TonePros Klusons replace my Grover Rotomatics

[H]

Swapped out my H-535's Grover Rotomatics for TonePros Klusons Easy change-out and looks great IMHO

 

Got sick of the Grovers tarnishing every week and these look like a natural replacement. They're cream like the binding and well worth the $35 I paid for them and the shipping to the UK

[FrankV]

what's the deal with the various tuners? Do some work better than others? What makes a good tuner, in terms of function, not appearance?

[H]

what's the deal with the various tuners? Do some work better than others? What makes a good tuner, in terms of function, not appearance?

 

For me it was that the Grovers (a) tarnished too easily and too quickly and ( they take up too much space - it's difficult to turn one without bumping into the next one. The Klusons are narrower (less bumping) and, for me, prettier.

 

Generally, gear ratios inside the cover make a difference on how much a turn of the button tightens the string. Some lock to hold tune better and longer. For me it's 50/50 function and looks

 

I'm sure that there's plenty of people on this forum who can add much more to this than I can.

[barrymclark]

Great looking tuners. Dig 'em.

[GuitArtMan]

I have the TonePros Klusons on four guitars now. They came standard on my Don Grosh Set Neck and I liked them so much I put them on my Gbrand '59 Flame Top RI and CS-336. My favorite non-locking tuner.

[FrankV]

Thanks H. So by locking tuners, that refers to the string being clamped into the tuner, instead of wrapping around the post? My Fender has the Schaller locking tuners, and the 535 has the Grover tuner, with the string wrapping around the post. The Fender does seem to hold it's setting longer. I think once I can change the strings better, and get a good tight wrap, right at the start, the Grover should be fine too. A number of times I've changed a string, and I can see a little space where I haven't gotten all the slack out, at the post, and I have a hunch that's where the string can go out of pitch over time. I'm pretty sure the gears don't slip, but maybe they do if you're bending a lot? I haven't seen ones where the tuner knob is locked down after setting, but they're probably out there.

[H]

Thanks H. So by locking tuners, that refers to the string being clamped into the tuner, instead of wrapping around the post? My Fender has the Schaller locking tuners, and the 535 has the Grover tuner, with the string wrapping around the post. The Fender does seem to hold it's setting longer. I think once I can change the strings better, and get a good tight wrap, right at the start, the Grover should be fine too. A number of times I've changed a string, and I can see a little space where I haven't gotten all the slack out, at the post, and I have a hunch that's where the string can go out of pitch over time. I'm pretty sure the gears don't slip, but maybe they do if you're bending a lot? I haven't seen ones where the tuner knob is locked down after setting, but they're probably out there.

 

The locking ones I've seen either have a lock mechanism at the base of the 'button' or at the top of the string post. I agree that the 'split post' Fender tuners do seem easier to load though I have a particular technique for 'locking' the tail end of the string to reduce slippage on non-split post tuners and it works well. I pitch-bend and more often and it holds up pretty well I learnt it from my luthier when he showed me an online article about it. I'll try to find it so I can post a link to it for you.

[GuitArtMan]

I've found 99% of tuning stabilty issues are the nut - not the tuners. Tuners don't slip, nuts grab and pinch and hold and pull the string sharp/flat. The other 99% of tuning issues are poorly strung gutiars. I know some string menthods for non-locking tuners that will grab hold and lock just as fast as a locking tuner. Me, I like a couple of wraps around the post.

[fxdx99]

Swapped out my H-535's Grover Rotomatics for TonePros Klusons Easy change-out and looks great IMHO

 

Got sick of the Grovers tarnishing every week and these look like a natural replacement. They're cream like the binding and well worth the $35 I paid for them and the shipping to the UK

 

Nice - I've Sperzels on 2 Heritages, Grovers on the other 2. Just the way they were ordered, I guess. Were the Klusons a direct replacement, same size and location screws?

[H]

Nice - I've Sperzels on 2 Heritages, Grovers on the other 2. Just the way they were ordered, I guess. Were the Klusons a direct replacement, same size and location screws?

