Will Frady - Posted - 06/06/2026:  08:35:45

Are Rickard cyclone tuners worth $100 plus , more than gotoh tuners . I’ve got my finger on the trigger
“So to speak “ really thinking about getting some . Any feedback is welcome . Obliged

reubenstump - Posted - 06/06/2026:  09:18:40

I have mostly Gotoh, while one banjo has Rickard. The Rickard stay in tune better, but there's nothing wrong with the Gotoh.

Worth it? That's for you to decide. It's a pricey experiment, but you could try a set and see what you think.

Brian Murphy - Posted - 06/06/2026:  10:20:20

I have an extra set of Rickard as there was some scuttlebutt awhile back that production may have been stopping or paused. I'm glad they're still available. I think they're worth it, but Gotoh is a fine tuner also. Rickard is just so smooth and they hold well. You can really get the pitch dialed in with no skipping around.

Texasbanjo - Posted - 06/06/2026:  11:08:51

I have D-tuners on my Stelling and they are seldom used.

So, the first question to ask yourself is: how often will I use them? Will it be often enough to be worth $100? If the answer is "yes", then go for it. If "no", forget it and if "I'm not sure", then try a few songs without the tuners, using slides and/or hammer-ons instead and see if that works for you. If so, don't spend the money. If not, go for it.

I play several songs in bluegrass style that call for tuners, but have found it's easier (for me), to use use another method to get the approximate sound.

Culloden - Posted - 06/06/2026:  13:45:38

If you are a professional musician, then I would say get the Rickards. Otherwise, I would buy the Gotoh tuners.

teetommy - Posted - 06/06/2026:  14:17:01

I have Rickards and I think about how nice they are every single day. Tuning is an integral component of performance, and they have the most precision. They're worth the extra money

RV6 - Posted - 06/06/2026:  14:35:06

I have Gotoh's on the two banjos I have now and used them on a few others that I sold.

I thought I'd try the Rickards  2-3 years ago just for the heck of it and ordered 4 from StewMac.   Two of the four were unusable.  One was missing the "anti turn" pip that keeps the tuner from rotation and the other one's post was jammed hard against the tuner shell, i.e., it wasn't centered and the top, threaded portion couldn't be installed.   I sent them back to StewMac for a refund and I had to pay $9.00 shipping to return them.   They said had I replaced them, there would be no shipping charge.   Uh, two of the four were visibly defective and should never have left S.M.   Why would I buy them again when the Gotoh's have worked just fine?  

Tim Mullins - Posted - 06/06/2026:  19:48:46

I think Rickards are the best tuners I've tried. They turn easily, have no backlash and stay in tune. I have them on both my banjos and would not want to go back to anything else.

Mastertone Banjo - Posted - 06/07/2026:  03:59:30

I took all my tuners off all my banjos and now use Rickards exclusively