed their brand name.

[allenhopkins]

...Sears changed their brand name.

To Silvertone, I believe. Catalog brands like that -- and Airline, which was the Montgomery Ward brand -- were put on instruments from a variety of manufacturers.

It is possible to put new tuner knobs on the existing shafts. You could try lubricating the current tuners, using pliers to rotate the shafts, and see if they start turning freely again. Glueing on new knobs would be less expensive, and would -- for what it's worth -- keep the mandolin more "original."

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't think keeping original is going to affect this as much as making it playable. If the OP wants to replace the buttons here is a tutorial off Frank Ford's www.frets.com. If the OP wants to take a shot at servicing what's left of the tuners, the late Paul Hostetter's tuner maintenance page is here.

[AndyV]

My first thought was, lube and new buttons.

I don't know what method is more work to replace buttons (not that either are a lot) drilling etc. per link, or as my luthier instructed heat the shaft and slide the button on - no gluing. Just be careful to shield the headstock from scorching if you're not removing the machines first.

[MikeEdgerton]

Not removing the machines is a recipe for disaster but with that said, this isn't a really valuable instrument monetarily anyway so have at it.

[stephenc]

This is all brilliant! Thank you!! I will try the lube and new buttons approach and see if I can get some mileage there. If not, will try the recommendations above with new machines.

[Ray(T)]

Not only do StewMac sell replacement buttons ....... https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Onlin...ner_knobs.html

[NickR]

There are a number of sellers on eBay with these open Kluson tuners. I bought some buttons from this guy in Singapore but I did not need eight- and they come in guitar friendly numbers! https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kluson-Butt...MAAOSw44BYPsE9

Here is a used set. They are slightly newer than yours -as they are riveted- no screws to hold on the cogs. This was done in WW2 to save metal and continued for a while after 1945. You may want to try getting the buttons first- I won't tell you my method of installation. I have tried using heat and finesse but found that way to be frustrating- you can use a vice and press them on and having a bit of heat helps.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Unmarked-Kl...cAAOSwwTZdrOcL

[MikeEdgerton]

You should be looking for mandolin buttons that are round. The only ones that I know of that don't have a hole all the way through are the Schaller buttons offered by Stewmac. If anyone else has a source for plastic mandolin buttons with just one hole maybe they can post a link.