 

Yep, they go straight in with just one extra hole to drill per tuner. Klusons are held by two screws, Rotomatics by one but the Grover screw hole is in the right place for the Kluson. Perfect

[Jazzpunk]

Yep, they go straight in with just one extra hole to drill per tuner. Klusons are held by two screws, Rotomatics by one but the Grover screw hole is in the right place for the Kluson. Perfect

 

Are those the TPK33 Series Tuners with the 16:1 ratio? Tempted to try these on my 525 but not sure if they fit (swapping out my sperzel solid pros).

[H]

Are those the TPK33 Series Tuners with the 16:1 ratio? Tempted to try these on my 525 but not sure if they fit (swapping out my sperzel solid pros).

Coo, blast from the past! I'm on the train to work right now (8am my time) but I'll take a look at the part number tonight. Alternatively, have a search through my old posts; I'm pretty sure I posted a part number for these in the past.

 

I've fitted them to my 150, 170 and 535 and they would have fitted the 516 I had.

 

Did your 525 have Sperzels from the factory?

[DetroitBlues]

I do a lot of bending, sometimes more then a whole step in a bend. I've never had a problem with Grovers at all. I always break in my strings before I finish stringing them up as well as properly route the strings. The only guitar I've ever had issues with was my daughter's Squire. Even my old Aria Pro II stayed in tune. My strat has standard tuners, if I have to tune my guitar more than once a week, I'd be surprised....

[H]

Are those the TPK33 Series Tuners with the 16:1 ratio? Tempted to try these on my 525 but not sure if they fit (swapping out my sperzel solid pros).

The part number on the pack (I kept the Rotomatics just in case someone wants it as original were I to sell it) is TPKB3.

[H]

I've never had a problem with Grovers at all.

Neither have I on a functional level. However, they tarnish very easily and those big kidney tuners take up way too much space for that little headstock. YMMV.

[tbonesullivan]

they look nice! They do make smaller buttons for the rotomatics though, which is how I might have gone.

 

I have two "refitted" guitars, and I'm not exactly a fan of the holes in the back of the headstocks. I keep thinking about getting those fixed because they just bother me. Like, why couldn't they have just put grover locking tuners to replace the grover art deco rotomatics instead of putting sperzels on.

 

As fof the "locking" klusons, they just look ugly with those tumors on the ends of the pegs.

[Jazzpunk]

The part number on the pack (I kept the Rotomatics just in case someone wants it as original were I to sell it) is TPKB3.

 

Cool, thanks!

[DetroitBlues]

Neither have I on a functional level. However, they tarnish very easily and those big kidney tuners take up way too much space for that little headstock. YMMV.

 

Now that you mention it, they are a little troublesome. Never thought about swapping them out. I might change all the hardware to gold, so maybe then I'll try something new.

[Kuz]

I've found 99% of tuning stabilty issues are the nut - not the tuners. Tuners don't slip, nuts grab and pinch and hold and pull the string sharp/flat. The other 99% of tuning issues are poorly strung gutiars. I know some string menthods for non-locking tuners that will grab hold and lock just as fast as a locking tuner. Me, I like a couple of wraps around the post.

 

+1 I could not agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jazzpunk]

Ended up going for Gotoh midsize 510s as I am curious to try a a higher ratio tuner. I think the Klusons would've looked killer though so hopefully I made the right decision!

[High Flying Bird]

Some Grover's do tarnish. It has happened on a couple of a buddy's guitars. So far I am doing OK. The ones that tarnish seem to do it as you look at them. Strange.

 

I would say it was something you picked up on the train but we don't have passenger trains anymore so it must be the tuners.

[tbonesullivan]

the grover rotomatics that were on my H-535 were nickel plated, so yes they had tarnished quite a bit. I ended up removing them and replacing them with new 18:1 rotomatics, though in retrospect I should have just pulled them, taken then apart, polished them up, put some lubrication on, and put them back on. A lot of the nickle parts on that guitar (schaller locking buttons, knurled ring around the pickup selector, output jack) had a lot of corrosion, probably from being in somewhere too wet for a lot of the time. It seems to have finally gotten used to a more "normal" level of humidity.

[DetroitBlues]

A simple, but messy way to clean up the tarnish on chrome is to use ketchup. Worked great on an old Kay banjo a co-worker got from her grandmother.