Loose Tuner Bushings

[guitarzan13]

I mentioned my issue in a post in another thread. I feel that I should have started another thread. So.... I have a Fender Deluxe Nashville Tele. I removed the original vintage tuners and bushings and moved them to another guitar a few weeks ago. Now to get her up and running, I bought some Wilkinson tuners from GFS...

These... (link removed)

The tuners look good but the bushings are loose.... Is there a method of resolving this issue or do I need to send them back?? Is this a common problem that you guys run into?

Thanks in advance! Chris

 

[leebman]

It depends how loose. A little loose sum tape wrapped round and push them back in. Very loose may be try a set of conversion bushings that are wider.

 

[mellecaster]

Chris...I would imagine your Nashville came stock w/ Ping Vintage Tuners...the grommets used w/them are larger in OD than Gotoh and many other Kluson style Tuners (as you have found out)...sometimes you can cut short pieces of Heatshrink tubing to place on the bushings, and hit w/ a flame to take up the difference...the operative word being...Sometimes.....

 

[buddywayne]

GFS has oversized bushings.

 

[mellecaster]

GFS has oversized bushings.

True....but not for what he wants....they are for Modern 10mm 3/8" conversion.

 

[boris bubbanov]

Mellecaster is right, the Ping stock bushes are an oddball outer diameter size.

My solution is to buy Gotoh split shaft tuners and the 10mm/38ths conversion bushes, then rebore the headstock to the 10mm size with a good reamer. Do not use anything but the best sharpest reamer because it has to cut thru the poly and if the cutting edges are dull, you will delaminate or chip the poly off the headstock face. I did that on my MIM Esquire. :^(

My attitude is, of you're gonna fool with the tuners, go for top quality like the CS guitars have - or leave them alone.

**

Another possibility is to use the same concept I used to sleeve out Gotoh and yes Ping tuner bushes with brass sleeving from K + S metals (Chicago, IL) which is available in many hobby stores. Relieve the inside of the tubing with the reamer, drive the bush into the tubing then cut it to length with a small tubing cutter. I used sizes # 137 and # 138 I think, I just relieved the inside of the inner tubing a lot more to make the stock Ping bush fit (I then gave the Ping tunered guitars away to friends; the Pings were take-offs from the MIM guitars).

Hadn't done this with Wilkinsons - I like the Pings better than them.

 

[guitarzan13]

Cool!

It depends how loose. A little loose sum tape wrapped round and push them back in.

Thanks Leebman.... I tried this at lunch....I wrapped 2 rounds of teflon tape around each and now they fit like a glove!!! Nice and snug! You just have to be careful not to put too much or it squashes out between the bushings and the face of the headstock. Super Idea!!!! No glue, no mods, just a lil teflon tape

 

[Stylemaster]

Thanks Leebman.... I tried this at lunch....I wrapped 2 rounds of teflon tape around each and now they fit like a glove!!! Nice and snug! You just have to be careful not to put too much or it squashes out between the bushings and the face of the headstock. Super Idea!!!! No glue, no mods, just a lil teflon tape

Teflon tape! What a brilliant idea! Thank you. This should be a stickie....:!:

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