Tuner Advice

[Jerrold]

A plastic button on my Eastman MD 304 A Style Oval broke off. Any suggestions, recommendations would be most appreciated. Jerry

[Rob Roy]

Eastman will probably send you a new set of tuners for free if you contact them. I know they do that for tailpieces that fail. However, the tuners on the 300 series are notorious for being very hard to turn. This may be a good opportunity to upgrade to better tuners.

[grassrootphilosopher]

This is a possibility:

[MikeEdgerton]

In reality the first thing you need to do is to take a picture of the back of the headstock so we can identify the tuners they used when your mandolin was built. Anything else is just a guess.

[Ray(T)]

Depends how badly it “broke off”. Much the same thing happened to one of the Schaller buttons on my Holoubek shortly after I bought it in 2002. I stuck it back on with epoxy whilst I was waiting for a replacement set to arrive and it’s still on there more than 20 years later!

[keith.rogers]

If they are not attached with a screw, which is what I see in recent pics of that model, as suggested above, you can try gluing the old button back together, on the shaft, with epoxy or super-glue, depending on how broken it is. (Keep the glue away from the mandolin finish!!)

If that fails or isn't possible, if you can get a replacement button from Eastman, or perhaps one of the online dealers like TMS, and either glue or melt (as in the video) it on yourself. Stew-Mac also sells buttons for Schaller mandolin tuners which might work - you'd want to measure the shaft size, unless someone can confirm that will work.

Last place is replacing the entire set, which is not uncommon for this model, from what I've read. (My '09 Eastman buttons do not screw on, but they seem completely fine - it's a MOP-ish plastic, though, and likely not the same tuners. Keeping fingers crossed, myself.) Good luck!

[Pappyrich]

I just did a quick check, and you can get a set of Grover 309's for just under $60. These are a nice upgrade. They are a drop-in fit and you don't need to change the bushings. Will need to drill a couple of new screw holes, but the old screw holes are all covered from sight. This is a very easy swap.

If you decide you want to stay with the old original Eastman tuners, PM me. I still have my old set and will give them to you for the shipping cost.

[Jerrold]

Thanks, many thanks, to everyone. The button is cracked in a few places, and I can’t imagine that it would be trustworthy if glued back on. And thanks also for the generous offer. I am planning to take the instrument back to the shop where I bought it and ask about them replacing it with good tuners, the kind that screw on, perhaps the Grover 309s that people have suggested. It is a great mandolin. I know there are much nicer ones, but this (and a Kentucky KM 272) is what I am starting with, and they are very nice to my ears (and to others). I’m nearing 69, and only began playing guitar a few years ago, and mandolin sometime during the pandemic. . Anyways, that’s where I’m at. Thanks again, Jerry

[MikeEdgerton]

The tuners are Proline J-105 mandolin tuning machines according to Eastman's site. They aren't readily available in the US, at least I can't find them anywhere here. The next thing you have to check is to make sure the post spacing is the normal post spacing. Take a look at the drawing and see if you can check the post spacing (center of post to the next center of post) and see if they are anywhere near the .906" (23.01 mm) spacing. The problem with off brand tuners is that they sometimes don't adhere to the standards that are generally accepted. If the retailer or the manufacturer can't help you your best bet will be to replace them as long as they are standard size. In A style tuners you have a whole lot of choices but again, check to see what the post spacing is.

[Rob Roy]

+1 on the Grovers, I've used them on several instruments and they're very smooth, can't really do better without spending 2x as much. They were in short supply for awhile. Pappyrich says they are a drop in replacement on your mandolin so that's what I'd do. That Eastman is likely to keep you happy for a long time. Play it in good health!

[lostsailor]

Lynn Dudenbostel worked with directly with Grover in designing the model #309 tuners (to replace the earlier model #308). The 309's came as original equipment on a 2014 Dudenbostel 1A mandolin that I own, and they work nicely. They may not be as pretty as Waverlies, but they're very functional and far less expensive. Rubners are good tuners, too. I have Rubners on a Girouard A5, and they work well.