Loosen a tight tuning machine on an Eastman Oval

**lflngpicker** · May-09-2023, 11:19am

I have an Eastman oval hole MD304. I really got a good one. I love the tone, the action, and the satin finish. One tuner on the second G string is quite tight. Is there a proven method for adjusting this tightness? I wonder also about replacement tuners that fit this lower end model. I love the flame on this instrument and the set up the store provided. It has this woody, natural reverb tone that I just love for fiddle tunes. Any suggestions for improving this tight tuner?

**PT66** · May-09-2023, 11:42am

Unless your mandolin was made before 1920 the spacing is all the same. You can fine tuners that fit at Stewmac or Amazon. Rubner tuners are very good but not cheap. Try not to buy the ones with stamped out plates with bent up tabs to support the worm gears. Go for ones with support posts.

**lflngpicker** · May-09-2023, 1:09pm

Hi Dave, Thank you very much for your guidance. Appreciate it. Dan

**Jonathan Ward** · May-09-2023, 2:04pm

Stupid question, maybe, but have you tried lubricating the tuners?

**poul hansen** · May-09-2023, 2:08pm

Originally Posted by lflngpicker

I have an Eastman oval hole MD304. I really got a good one. I love the tone, the action, and the satin finish. One tuner on the second G string is quite tight. Is there a proven method for adjusting this tightness? I wonder also about replacement tuners that fit this lower end model. I love the flame on this instrument and the set up the store provided. It has this woody, natural reverb tone that I just love for fiddle tunes. Any suggestions for improving this tight tuner?

I restore old mandolins and have had a reasonable degree of success with loosening the tuners, to keep the mandolin original.

After inspecting for damage and cleaning the tuner for oil, I use an electric "screwdriver" with a tuner head, and rotate the tuner in both directions for 5-10 minutes observing that the tuner doesn't get to hot. Clean for any debris and oil.

Because I run the tuner dry, there will be wear at the tight places, so after cooling, cleaning and oiling it will move easier. It works in 80-90% of cases.

**HoGo** · May-09-2023, 3:03pm

Tightness of the tuners is IMO nearly always caused by improper mounting to headstock.
remove the tuners from headstock and try how hard they are to turn. Mostly there will be very little to no resistance. You can add a drop of lube to each gear to make them smooth.
The spacing and direction of holes and bushings in headstock MUST be perfect otherwise some of the post can bind in them or cause undue leverage to the posts making cogs and worm bind. You can check this by inserting the tuner from front side of the headstock. It should just drop in without any resistance and any apparent forced movement of the posts out of square position.
Often makers use stepped holes in headstock so the hole in bottom of headstock and hole in bushing are same and if they are not perfectly aligned the post may bind. You can enlarge the bottom part of the hole below bushing if you feel the post may be binding there.
Then tere is the mounting screws that may force the tuners out of position in otherwise perfect holes. Especially countersunk screws when they are not pre-drilled perfectly centered in the mounting holes in the tuner plates or drilled at an angle.
You can check tuners by looking at the tips of the posts if they are all parallel and measure the spacing at the topsof the tuners, make sure it is the same as spacing at the gears.
Or visit good mandolin tech. Guitar techs may not have enough experience with this as they mostly use single tuners.

**Dave Cohen** · May-09-2023, 3:07pm

Before you spend anywhere from about $100 to a few hundred $ to purchase a new set of tuning machines, it would be worth it to you to explore a simple remedy. In the repair work I have done, I have found that one of the commonest causes of "tight" tuners is a very slight variation in the position of the tuner post hole. And that slight misalignment can often be remedied by removing the tuners followed by careful and slight reaming of the problem hole from the BACK of the headstock. That should not be done with a hardware-store reamer, but rather with a low taper violin peg hole reamer, or the lowest taper reamer available from Stew-Mac, f'rintance. There is a good probability that the slight reaming will eliminate the problem with the existing tuners. And while you have the tuners removed, try turning the problematic "tight" peg by hand. Chances are good the it will not be any tighter than any of the other pegs. In the event that the problem peg is still tighter than the other pegs when removed from the headstock, that is confirmation that the tuners themselves are indeed the problem.

**lflngpicker** · May-10-2023, 9:13am

Originally Posted by Jonathan Ward

Stupid question, maybe, but have you tried lubricating the tuners?

No, I hadn’t yet, friend. I was thinking I would get some advice first. It seems lubrication would be a great first step. I want to use the right product and do it in a way that will benefit, plus protect the instrument. Thanks!

**lflngpicker** · May-10-2023, 9:21am

Hello guys, Sorry I ran a bit behind yesterday. I have received some excellent advice from you all. I want to thank you. I failed to mention that this was a new mandolin I bought to give me a different sound and feel from my F5G. I have been so pleasantly surprised at the fit and finish, along with the tone. The only “sticking point” (ha, ha) was the second G machine being tight. I am going to heed your advice and get started with the simplest things I can do as described above. I will make it a goal to get this one smoother and try not to invest any more than I should on this nice, economy mandolin. It is a blast to play! Yay, for Eastman!

**bennyb** · May-10-2023, 9:57am

Paul Hostetter's page on maintaining tuners just in case you haven't looked at it. If it were me, I would remove string first and check how it turns without tension, then remove tuners on that side from the instrument and check how well it turns separated from the instrument. Then you've got more info to work with. Solution might be one of the above suggestions. Good luck

**Dave Cohen** · May-10-2023, 11:35am

If you are planning on lubricating on lubricating, consider the following: The favored lubricant is Tri-Flow, a colloidal teflon based lubricant. ANY lubricant should be used sparingly. Any liquid lubricant applied in excess is a magnet for dirt, which eventually will wear out your gears and worms prematurely. So lubricants should be applied sparingly, and any excess should be wiped away.

A problem with that teflon part of the Tri-Flow and similar lubricants is that teflon, aka PTFE (for PolyTetraFluoroEthylene) is one of those dreaded PFAS (poly flouro alkyl substances). Those things are much in the chemical and environmental news sources these days. The fluorine-rich substances are sometimes referred to as "forever substances" for their relative chemical inertness. They are also toxic and carcinogenic, and are being found just about everywhere in the environment. In addition to their use in the lubricants, they are prevalent in food packaging, some non-stick cookware, & etc. So if you purchase some Tri-Flow, don't use it carelessly, and especially don't dispose of it carelessly, i.e., don't just throw it in the trash. It should be disposed of as a hazardous substance.

**lflngpicker** · May-10-2023, 12:35pm

Dave, The environmental impact you speak of is important. Thank you for pointing that out. Is there a better product that works well with less forever chemical properties? Also, I appreciate Benny echoing the several suggestions above concerning removing the specific problem side of the tuners to see how it operates free of the pegboard. I will also check out the link to Paul’s tuner maintenance you referred to. Thanks all!