Tuners for 10.5mm tuner holes?

I am restoring the remains of a much-used/abused '56 Tele to playing shape. Among other crimes committed by one or more former owners, at some point the tuner holes were enlarged to 10.5mm. (See the attached image for what's left of this headstock after multiple tuner replacements over the years. If this neck didn't feel so good, I'd give up on it.)

I've been able to determine that over the years Fender has used at least three different tuner hole sizes (1/4", 3/8" (10mm), and 10.5mm). I know which tuners go with 1/4" or 3/8" holes, but what tuners did Fender use when they bored 10.5mm holes in their Tele necks?

Thanks.

CJ ...I don't have a direct answer to your tuner question , but I can tell you that you can put a set of bushings in there which will give you an option to put lots of different tuners in it . Plug the holes that are left showing with a match stick etc used as a dowel .

CJ ...I don't have a direct answer to your tuner question , but I can tell you that you can put a set of bushings in there which will give you an option to put lots of different tuners in it . Plug the holes that are left showing with a match stick etc used as a dowel .

Sorry...but I sure wouldn't be using Matchsticks on that fine old piece of Fender History....you need to find you a Skilled Furniture Restorer, who can cut and install Maple Plugs w/ the correct Grain orientation to make it as nice as possible...or at least I would look into the possibility....?

If he wants a full restoration , then obviously a skilled luthier is the way to go .
I didn't notice it was a 56 , but to be fair , i've used matchsticks to great effect dowelling holes before , which was why I suggested it .

Yes , go with a proper restoration if it's vintage .

You can use conversion bushings and whatever kluson style tuners you like best. I'd leave the unused holes alone. It might change the tone of the neck... ;) Have fun with your restoration

If you are quite certain about that 10.5 mm dimension, that is unfortunately the same as most Squiers made now. And none of the bushings for the Gotoh "klusons" will fit as they are.

You're gonna need a substantial bushing. I make my own adapters out of sizes 135 and 136 brass tube stock, from K + S metals, Chicago, Illinois. One size fits inside the other, and short lengths of tubing are an interference fit over the stock bushings on Gotoh 'klusons'. If your bores are really 10.5 mm, this combo will fit with bare resistance inside those bores and maybe stiffen up what little wood you still have there. From there the Gotoh machines will mount right up - no further disfiguring what's left of the neck, they'll be as authentic as any tuner you can find, and they'll work great. They're light, as well.

You can use conversion bushings and whatever kluson style tuners you like best. I'd leave the unused holes alone. It might change the tone of the neck... ;) Have fun with your restoration

+1, conversion bushings are cheap and you can use Klusons on there :wink:

I am restoring the remains of a much-used/abused '56 Tele to playing shape. Among other crimes committed by one or more former owners, at some point the tuner holes were enlarged to 10.5mm. (See the attached image for what's left of this headstock after multiple tuner replacements over the years. If this neck didn't feel so good, I'd give up on it.)


I've been able to determine that over the years Fender has used at least three different tuner hole sizes (1/4", 3/8" (10mm), and 10.5mm). I know which tuners go with 1/4" or 3/8" holes, but what tuners did Fender use when they bored 10.5mm holes in their Tele necks?

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-tech/12813d1215131317t-tuners-10-5mm-tuner-holes-tuner-holes-jpg

Thanks.

I have a similar restore project at hand, sans the 10,5 mm holes.
It's a '68 Tele and belongs to a friend though.
makes me wonder if it had the same owner :wink:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b237/open-g/Tele%20Projekt/Headstockback-1.jpg (http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b237/open-g/Tele%20Projekt/Headstockback-1.jpg)

I have a similar restore project at hand, sans the 10,5 mm holes.
It's a '68 Tele and belongs to a friend though.
makes me wonder if it had the same owner :wink:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b237/open-g/Tele%20Projekt/Headstockback-1.jpg (http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b237/open-g/Tele%20Projekt/Headstockback-1.jpg)


hehehe :smile:

That one has had at least 4 different types of tuners... Jesus... :!: I've mistreated my nineties US tele (still has a cheapo screw driven into the wood that I can't prod out since the tip broke... that's for trying to save some cents on tuners and cheap screws.. silly!) but I'd NEVER do that to a vintage Tele !!!

