Hey Folks,
Ok...I stopped into my local Guitar Center last week and aside from other things, I took a look at one of those new Road Worn Strats...if nothing else to confirm my suspicion that I wasn't going to like it (I don't care for Relic/Road Worn...can't see spending extra for a pre-beat instrument). Anyways, I noticed this particular instrument had the vintage style Kluson tuners on it.

Now I will admit that I've never played any instrument with Klusons...I've always either had guitars with decent "sealed" tuners (ala Ping, Gotoh) etc, or a couple of instruments with the really cheap covered tuners (which always get replaced with sealed). I've also noticed that even on places such as Ebay, these things tend to go for between $35 and $70 for a new set compared with a decent set of sealed tuners which can often be had for as little as $20 or less. So my question is pretty straight forward here...other than providing a "vintage correct look/aesthetic", what's the big deal about Klusons and how do they compare with a more contemporary style of sealed tuning key? I have a project guitar that I'm working on and I'm considering the Klusons for the vintage look but I'm also very concerned about functionality.

Thanks!
Jim

Hi, well i got a strato Ri´62 (MIJ) that got the correct Kulsons turnes in the head. The main deal is the way you put the string. In Kulson turnes you put a piece of string into the head and not across of it. So the deal is "check" how long you will use that string. Besides that how long keeps on tune is usual or depends on the quality of the machine head. The Idea on the Kulson turnes is (like you say) a vintage correct look. If you are going to made a Ri from those years, don´t worry they are great. (buy originals from fender or dunlop).

So many vintage guitars in the past have been “upgraded” with Schaller, Grover or Sperzel type tuners. While Kluson tuners are a better quality component they do not look like the originals taking away form the factory vintage look and they actually change the response of your guitar by adding more mass to the headstock. The difference is subjective because every player is different.

By installing these upgraded tuners the guitars headstock has to be drilled to accept the larger bushings. Original vintage type Kluson tuners use an 11/32″ hole while the upgrade tuners use a 10mm hole. If you want to return the guitar to it’s original state the Kluson bushings are too small for the 10mm hole and fit very sloppily at best. This sloppy fit can cause all kinds of tuning problems and cosmetic damage to the headstock from the bushing leaning and digging into the wood. The common repair is to dowel the tuner holes and re-drill them. A skilled tech can do it but without the proper tools you may have a nightmare on your hands trying to drill the dowels perfectly centered and perpindicular to the headstock.

There is an easy repair for this without using any dowels, glue or a drill. Allparts makes an oversized bushing called an “adaptor bushing” that will fit into the 10mm hole perfectly but has the inside diameter for a vintage type Kluson tuner shaft. Outwardly the adaptor bushing looks the same as an original. This is an easy way to restore your guitar to it’s original look and vintage performance.

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I'm not worried about the pole diameter...the guitar I'm working actually has the cheapy covered tuners with the plastic bushings. I'm guessing the Kluson bushings are probably going to be the same diameter...or at least close. In either case though, I'm not worried about that specifically as I can handle any mods there either way. Aside from the "vintage aesthetics", the other reason I'm considering the Klusons is that they are also similar in size where they mount on the back of the headstock as what I have now so I won't have a bunch of visible empty holes on the back of the headstock the way I would if I went with Shaller's, Pings, etc.. I'm also not really worried about the mass issue either...to be honest, this is a low end guitar and I'm just trying to make it "look" a little more vintage....pickups and the bridge are certainly going to make more of a difference than the mass difference of a given set up tuners.

I do however have one question in regards to your comment.... You said, "So many vintage guitars in the past have been “upgraded” with Schaller, Grover or Sperzel type tuners. While Kluson tuners are a better quality component they do not look like the originals taking away form the factory vintage look..."...you think the Klusons are better quality than Shallers? Again I've never actually played an instrument with Klusons but the opposite has always seemed to be true to me...that the Klusons were of a lessor quality than something like Shallers (or again Pings, Grovers, etc). Also to support that, while I realize that over time even the best tuners can eventually wear out, rust out, etc., I would also think that many folks replace the Klusons with something like Shallers because the Shallers are better...yes/no? Also to quantify that...if the Klusons are indeed a better quality component, than why aren't they used on say American Standards instead of the Shallers (or whatever brand Fender uses now)? The only Fender's I see with Klusons are the "special" models such as these Road Worns or certain reissues, etc., and again that appears to be more for that aesthetic appeal more than anything else.

Thanks,
Jim

I've got klusons on both of my strats. both deluxe MIM necks. both work great, hold tune nicely and are a dream to do tech on, coz you can remove the strings and coil back to the bridge to do nut work, neck work, fret work, switch necks, or electronics work ( i tend to switch out necks and pickups on my project strat a lot learning guitar tech ). With locking sealed, I suppose you can also do that, altho that little cut end that needs to get mashed in the locking mechanism is a little harder to work with than the .5" end you stick in the kluson. I have a les paul, yamaha and ibanez with grovers, they stay in tune the same amount the klusons do, I find more tuning issues come from the nut than anything else btw.

Whatever you do, go with a quality product and install it properly and you'll be fine. From what it sounds like any upgrade will be an improvement over the cheap covered ones you have now. Good luck!

Personally I think that they are the best tuners ever made. There is a reason that they are standard on Clapton, Malmsteen, Vaughan, Mayer, Gilmour, Guy, Murray, Johnson, Vaughan (other one), Knopfler, etc. Strats.

My guitar has them.. They look better and keep you from poking yourself. I have not ever had one tuning problem.

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WD Music owns the Kluson name and have improved the way they are made. TonePros joined forces with WD Music to make an updated version of Kluson's locking tuners.

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.