replacing guitar machine heads

Subject: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 09 Jun 19 - 02:46 PM

i bought one of the new yamaha transacoustics. the machine heads are rather sloppy, and yamaha corporation make great instruments - but they are unapproachable and i have found them unhelpful in the past.

so i need to get a luthier to change the machine heads.

does anyone know anything about them?

Any recommendations? The guitar is concert sized.

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 09 Jun 19 - 05:20 PM

Can’t be sure but they look like some sort of Grover Rotomatic clone. If so, you might find that attacking the knob screws with a screwdriver might do the trick. Failing that, sticking a set of real Rotomatics on isn’t exactly rocket science and all you need is ewdriver ans a spanner - they’re neld on by a nut and the body is prevented from turning with a screw. Just make sure you buy the right ones.

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 09 Jun 19 - 06:11 PM

I tried the screws on the machine heads
They won't tighten any further
I've changed machine heads before - and it looked rubbish. I'll get someone with proven ability

I need a set of replacement machine heads. Of course I've heard about Grovers, and Schallers - but I don't really know enough to know how to buy something that will definitely work

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Mooh
Date: 09 Jun 19 - 10:53 PM

Gotoh 510 is my current favourite, but there are lots of other options.

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 10 Jun 19 - 02:03 AM

I’m with Mooh on Gotoh 510 tuners - just replaced the Gotoh 381s on my new Lowden F-23 with a set of 510s and, good though the 381s are, those 510s are in a different league. The best tuners on the market at the moment, AFAIC.

Switching tuners is simple, provided you make sure that the new tuners have the exact same footprint as the old ones. Took me fifteen minutes to remove the 381s and fit the 510s. I moved the 381s to my ‘old’ Lowden O-25, On which a couple of the originals were beginning to feel ‘lumpy’ - took another 15 minutes to whip the old ones off and fit the 381s.

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Jun 19 - 02:06 AM

very nice. I've checked them out online - but may I ask which Gotoh 510 you have used. There seems to be lot of different kinds. The ones on stringsdirect are schallers, planet waves and sperzel.

Then there are cheaper ones called sonik.

I had a fender F85 in the 1970's with schaller heads that was very good. but I can't remember which model machine head.

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 10 Jun 19 - 02:21 AM

As I said, they look like Grover Rotomatic clones. Can you come up with a link to a photo of them? Yes, there are many tuners which will work fine but changing them may leave you with ghost marks from the originals and holes from the original screws. The beuty of the Roromatics is that they only have one screw hole. Fitting my last set of Rotomatics took no more than ten minutes. I got them mail order from Ivor Mairants

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 10 Jun 19 - 02:37 AM

Al, the 510s were bought from George Lowden Guitar Co., so they have the Lowden monogram on the back which, of course, you wouldn’t want. Here’s what they look like...

Lowden Monogrammed Gotoh 510 Tuners

I think identification of the tuners currently on your Yamaha is the key, so that you can find a replacement that will fit exactly. Yamaha must have a distributor in the UK- perhaps they can help? Otherwise, if you can’t get details, your original suggestion of talking to a luthier is a sound idea.

I’ve also replaced open-back Gotohs on my Martins with Waverlys but, as I said before, I always make sure that any replacement is a perfect drop-in fit before I start buggering about with them - saves a lot of effing and blinding! ;-)

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 10 Jun 19 - 07:33 AM

Al, not sure if this helps, but the attached thread from yamahamusicians.com seems to indicate that Grover 102s are a direct replacement for the Transacoustic, or Wilkinson WJ303GDs.

Can't comment on the quality of Grover 102s, maybe someone else will chime in...??

https://yamahamusicians.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10241

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Jun 19 - 09:01 AM

thanks BWM.

Strangely enough the Lowden ones have a 1;18 ratio, whereas the 5io's advertised on ebabay have a higher ratio. 1:21.

I'll look at the Grover ones you suggest. I always associate Grovers with those little rectangular buugers they used to put on Gibsons.

Thanks for your interest and help.

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 10 Jun 19 - 09:35 AM

You can get 510s in both ratios - buyer's choice I think - check out Allparts UK's website, the options on 510s seem endless! 21:1 seems very high to me!

Those little rectangular buggers were Klusons, weren't they?

Subject: RE: replacing guitar machine heads
From: GUEST,Geordie boy
Date: 11 Jun 19 - 04:36 PM

Gotoh 510's or Schallers. I have both (on different guitars...)
I found Grovers very unreliable and binned them.