bcf211 - Posted - 10/13/2009:  12:24:18

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I am upgrading some parts on my old Regal banjo, mostly with the stock hardware from my new Gold Star, and would really like to replace the tuning pegs. The current ones are guitar style with bushings (not the screw in kind) and are just not in very good shape. My questions: What would be required to upgrade to planetary pegs? Would the holes need to be bigger? In all honesty I would be fine with replacing them with another set of geared guitar-style tuners, but I cannot find them ANYWHERE, except for stewmac.com has a set for 10.99. I'm not sure that $11 tuning pegs would be any better than what I currently have.
If anyone has any advice in this matter, or if anyone knows where to get decent guitar-style tuners it would be greatly appreciated.


Juice

drwt1 - Posted - 10/13/2009:  12:36:01

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Have you tried First Quality Music??

guitdawg - Posted - 10/13/2009:  12:38:56

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What is the need to replace the tuners? Are the ones on the banjo not working? Or not looking right.....?
The raw fact of the matter is that guitar style tuners have a mechanical superiority over banjo style tuners. Banjo tuners re-tune faster, but the guitar style are more accurate.


Oops! Shoulda read more closely. You may want to try Allparts.com or a local music store
You may end up with two extra tuners as spares, as guitar tuners are sold in packs of six~ but if you are replacing guitar style tuners with guitar style tuners, there shouldn't be any significant modifications needed.
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Where is your sense of decentment?

~ guitdawg ~ Apple Latch Un = mountains ; Apple Layshun = drinks

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Edited by - guitdawg on 10/13/2009 12:42:53

bcf211 - Posted - 10/13/2009:  12:40:08

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quote:

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Originally posted by drwt1

Have you tried First Quality Music??

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Yup. Only planetary style from them. i've looked just about everywhere, Janet Davis, Elderly, eBay, no luck at all.

Juice

SoggyBottom - Posted - 10/13/2009:  12:44:17

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?? not sure if I understand your question ... are looking for open gear only because Schaller & Gotoh make very nice quality guitar type tuners for banjo.

SoggyBottom

bcf211 - Posted - 10/13/2009:  12:44:58

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[quote]Originally posted by guitdawg




Oops! Shoulda read more closely. You may want to try Allparts.com or a local music store
You may end up with two extra tuners as spares, as guitar tuners are sold in packs of six~
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So do you think that regular guitar tuners (as opposed to guitar STYLE banjo tuners) would work? I'm okay with that, but isn't there a size difference at all? To clarify I am exclusively a banjo player, so I don't know much about other stringed instruments.
If that would work out, is there a particular set that anyone can recommend?

Juice

guitdawg - Posted - 10/13/2009:  12:50:05

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Regardless of brand, you will want to spend at least $30 to get a good set of tuners. It seems that the ones packaged by Stew-Mac are somewhat low quality and come with a friction fifth peg.
Gotoh, Schaller, Grover are all good brands of guitar style tuners. There is no difference in guitar tuners and guitar style banjo tuners apart from thickness of the tuner shaft.
Measure the hole on the peghead and get tuners to match, or nearabouts!

R Buck - Posted - 10/13/2009:  13:24:24

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You may have to drill out the holes to put banjo tuners on it. The guitar tuners have some issues...mainly they are all cheap. You will also have to ream the 5th string peg hole if you want to put a geared tuner on it.

RobBob
Music; the best way to count time. It is a journey not a destination.
www.blueridgerounders.com

banjered - Posted - 10/13/2009:  15:28:25

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I have this old cheap aluminum-pot Iida banjo that I bought
30 years ago for $50 and so it is probably close to 40 years old. It has real cheap, open gear guitar tuners...and they all work pefectly, not the slightest hangup/slipage. I don't mind guitar tuners on a banjo at all, look wise or funtion wise. TC

farmer bob - Posted - 10/13/2009:  17:15:28

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The Stewart M. banjo tuners for 11 bucks are very good I have three sets. The best value in open gear guitar style tuners is Grover Sta tites. I got six sets of them that I use on my dulcimers and one set on a guitar Ive been playing since 1971... I too have a cheap 40 year old banjo like TC and the cheap open gear tuners are the only lasting thing I would save from it... Planets will require you to ream the holes... Bob.

rudy - Posted - 10/14/2009:  04:35:40

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I've used the new Grover Ukulele Tuning Machines (available from Stu-Mac with white OR black knobs) for my banjos. The peg head needs to be around 1/2" in thickness for these to work for banjo, though. They are MUCH better quality of construction than the economy banjo tuners.

Visit my website for assorted banjo construction information:
http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page...onTips1.html

mrbook - Posted - 10/14/2009:  07:21:40

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Stew-Mac (and most other places) have Grover and other open-gear guitar tuners that are better than their cheap ones. The buttons may be different, but they should fit the same holes.

Bill

John Gribble - Posted - 10/14/2009:  07:50:15

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Try this first. Disassemble the old gears and put the star gears on the opposite side from where they were (treble on bass side, bass on treble side). If your issue is gear wear, this sometimes solves the problem.

John Gribble
Tokyo, Japan

mike gregory - Posted - 10/14/2009:  08:32:57

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Pure genius, Mr. Gribble.
Try a free fix FIRST, then if absolutely neccessary, spend.



=):{ )
Mike Gregory, Banjo Maker Infraordinaire
When I say my instruments are as good as anything Gibson or Martin ever made,
I mean MEL Gibson and DEAN Martin!


My banjos can be seen on my own website
http://littlebanjos.lunare.net

See me & my SQUARED EEL banjo on the Y'all tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97EfvhFgRBY