I have a 1996 Standard Stratocaster, serial number MN6122667. Since she's one of my primary show guitars, she's seen quite a bit of use over the past 16 years. As a result the original tuning machines are worn and need replacement. I'd like to replace them with the vintage style slotted tuners I have on two of my other Fenders, which leads me to a series of questions . . .

• Does Fender make a vintage style slotted tuner that works as a "drop-in" replacement for the 1996 stock tuners?
  
• What is the diameter of the tuner holes on the peghead? From the research I've done, this is absolutely essential to know for picking compatible replacement tuners.

First, there are no true "drop in" vintage style tuners that replace the sealed tuners Fender uses. The vintage tuners all have a smaller post than any modern tuner, and they are installed differently. Modern tuners all have that large bolt on the top of the tuner that holds it to the headstock, plus they have some combintation of "guide pins" and/or screws on the back of the headstock (Fender tuners I believe have 2 guide pins). Vintage tuners all have a metal bushing that you push on the headstock from the top, then they are held in place by the screws on the back of the headstock.

What you will need to get along with the vintage tuners are what is called "conversion bushings" - they are basically larger than the standard vintage diameter to fill up the hole (they have the larger diameter of a modern tuner and they are thicker to fill up the size difference).

Sorry, I'm not sure about the size of the headstock holes on an MIM Fender - I don't know if they are in inches or if they are metric. Since the locking tuners designed for the USA guitars (which are in inches) are direct replacements for MIM tuners I would assume that you need the conversion bushings in inches, not the one measured in millimeters (which would replace Gotoh sealed tuners on old MIJ Fenders, etc.). Then you still have to drill new holes for the screws on the back of the headstock. On the plus side I believe that the vintage tuner housing will cover up the 2 holes for the guide pins on the sealed tuners.

I still don't think it would be an optimal solution, but I know that Schaller makes sealed tuners with split posts for G&L; I'm not sure if they are available for purchase (unless G&L sells them - but they would have the G&L logo on them). Also G&L uses the round-shaped Schaller housing with I believe a single guide pin instead of the square housing with two guide pins that Fender uses.

Hope that helps. The conversion bushings are available at places like Stewart-MacDonald, etc.

The G&L/Schaller tuners are not the same as The Fender/Schaller tuners. Fender Schaller tuners and gender Ping tuners have two placement pins on the back of the pin. G&L/Schaller tuners have only one placement pin. You can buy a set of Fender vintage style Kluson tuners but you will have to buy a bushing set that fits your guitar.http://www.specialtyguitars.com/tuners/ ... ntage.html

Here are some pictures of Schaller tuners. The one on top is a Fender tuner with two pins. The Fender tuner is a Ping tuner but the Fender/Schaller locking tuners have the same two placement pins...The Fender/Schaller locking tuners are in my new 2011 MIA Stratocaster. The Fender/Schaller locking tuners were a drop in replacement with no mod needed to install them. The two bottom tuners are Schaller/G&L tuners one is a G&L/Schaller non locking tuner one is a G&L/Schaller locking tuner. Both the locking and the non locking G&L/Schaller tuners have only one placement pin. You can buy a tuner placement pin tool from Stew Mac that allows you to drill the proper placement pin holes for Fender, G&L, Schaller, Ping, Sperzel and Gotoh tuners.

Otis - thanks for showing the photos. As I mentioned in my post that G&L used the round housing version of the Schallers and Fender used the square/rectangular housing but I was not sure if the G&L tuners had one guide pin or two - thanks for verifying that they have one guide pin.

Based on that I would agree it would probably be easier to go through with the conversion to vintage tuners than to try to drill a 3rd guide hole in between the two guide holes already on the neck from the Fender tuners.