Replacement metal tuner button pre war Rick Bakelite?

Gerald Ross · From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Where can I find a replacement metal tuning button for a pre war Rick Bakelite 6 string?

Is this repair possible or do I have to go
the plastic replacement button route?

Gerald Ross

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Gerald Ross
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Gerald,

When I purchased my vintage 7 string Rick, one of the buttons on the keys was missing. I, of course, was told this so I knew about it before hand. I did not see it as a problem.

Well was I ever wrong. Not only could I not find a button ANYwhere, but I could not find a replacement key strip either on the 3 side OR the 4 side, ANY where!!!

I searched music stores all over. Called dozens of places. NO luck. Still have not had any luck. 3 music dealers in Atlanta let me go through boxes galore with every conceivable key and/or keystrip imaginable in them. I struck out!! I hope you have more luck than I did.

Aparently the keys and keystrips that Richenbaker used back then were NON standard keys. Even though the name "Grover" is clearly stamped into the strip on mine.

I have tried everything with out any luck. OH sure there are solutions, but they ALL require some drilling into the bakelite, and this dude is NOT about to do it. NO way.

God bless you in your quest,

carl

Gerald Ross · From: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Thanks Carl. I do not own this guitar. Someone mentioned it to me and told me of this problem. Too bad, the guitar is in pretty good shape otherwise.

Just to clarify... the tuning shaft and gear are working fine. Its the metal tuning button (what your fingers turn when tuning)
this is missing.

Gerald Ross

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Gerald Ross
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 08 May 2001 at 01:56 PM.]

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Check with Frank Ford of Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, CA. He runs Frets.com, a valuable luthier resource. Through Frank I was able to find replacement tuners for my 1937 Dobro lap steel at a very reasonable price.
You're right, though - it's going to be very hard to find a replacement button. I assume you've checked places like Stewart-MacDonald already.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Jim Landers · From: Spokane, Wash.

Tundra Music Vintage Guitars in Toronto, Canada has a 35 Rickenbacher that is not much good for anything but parts. They were trying to sell the guitar on gbase.com with the disclaimer that the headstock had been broken and repaired very badly. I questioned them about the guitar and the owner said it really was'nt worth anything except parts. Their phone number is (416)222-8222. Good luck.

Jim

Harry Sheppard · From: Kalispell, MT USA

Carl,

You still haven't found tunning keys for that guitar?

As for the original question, which kind of tunning keys do you have? I have seen three different kinds on early bakelite guitars. The Grover strip tuners with chrome oval buttons, strip tuners with the cast butterbean style keys, or the six individual tuners with the cast butterbean keys. If you have the six individual tuners, you can make a set of the new Martin butterbean tuners work but you will have to enlarge the string post hole through the headstock about 1/32".

I have a 1937 Ric Silver Hawaiian which had the 6 individual cast tuners but one was broken off. Since I need to play the guitar, I sold the other five (which paid for the new keys and a good portion of the guitar) and bought a set of repro tunners from Stu-Mac. Be careful. Make sure the string post is long enough to go through the peghead. The peghead is thicker than a regular guitar. These were not tall enough and the string hole was not even sticking out of the top. I returned them and bought a set of the Martin keys (about $40). They are almost an exact fit except the the string post diameter is a little to big. I just reamed out the hole a little until they fit through. Not all of the mounting screw holes on the back fit right so I took a small, round needle file and elongated the holes in the tuners so they would match the original screw holes in the peghead. They were close enough so the original screw heads cover the elongated holes. They look perfect and close enough to the originals that it is very hard to notice (except they say Martin on them). Best of all, the guitar is easy to tune and always stays in tune.

If you have either of the strip tunners, your pretty much out of luck.

Harry

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Harry,

Thanks for your detailed response.

My '37, 7 string Rick has the chrome buttons that look just like butter beans. One is missing from the shaft completely.

The other one (other side) is bent badly. The shaft is bent that is.

The problem I am having is we are talking about a 3 strip and a 4 strip. Simply unheard of any more. NO body has a matching set. NO body.

You are correct about the thickness of the Rick key head. It is too thick for most posts.

Here is another anamoly. On the four keystrip, the spacing is NOT the same betweem each post.

So when Rick had these made EITHER the key strip was made to fit the guitar or the guitar was made to fit the keystrip. I don't believe we will ever know which one.

One thing is for sure. It is impossible to buy a set any where in the world as far as I am able to determine.

Again there are many things I can do and I will do it. But it just kills me to have to drill a hole or enlarge a hole. I know I am going to have to, but I sure don't want to.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

God bless you,

carl

Kenny Dail · From: Kinston, N.C. R.I.P.

Carl, I have an old ('3 Cool

with the button missing on one of the keys. I also failed in the search for a matching key and failed. I found a key with a plastic button that was close but not exact in appearance and took my soldering iron and used it as a "sweating iron" and heated the shaft which caused the plastic button to soften up so it could be removed from the shaft and whiled the plastic was still warm and pliable, I put it on the Rick that I needed a key for. As it cooled down the fit was solid and I was able to tune the string in question...although it didn't match, I found it completely functional. I chose this as a remedy instead of drilling and trying to replace the whole set of keys. Someday I hope to find a Rick that is trashed and I will perhaps have the key needed. Hope this will assist you as a temporary solution until you find what you need.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

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