And here is a tuner pan with all new keys ready to be installed. If one strips out again, then it will be very easy to fix. I am planing on pulling the working originals from a couple of guitars I play and putting them in a safe place and replacing them with the Allparts 0875 keys, just so as to not cause more wear on the tuners. I know a lot of Stringmaster owners have been frustrated with this problem. I have also written to Kluson and Allparts requesting that they manufacture Stringmaster banks of keys. Would be very easy for them to do since they basically have everthing with the 0875. Perhaps others could write AllParts@AllParts.com as well. I don't think we will ever get anywhere with Fender.

Hope this helps anyone with tuner problems.

Whit Snell

The grinding process to make the Allparts keys fit is not hard. It takes perhaps three hours using an inexpensive bench grinder and you can make them fit perfectly if you take your time and check each one as you grind. I suggest putting a piece of plastic hose (gas line) over the tuner shaft so you don't accidently scuff it with the grinder.

My problem is that the tuning pans on the oldest guitars are entirely different from what I see in your photos. There is no strip of 4 tuners, instead there is a lollipop\worm mount assembly that is welded (soldered?) to the inside of the pan that engages the gear on the tuning axis. This joint is subject to metal fatigue over the decades and fails when tensioning the string, causing the gears to strip.

Yep, that's what happens on these. The spot welds fatigue over the years, then let go under string tension. The gears strip as a result. So I actually have two problems, if I can find someone to re-attach the mount properly, I need to find a replacement for the little round gear. The worm seems to be fine.

Yes, I had some e-mail with Terry today but have yet to get him on the phone. I either need to send him some photos or send the pan assembly to him to evaluate.

I agree with your other point too. Been thinking ever since yesterday if there is a way to re-manufacture this thing with modern tuners and be done with it once and for all.

The two small studs holding the vertical shaft are separate small pieces braded on the back-side of the small soldered plate and they loosen over time.

Most other tuners have these mounting studs formed from the plate with a 90 degree bend when they are stamped. This way they are more rigid and hold the gears to a closer mesh tolerance.

Don't you think so?

Rick

[This message was edited by Rick Collins on 11 April 2006 at 08:18 PM.]

Note website does not work correctly for page selection. You must manually remove the second www from the url. - Whit

[This message was edited by Whit Snell on 13 April 2006 at 05:39 AM.]

I guess my next questions would be, how would these attach to the inside of the pan, assuming they clear the sides of the cavity? Would you have to release the spot welds/solders on the existing hardware to remove them, keeping the heat to a minimum to avoid discoloring the chrome?

Tuning Pan Detail Photos from John Lang's 1953 Stringmaster

[This message was edited by Whit Snell on 18 April 2006 at 07:45 AM.]

It helps to hold a soldering iron to the side of the button. Pull the button off with a needle-nose pliers.

Ron Victoria is a metallurgist who teaches metal shop in a school. He is very knowledgeable about spot welding, soldering, techniques, etc. After talking to him, I was convinced that the broken piece could be re-welded, but didn't know where to turn for the replacement gear until you led me to Terry.

I was so anxious to put the pan back in the guitar and string it up when it came back, I didn't stop to take a photo of Terry's work. If you look very closely at the "before" photos, you can see where hairline cracks develop in the solder joints over time, and just wait to let loose on you. He strengthened these just in case, and those babies are so tight and smooth now, better than new.