Stiff Tuners!!!!

Shadi · #1 07-21-2010, 09:31 PM

Help!! My 1968 Telecaster Bass's paddle tuners are becoming more and more stiff. I changed the strings last weekend, and it was literally painful to turn them! I took them off of the bass, thinking the gears just needed some lubrication, but the actual shaft is tight at its hinge points. I'm not sure what to do. I do not want to change the tuners because the paddle tuners are original to the bass, and frankly look cool.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Shadi

Jim Carr · #2 07-21-2010, 09:44 PM

Look carefully and determine that the shafts have not been bent due to it being dropped or falling off a stand, etc.

Assuming that is not the case, check for any sign of contamination (grit, coal dust, etc.?). How about corrosion? It is pretty humid a lot of the year where you are, could it be from corroded strings or from the tuner body corroding?

These are nickel steel plated, IIRC. Has the plating lifted? A few pics would help.

M0ses · #3 07-21-2010, 09:48 PM

Maybe it's stupid, but on some tuners you can adjust a screw on them to change that.

T-Bird · #4 07-21-2010, 11:14 PM

Hi.

The tuners can be dismantled completely, and they also require that from time to time if the playing/storing conditions allow either dirt or humidity to get between the parts.

Usually in some point in time, someone has lubricated the post bearing surfaces with incorrect lubricant that carries dirt in there, dry lubricants are therefore the best IME.

If You don't have one, buy exactly correct phillips-head screwdriver, the material is relatively soft and gets dinged pretty easily. A small price to pay for non-rounded slots.

There's only a handful of parts, but do take the tuners apart one at a time and pay attention to the orientation of the plate spring (pushes the worm into the slots) and if the wheel is offset-cut, make sure that You assemble it the same way around. Unless the gear assembly is badly worn, then You can reduce the slack a bit by flipping it around. The teeth contact obviously becomes less than ideal though so it's a temporary fix.

Regards
Sam