Alamo: maybe not the same owner, but our two headstocks do definitely reflect changing attitudes toward vintage instruments. Thirty+ years ago people pretty much did what they liked with their guitars, which is OK, but the results sure are sad to see today.

I probably will go with a set of conversion bushings, and a set of 70's style "F" tuners, which as you can see already have holes ready for them on my headstock. :-)

Thanks for all the replies. This site is great!

Why would you want to install 70's style "F" tuners?
they don't have a split shaft (I think) and they aren't historical correct for a '56 Tele. "F" tuners showed up around 1967.
The none brand stamped Kluson tuners would be the correct ones and the bored holes are already there too.

I should actually install 70's style "F" tuners on the neck I have - but my friend and I want the split shaft Klusons.
which means to bore another set of holes.

Why would you want to install 70's style "F" tuners?
they don't have a split shaft (I think) and they aren't historical correct for a '56 Tele. "F" tuners showed up around 1967.
The none brand stamped Kluson tuners would be the correct ones and the bored holes are already there too.

I should actually install 70's style "F" tuners on the neck I have - but my friend and I want the split shaft Klusons.
which means to bore another set of holes.

The 70's "F" tuners did have split shafts. At least the original ones on my 73-ish Tele Custom do :shock:

http://i.pbase.com/g4/54/506654/2/90907010.n9s2bUGP.jpg

Why would you want to install 70's style "F" tuners?
they don't have a split shaft (I think) and they aren't historical correct for a '56 Tele. "F" tuners showed up around 1967.
The none brand stamped Kluson tuners would be the correct ones and the bored holes are already there too.

I should actually install 70's style "F" tuners on the neck I have - but my friend and I want the split shaft Klusons.
which means to bore another set of holes.
Well, like I said, I'm restoring this to playing shape, not to original condition. I want to use Fender parts where I can, but I don't have the budget to get it back to all-'56 stock parts. Since it's not really collectable anyway, I figured I'd use 70's style F tuners (which have apparently lived on this neck once before) since they'd at least cover up most of the extra holes on the headstock. I like the look of 'em, too.

Well you can get brand new "Vintage Style Tuning Keys" for 30 to 45 $...

but to cover up the extra holes and liking the the look of 'em is a good reason to do so.


The 70's "F" tuners did have split shafts. At least the original ones on my 73-ish Tele Custom do :shock:

ah, thanks Kevin, for the information - I was assuming this b/c I have a set of Schaller tuners with the same rhomb housing - sans the split shaft.

I probably will go with a set of conversion bushings, and a set of 70's style "F" tuners, which as you can see already have holes ready for them on my headstock

And you already have holes for Kluson style tuners. I'd go with conversion bushings and Kluson style.

......http://www.tdpri.com/forum/attachments/tele-tech/12813d1215131317t-tuners-10-5mm-tuner-holes-tuner-holes-jpg

Late '60s-'70s tuners on a '50s Telecaster ........... what's that all about?

Well, like I said, I'm restoring this to playing shape, not to original condition.

Why not original condition? How about some pictures?

> And you already have holes for Kluson style tuners. I'd go with conversion bushings and Kluson style.

Yeah, but part of the difference here is that I can afford vintage Fender "F" tuners (<$100), but not vintage Klusons (>$500). Since the guitar isn't in collectible condition, I'd rather go with old Fender parts where I can, even if they aren't 100% period-correct.

> Late '60s-'70s tuners on a '50s Telecaster ........... what's that all about?

Somebody thought it was a good idea, at some point! ;-)

> Why not original condition? How about some pictures?

It's in pieces at the moment, but basically I have the original neck (including plate, which is why I was able to determine it was a '56 originally), pickups, control plate, incl. pots, switch + tip, and one original cap (one died 20+ years ago), some of the original screws. The original body was refinished, modified (into a double cutaway!), "repaired", stripped again, and painted purple when I bought it in '82. I gave away that body, which I regret, but it was in really bad shape. The bridge, which I still have, was modified, too... but more on that in another post sometime.

I could go on for along time about the horrible things that have happened to this poor guitar, but, in short, I have no pictures at the moment. :-)

You might want to check the tuner spacing for the F tuners. In the past, some in this forum have tried to put F tuners on a neck drilled for Kluson tuners and they wouldn't line up straight. Don't know if the Fs were originals or reissues. Fender Japan didn't put repro F tuners on their 69 Thinline for that reason or their early Rosewoods for that reason.

