Machine Head Replacement
Machine Heads A.K.A. - Tuners, Tuning Machines, Pegs...

Replacing Guitar Tuners / Machine Heads- Machine heads (tuners) are most often replaced to upgrade to a nicer tuner or replace older worn out ones. Generally speaking, if you can find retrofitting replacements for your instrument this is normally a simple procedure (a screw driver and nut socket). I try to keep a good selection of the most popular tuners in stock for in house repairs. There are times when you must have the instrument and tuners in hand to determine which replacement tuners will make a suitable replacement.
Those who wish to or must replace their tuners with a different style or brand may find that modifications are necessary for a proper fit. Such modifications may include: enlargement of peghead holes to accommodate for a post or bushing size, filling and touch up of screw holes that are no longer used by the new tuners, filling and recutting of peghead holes to accommodate for different spacing (this only applies to tuners mounted together on a plate). Care should be taken to avoid chipping the finish or peghead veneer.
When dealing with vintage instruments it is highly advisable to seek a retrofitting replacement so that no changes are made if possible.

My instrument won't stay in tune, are the tuners at fault? More Info

Shrunken Heads = Tuners with shrinking buttons

What brand of tuner is best? That's tough to say as the quality of some brands has improved while others have declined. And some companies may have one style that is superior to others while one of their other models is not the best. Gear ratio is an important factor when trying to choose between multiple choices...the gear ratio indicates how many times the tuners button is rotated 360° to one turn of the tuners post...so obviously a high quality tuner with a 16:1 ratio is better than a 12:1 ratio has it has much finer adjustments allowing us to slowly dial in the tuning without overshooting so easily.

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