Colored tuning nuts?

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Does anyone sell colored tuning nuts to help identify them easier?

Dennis Montgomery · From: Western Washington

Why not just get a few different color permanent sharpies and DIY Wink

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

I thought about that.... But I'd like to have something more presentable. If there's any interest in truly colored nylon tuners, I might make them. Dyes are expensive and it's a bit of a process, but I don't like fidgeting around for the right tuner. It'd be nice to have them color-coded for each pedal or knee lever.

I created a poll to gauge interest.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Dennis Montgomery · From: Western Washington

Just noticed the poll and voted Yes. My Mullen 12 string 7x4 should arrive soon and I think I just might have to break out the sharpies Smile

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Personally, I wouldn't want them color coded according to lever and pedal, but it would be a really good idea where you have multiple raises or lowers on the same string. Also on unusual or infrequent used ones, say like a split rod tuner.

For people like me that have really loaded up guitars, or Universal tunings, the ability to positively identify a tuner quickly would be nice.

Probably 3 colors would be enough...I think anything more would be confusing.

Just as examples, black for a split rod tuning, red for one of multiple changes such as on the 4th, 5th string raises, and maybe the gray for multiple lowers etc.....or however the player would like to customize their guitar.

But there are so many different i.d.'s and lengths, I don't know if it would be practical to mfg.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

If they were supplied with a pilot hole I'd happily drill them out to the right size.
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Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

I use green,red,and black sharpness and usually get a bunch on my fingers.
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Ross Shafer · From: Petaluma, California

"Dyes are expensive and it's a bit of a process"

Look no further than Ritt Dye...cheap and super easy....just boil water. Works on nylon tuners perfectly and the color is permanent.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I also use sharpies to color the tops of the band on my picks so I can quickly determine which one goes on which finger.
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Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Barry Blackwood · Posted 3 Jul 2018 9:02 am

Seems like a good idea. Maybe one color for raise and another for lower. More would be confusing. Cool

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

I really like the idea of just using a color if there's more than one raise or lower on a string. But if one tuning nut is colored, it'd be better to have every tuner associated with that change colored as well.

For simplicity, it also makes sense to give priority to the pedals when assigning colors, and use the same color pattern from left to right on both necks.

Dennis Montgomery · From: Western Washington

I'd go for a different color for each pedal and knee Smile

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Dennis, that was what I thought at first, but I think it might be more confusing than having all the knee levers plain. I'll make two comparison images tonight to show what I mean a little better.

Well, actually.... It also depends on your copedent and if you have more tuning nuts on there than usual. I'm not sure about universal copedents. Those might benefit from more colors.

Dennis Montgomery · From: Western Washington

That's a good thought...plain is a color too Wink

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Minor side-question.... How long do tuner nuts last with regular use?

I haven't been playing long enough to wear any out. I'm guessing at least a couple decades?

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

My Franklin's drop return compensator "tuning" nuts are colored black on the end. Nothing else.

Mike (Martin) Weenik used the Ritt dye to color code the tuning nuts on the guitars he built.
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Ron Pruter · From: Arizona, USA

If you have rod splits, colored nuts are a must. Accidentally turning those is going to mess you up. Mad

BTW...In general, black would look better than white ' cause white get's all dirty looking from the aluminum wrenches rubbing off on them. No, black ones wouldn't sound better!! RP
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Ross Shafer · From: Petaluma, California

Ken Metcalf · From: San Antonio Texas USA

Just compensators.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I have switched the one's I colored back to white one's on my Carter. I never colored them on the Mullen.

I have no problem knowing which one is a split. Both Carter and Mullen use the raise hole closest to the axle. Compensators may be a good candidate for coloring.

Although the coloring for each pedal helped me on the Carter. I had 5p/6k on my E9. My SD12 Mullen is 3p/4k, so it's easy to tell what nut needs to be tuned.
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Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

I have seen the colored-in-with-marker ones, and I know it is a personal matter of taste, but I prefer a uniform color for the tuners (all the same color) against the mostly shiny silver endplate material.
It maybe takes a sec but you will memorize where every tuner for every pedal/lever/compensator is.

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Well I got some dyes in the mail yesterday. These are high-quality dyes specifically for synthetic fibers like nylon. They are more permanent than normal acid dyes, and have excellent wet and light fastness. Might seem like overkill for the nylon tuners, but I want them to come out as nice-looking as possible.

I'll start dyeing some later this week when my hex rods come in.

The colors I got are:

Royal Blue
Deep Red
Deep Violet
Jet Black
Spruce
Mustard Yellow
Turquoise

Charlie Hansen · From: Halifax, NS Canada and Various Southern Towns.

I use fingernail polish. When the wife isn't looking.
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