Wanted: Guitar Machine Heads for Ukulele

[John Maddison]

G'day all

Suggestions wanted for relatively small, light-weight four-in-line guitar machine heads for a commission build of a 14-fret-to-body Tenor ukulele. The cient is a 'Fender Freak' so thinking of building him a similar style headstock. I normally use Stewmac's affordable Grover 2-up/2-down tuners but don't necessarily want to bust up two whole sets to make up the four tuners required. And Google draws a blank in terms of conventional ukulele tuners being available for this style of construction.

Chuck Moore uses Grover machine heads on his "Mermaid" and "Dual Puka Cutaway" models but doesn't give specific model numbers on his Gallery Page.

Any suggestions? Does anyone recognise those Grovers in the gallery?

Aussie supplier preferred but while the $AUD is good then am happy to buy off-shore.

Cheers & thanks

[J.F. Custom]

Hi John.

I can't say for certainty what Chuck Moore uses, but to me they look like the standard Grover Rotomatic Minis such as these -

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guit ... -Line.html

They are available in a six a side set - two spare or two sets for three ukes. Otherwise, you could always look at Pegheds (or planetary tuners) as an option for light weight and versatility in headstock shape and arrangement. They are available individually I believe.

Gotoh also do an ultra small and light machine head, these here -

http://luthierssupplies.com.au/product_ ... ts_id=1524

Not a cheap option though and no six a side as far as I know.

I'm not aware of any manufacturer doing four a side sets for uke's, but have not really looked before.

Some Schertler's might be an option?

Anyway, hope that helps.

Jeremy.

[David Aumann]

Hello John,

Here's a pic of a uke I was asked to make a couple of years ago. From memory, I just used lightweight Gotoh Telecaster tuners, of the quick loading variety with a slot in the tuner post where a hole shoud be. (Never did work out why they call them quick loaders!)

Cheers, David.

[David Aumann]

Sorry, I shouldn't write twice in a row. But I just found a picture of the back of that uke, which was also commissioned with a Fender-esque headstock. And yes, I've used four of the six Gotoh tele heads (or maybe they're Grovers) Either way, they fit alright but I think the peghead was made a little thicker so they didn't stick through too much.

Cheers, David.

[jeffhigh]

If you go away from specific ukulele tuners, you need to take account of the greater post length on guitar tuners.
With the thinner headstock on a uke and the thinner fretboad it will be very easy to lose all string break angle over the nut.
Whilst you can design around this to some extent, it may be better just to get the two sets of the Grovers.

[graham mcdonald]

Try an email to Hana Lima in Hawaii. They have a range of Gotoh tuners and may be able to find four left handed ones for you. I have been buying two sets of uke tuners for bouzoukis for a while and they seem like very nice people to do business with.

Cheers

Graham

[J.F. Custom]

Jeff makes a good point on headstock thickness and consideration in design.

It is not something I was thinking of when you enquired into small and light tuners and what Chuck Moore may have used on those instruments. I still think Chuck has used standard mini guitar tuners but all in all, there is no silver bullet as you are searching for I am aware of.

Given the nature of having to break up other sets anyway, perhaps it makes sense to simply get the two uke sets and wear it. You never know, your next order may be for a Fender headed lefty!

I too have dealt with Hana Lima as I believe many on here have and they have been fast and easy to deal with.

Of course, Nick could probably always engineer you a set...

Good luck.

Jeremy.

[John Maddison]

Thank you all for the offers of advice; very much appreciated. Also to those good people who have PM'd on the topic.

Have had a follow-up thought, given a mando and a uke have similar fingerboard widths within a few mm at the nut, to score a strip of four mandolin tuners for the build, i.e. buy just the 'up' side set ... any thoughts? would the spacing between posts be either too small, or too large, for a tenor uke ... or are mando tuner posts way too long?

(Idea came from looking at that pic of the back of David's uke headstock .... looks as though the tuners are all joined as one strip).

Cheers