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Topic: national new yorker tuning heads ? |
Christiaan van der Vyver
From:
Melbourne, Australia
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 Posted 20 Jul 2010 9:39 pm |
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hi! finally got my 1939 national new yorker restored, just thinking i might have to replace the 6th and 4th string tuning heads, which unfortunately means all of them! does anyone (no chance i know) have any vintage klusons lying around. i've heard bad things about the new klusons, and the pre-war replica tuners on stew mac are nice but the wrong colour. i like the gotohs on my gretsch but don't think they ones with the right look? correct me perhaps?
also, where does one find a male amphenol connector to replace the old one i have on mine which is a bit dodgy?
thanks,
chris |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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| Posted 21 Jul 2010 2:01 pm |
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What have you heard about the new Kluson tuners? I haven't heard of any problems.
StewMac tuner buttons come in five colors - which is the closest to what you already have?
Replacement tuner buttons from StewMac may be aged by seeping in strong tea (Marmite might work as well - just kidding).
I don't know where you'd find the male Switchcraft/Amphenol connector. They're obsolete, replaced by the far more reliable input jacks used nowadays. I went the easier route and installed a new standard guitar input jack on my New Yorker. I'd rather have something that works than something that doesn't.
_________________
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Rich Hlaves
From:
Wildomar, California, USA
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| Posted 21 Jul 2010 4:31 pm |
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There is little that can go wrong on the male end of a screw on amphenol connector. Sometimes the solder "dot" in the middle will wear down and begin making a poor connection. A new glob of solder usually fixes them right up. The mounting nut inside the body can also be a bit loose and cause a loss of or weak ground.
My '47 New Yorker has black buttons, easy to match. I'm not sure what is wrong with your tuners but some times the screw gets loose in the center of the large gear. If the splines or double "D" slot has not been damaged they can often be tighened up a bit and the threads on the screw locked with a drop of Locktite.
If the tuner strips do indeed need to be replaced the buttons could be changed to match as Brad mentioned. The machines themselves I would think are covered by those cool National dust covers and would not be easily seen on a player instrument.
Just my $0.02
_________________
On man....let the smoke out of another one. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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| Posted 23 Jul 2010 1:12 pm |
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| Gotta pic? I've got a small drawer full of tuning machines. Some quite old. |
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Christiaan van der Vyver
From:
Melbourne, Australia
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| Posted 25 Jul 2010 9:42 pm tuning heads |
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| hey guys thanks for all the replies, i will check out the fix-up suggestions for the male amphenol connector thanks for that. my tuning heads are silver/metal whatever you want to call them, and i would need the whole mechanism replaced, not just the button, which would you suggest then? stew mac? i will post a photo when i get home tonight...and thanks for the vegemite/marmite suggestion ..i'll stick with tea;)! |
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Rich Hlaves
From:
Wildomar, California, USA
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| Posted 25 Jul 2010 10:21 pm |
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Really need a pic to suggest replacements.
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On man....let the smoke out of another one. |
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Christiaan van der Vyver
From:
Melbourne, Australia
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| Posted 28 Jul 2010 5:05 am national new yorker tuning heads |
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here's a picture of the tuning heads, thanks for any info!
chris
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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| Posted 28 Jul 2010 5:14 am |
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Brad said;
"I don't know where you'd find the male Switchcraft/Amphenol connector. "
I'm sure I heard that some company makes a "patch" cord with that fitting on one end, and a female 1/4" jack on the other, so you can plug a regular guitar chord into it.
......Chris, sorry! No got!...... |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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| Posted 28 Jul 2010 8:11 am |
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These tuners from Stewart-MacDonald are probably as close as you'll get for replacements, unless you can somehow find some in a box of parts at a local vintage guitar store.
It's a question of being historically correct vs. working. Do you want a museum piece, or are you going to play it?
_________________
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Christiaan van der Vyver
From:
Melbourne, Australia
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| Posted 29 Jul 2010 8:17 pm tuning heads for new yorker |
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| thanks for your replies. i like the stewmac pre-WWII repro tuners, but they're only available in black and white...oh well, guess i'll go with them as the rest of the mechanism looks good. i have the adaptor you guys are talking of, but i was actually looking for the male part that this adaptor screws onto, do you know what i mean? thanks again, chris |
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