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I just put this 000 together and the customer wanted banjo tuners. I've never tried them before but I really like the vintage vibe it gives this guitar. I also happen to like the 4:1 ratio. Tuning is so quick, mount the string, twist a few turns and you are right up. It is slightly finicky when you are getting close to pitch and so we got to wondering if anyone out there makes a banjo tuner with a more user friendly ratio for guitar? These ones are Waverly's.

The Klusons that Epiphone put on the Bonamassa Firebird I work pretty well for me. Ratio is a bit quick but nothing like 4 to 1 I believe.


Pierre

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Pierre Castonguay

Waverlys are quite a bit smoother, but a bit heavier too, which could lead the a headstock heavy guitar.

These are finally available:

https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/product ... idal-tuner

cheers

I just checked because obviously the Firebird's are 6-in-line, but Kluson also has them in 2-a-side for (you guessed it) banjos, and they can be bought separately so you can compose yourself a full set.

https://www.kluson.com/kluson-2-per-sid ... tails.html

They have a 12:1 ratio.

Pierre

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Pierre Castonguay

jf-

Beautiful guitar and the tuners look great. Most of the early OM's that came with them have been changed because of the gear ratios.

My daughter's shop just took in a 1931 OM where the owner had found the Gryphon/Rickard 10:1 banjo tuners. He brought her the first picture below of an early OM with the new tuners, so she ordered the set, took off the open tuners that were on it and put on the banjo tuners. The second and third picture are the reliced 10:1 tuners (boy were they expensive). I was so impressed with them that I bought a (cheaper, non-reliced) set to use on a Stauffer head Double 0 that I am just starting. Very smooth and, yes, pretty heavy.

Ed

Perfect! Thanks that's what I was looking for. And I said the guitar I finished is an 000 but it's really an OM, always get those confused. The Kluson ones are different but still cool looking but I like the round one's better at least for now. They are bit more expensive then the Waverly's but they have that ratio.

Whenever I hear about banjo tuners on an acoustic guitar I'm reminded of this video...

https://youtu.be/fbYnKiuWozs

About a minute in he starts using the banjo tuners.

Uggg what is he doing to that poor guitar?

So there ya have it, banjo tuners are a functional part of the instrument.

No confusion. An OM is a 14 fret 000 size guitar with a long scale. There have been 000's with a long scale (in particular, 12 fretters, early 1934, and recent issues), but historically, the 14 fret 000 is short scale.

I haven't tried the Rickards yet, but for planetary 4:1 tuners, I much prefer Gotoh over Waverly. Not only are they lighter, smoother, and easier to maintain proper tension, but they are way cheaper.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

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John

Good to know, thanks.

Ok so then yes this one is the long scale 14 fret 000 which makes it an OM.