New tuners to replace Golden Era tuners on a 2015 A mandolin

[Bob Buckingham]

I recently bought a used 2015 mandolin with Golden Era tuners. The tuners are very inconsistent and probably should be replaced. I loosened the screws in the gears to get them to move. Then used a drill with a string winder and Tri-Flow Pin Point Lubricator to try and get them moving smoothly. It worked for some of the gears but not all of them. They still have plenty of stick and slap in about a third of them. Any suggestions? They have a great brushed nickel look but they are a pain to turn and to be truthful it takes a lot to turn a couple of them. I have had mandolins with Grover 309 that work much better but that shiny finish. I guess is not that big of a thing.

I have heard lots about Rubner tuners but they are 15:1 as opposed to the Grover 18:1. I have never seen them on an instrument or used them.

I would like to hear opinions on what would be a good replacement set and why. I am not going to get Waverly tuners as they too often need to be run-in to some degree.
TIA

[Ray(T)]

“A” style or “F” style is the obvious first question and the obvious first answer is “anything but GEs”. I replaced those on my Clark GOM with Robsons but I believe Keith no longer makes mandolin tuners. I’m sure others will confirm but I’m told that there are bad GEs and OK GEs It may be that you have some of the bad ones and StewMac may replace them for you. It should at least be worth asking.

[bbcee]

I personally love 309's, but on my new mandolin, I've got Schaller GrandTunes, and they're really nice. Also 18:1.

I didn't like Rubners for the fact they were 15:1, but are obviously well-made, and lots of metal/button choices. Didn't care for the Golden Ages that came on an earlier mandolin at all.

[Richard500]

The mandolin can also contribute if the drilling was sloppy, creating pressure that can pinch or spread the worm contact. Running in with just lubricant isn’t going to do much,although generally worthwhile. If the gears are actually off-center, misshapen or have burrs, a light running in with grinding compound may do something. I would do this off the mandolin as a thorough cleanup has to follow.
Haven’t seen any ‘modern’ tuners in person, so can’t say what the GE problem actually is.

[bbcee]

Sorry, I should have added that that my experience with GE's was nothing like the Bob's - mine were just stiff.

[MikeEdgerton]

I am not going to get Waverly tuners as they too often need to be run-in to some degree.

I have two sets and never had a problem.

[Skip Kelley]

I have a mandolin out there that the customer wanted the Stew Mac tuners. I fitted pearl buttons on the shafts to complete the look. I put valve grinding compound on the gears and then turned the tuning button with a drill. It polished the gears very nicely. It’s been years and they still are fine.

[j. condino]

The thing that sucks worse than Golden Age tuners is the customer service from from Stew Mac since they sold the company to Champlain Capital and the new guys are straddled with millions in debt, prioritizing money over everything that made the old company nice to do business with!

[rcc56]

I'll briefly mention that buyers should be aware that there are two models of Golden Age mando tuners. They are made with different post spacings, and buyers must choose the model that will fit their instrument or they will have problems.

The "restoration" tuners with the "scallop end" base plates won't work well on modern instruments, because they have a different post spacing. They are specifically made to be used on mandolins made before the early 1920's, which utilized a wider post spacing than modern instruments.

I have installed a couple of sets of "restoration" tuners on 1910's Gibsons, and they have worked well on those mandolins.
But they will bind if installed on a modern instrument.

I have not tried the "arrow end" tuners, which are intended for mandolins with the current post spacing.

I don't buy much from Stew-mac anymore. Their prices have skyrocketed since the new owners took over.

[Bob Buckingham]

“A” style or “F” style is the obvious first question and the obvious first answer is “anything but GEs”. I replaced those on my Clark GOM with Robsons but I believe Keith no longer makes mandolin tuners. I’m sure others will confirm but I’m told that there are bad GEs and OK GEs It may be that you have some of the bad ones and StewMac may replace them for you. It should at least be worth asking.

It uses A style tuners.

[amowry]

I'd suggest the new Rubner RMp tuners. The gear ratio is 16:1, which I feel is plenty adequate-- 18:1 seems like overkill to me. They come in a few different styles including a Waverly look if that's your preference. The downside is that you'd need to counterbore the back of the headstock. I don't think you can go wrong with Waverlys either (I've never had an issue with them needing to be broken in, and their newest A-model tuners have a fix to a previous gearing issue). No mandolin tuner will ever be as smooth as guitar tuners, but either of these will be a big step up from Golden Age. I am more hesitant to give money to Stew-Mac these days, though, for the reason James mentioned above .

The trick with installing any mandolin tuners is to center the screw holes perfectly so the screws don't pull the plate in one direction and cause the posts to bind. For that reason (along with the counterbore, etc.) I always suggest professional installation, even if you're just swapping new tuners for old ones.

[Bob Buckingham]

Thanks Andrew, I've got my luthier lined up and have been in touch with Kent George at Rubner. It is educational getting all of these answers and insights. Thanks to all who have answered my question, even if I didn't call those tuners by their right name.