Like a new guitar...

[75lespaul]

My old 79 or 80 Epiphone Genesis has been really terrible at staying in tune, especially the G string. One bend and it was down nearly a whole note. Don't know why, but I got a bug up my %@# about it and slapped some Grovers on it that were on an Epi 1960 tribute. Holy smokes, the old tuners were Pings, and when I pulled them out the stems rocked back and forth like a metronome, lol. Installed the Grovers, did a few bends after tightening the strings and the guitar stays in tune beautifully, and I really stretched some of those bends. Now for something like a C8 for the bridge because the Super D I have in there sounds a little loose and fuzzy.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Like a new guitar...

I love it when I finally figure out what one thing is causing a guitar to act stupid... it’s like the heavens open up and the angels start singing! [emoji12]

Seriously, congrats!

 

[Plessure]

Re: Like a new guitar...

I love it when I finally figure out what one thing is causing a guitar to act stupid... it’s like the heavens open up and the angels start singing! [emoji12]

Seriously, congrats!

Yeah, it's like when i found rotting remnants of chicken in my oven. "That's it!"

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Like a new guitar...

LOL!

 

[NotCardio]

Re: Like a new guitar...

It's amazing how often, though, that it's because the strings are binding in the nut. I like it when that happens because it's usually such a cheap fix.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Like a new guitar...

I just love figuring something like that out on my own, rather than taking it somewhere. Sometimes an hour or two just poking around can really pay off. Congrats.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Like a new guitar...

My congrats as well.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Like a new guitar...

Grovers are great. I'd much rather have Grovers than Sperzels, personally. They're much cheaper too.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Like a new guitar...

Congrats on your "renewed" guitar!!!

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Like a new guitar...

Grovers are also my favorite..... especially the ones with the internal locking cam (106 series). All of the Dean Hardtail's that I'm keeping (3) have locking Grovers. I would prefer them on my Les Paul, but it was already drilled for Kluson's and if you replace them with Grovers it leaves an exposed screw hole above the new Grover. I don't like the look of that. I do like the 18:1 gear ratio of the Grover vs. the 15:1 of the locking Kluson's that I put on. It makes fine tuning even more precise.

The only tuner I like better is the Gotoh 510 locking tuners on my Taylor acoustic. I had to order from Japan to get the locking version in antique gold (without the locking knob on the back), but it was worth the 8 week wait.

Hopefully you're still loving the new tuning stability.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Like a new guitar...

I used to like Grovers. I'm passing on them in the future unless nothing else will drop in. Maybe it's just the "common" Rotomatics, but I'm not thrilled with the Rotomatics on two of my more recent Guitars. Most of my older imports have them as well and they are perfectly fine. Maybe it's just bad luck but I worry that quality or QC is slacking.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Like a new guitar...

Hmmm, that is a bit disconcerting, given that you've had it happen on 2 different guitars. The USA Dean Hardtail's come standard with Grovers, but not the locking model. I will say that when I bought my spalted maple Hardtail the tuners on it were wobbly and I didn't feel they were stable. I hadn't run into that before, but I sort of wrote it off to the prior owners poor treatment of the guitar, since other things on it were pretty rough as well. The tuners were 12 years old when I received the guitar, but with normal treatment they should last a lifetime.

All of us make decisions based on personal experiences, and I can understand where you are coming from. I've had nothing but great luck with the 106 model, but that's hardly an adequate sample. The good thing is there are plenty of great quality tuners, locking and otherwise, on the market today.

What brand will you look to go with as an alternative?

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Like a new guitar...

Hmmm, that is a bit disconcerting, given that you've had it happen on 2 different guitars. The USA Dean Hardtail's come standard with Grovers, but not the locking model. I will say that when I bought my spalted maple Hardtail the tuners on it were wobbly and I didn't feel they were stable. I hadn't run into that before, but I sort of wrote it off to the prior owners poor treatment of the guitar, since other things on it were pretty rough as well. The tuners were 12 years old when I received the guitar, but with normal treatment they should last a lifetime.

All of us make decisions based on personal experiences, and I can understand where you are coming from. I've had nothing but great luck with the 106 model, but that's hardly an adequate sample. The good thing is there are plenty of great quality tuners, locking and otherwise, on the market today.

What brand will you look to go with as an alternative?

I don't have a big sample size to draw from in the recent past. I think that most of my asian imports have Grover rotomatics and that's what they came stock with. All but one of them is over 10 years old. They are all fine. I have a 2013 LP Tribute that has Rotomatics, stock. Two of the machines are sloppy but one in particular is really a problem. It's going to have to be replaced. Besides that, I have an import that I got maybe 3 years ago with the mini rotomatics. A couple of those machines are sloppy but work well enough not to need replacement. Besides, it doesn't get played much.
I replaced a stock set of no-names on a cheap import a couple years back with a set of Gotoh SG series that dropped right in. Those are surprisingly nice and they weren't but 30 bucks or so. One set is a small sample size but in terms of the lower cost series of the brand names, I'd probably look to Gotoh before Grover just because of my recent experiences. I cant speak to any of the more expensive Grovers, or the locking Grovers. I don't upgrade machines that don't need replacing and I don't automatically go to locking machines. I've been fine with the machines that my guitars have come with, including the Grovers on the older guitars. It's just the those two recent guitars that have me put off a bit on the Rotomatics.