It sounds like you may not have seen the neck with the F tuners on it.

> It sounds like you may not have seen the neck with the F tuners on it.

F-style were what was on the guitar when I bought it, and they seemed to line up OK. Looking at the neck now, the screw holes appear to line up acceptably.

I've had inexpensive Kluson-style replacements on the neck since the 80's, and you guys have almost talked me into just putting those back on. :-)

I'd love to track down an old set of Klusons, but they are spendy.

If it was me , I'd simply put new Klusons on it .
I bought a nickel set a few years ago for about 25 quid which are about 5/8 of an inch wide , though you'll definitely need bushings . Guitar fettish do oversized ones if you can't get a perfect fit .

I had to get a set of 10.5mm bushings for one of my Strat necks so I could fit the Gotoh staggered height Kluson-a-likes. I think the company I got them from was call Pig Iron but I cannot be sure

I had to get a set of 10.5mm bushings for one of my Strat necks so I could fit the Gotoh staggered height Kluson-a-likes. I think the company I got them from was call Pig Iron but I cannot be sure
Stew-Mac has some 10.5mm conversion bushings, too, apparently added recently. I've ordered some of those, so hopefully they'll fit the bill. It's a bit of a crapshoot since the tuner holes on my Tele neck were enlarged by an ambitious amateur with tools, time, but not much skill. :-\

I would plug the extra holes with maple dowells, and I would plug the peg holes with maple dowells also if you cant get the right size conversion bushings.

This is just my opinion and at my age it's not so humble. Looks like you'll be assembling some vintage '50s parts into and onto a new body. I would go for the look of a '50s Telecaster rather than the look of a '60s-'70s partscaster.

You're going to have a partscaster so I see no reason for original tuners from any era. You can get Gotoh Kluson style for $28 from Warmoth. You can probably get a new set of Kluson brand tuners for a little more.

Kluson name brands are 50$ off the Kluson site, or 65$ for black or 75$ for gold.

Stew-Mac has some 10.5mm conversion bushings, too, apparently added recently. I've ordered some of those, so hopefully they'll fit the bill. It's a bit of a crapshoot since the tuner holes on my Tele neck were enlarged by an ambitious amateur with tools, time, but not much skill. :-\

Love to hear how those work out. They do have a new listing, but I haven't determined for how they look or fit, and which "kluson' copy version they match with.
The Ping size shaft is 13/64ths by my measure. The Gotoh "kluson" shaft appears to be a little under 15/64ths.

I agree with Jack. If the whole guitar is not comprised of vintage, a $ 500 set of genuine old klusons for a working guitar seems out of place.

> Looks like you'll be assembling some vintage '50s parts into and onto a new body.

Maybe not new, definitely a Fender. If I do get new, it'll probably be one of the many '52 RI Fender bodies, so it's at least the right size, has the right routes, and is made of Ash.

> I would go for the look of a '50s Telecaster rather than the look of a '60s-'70s partscaster.

We'll see. I do like the F tuners, but you are correct that Klusons would look more period-appropriate.

> You're going to have a partscaster so I see no reason for original tuners from any era.

I want to do it up with all Fender parts, so older Fender tuners are what I want to track down, as budget and availability allows. We'll see how the Stewmac bushings work out first: if they do, I'll have a lot of options.

> Love to hear how those work out.

I should have them in a few days. I'll post results here!

A new set of single line branded Klusons can be had for $35 from ..........

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Kluson-SINGLE-LINE-Tuners-6-inline-METAL-Btn-Nickel_W0QQitemZ150264998593QQihZ005QQcategoryZ414 34QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

......plus shipping of course. Not exactly correct for '56 but very close. Just say it's a '57. Add some scratches and a little corrosion and these would look like originals.

......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/New%20Album/kluson.jpg

> A new set of single line branded Klusons can be had for $35 from ..........

OK, OK, You talked me into it. I bought 'em. :-)

> Love to hear how those work out.

I've rec'd the 10.5mm StewMac bushings. They are perfect: the old (but not original) bushings I had in this neck rattled around and had to be held in place wrapped with tape or whatever. The new ones were a tight fit, but with a few careful raps with a rubber mallet they slid into the tuner holes snugly. Very snugly, i.e. they are never coming back out of this neck! Now, however, Klusons fit very nicely.

As often stated by Me....We Love Happy Endings (when stuff fits).....:grin: