ACOUSTIC GUITAR TUNER KNOBS CRACK

Express yourself through music or style with your choice of guitar tuner. Not only are they essential, but they can also be beautiful. Reinstall the tuners after they have cooled.Guitar tuning pegs, also known as machine heads or tuners, allow musicians to tune a guitar to the key of their choice. By carefully shaping the hole in the knob to conform to the shaft, you'll get a secure fit.

Use a gap-filling glue: epoxy is a good choice, and so is our #30 Thick Super Glue. Using glue rather than heatĮbony knobs need to be glued on, and you also might prefer to glue the ivoroid knob on rather than using heat.

ACOUSTIC GUITAR TUNER KNOBS CRACK

Keep a wet rag nearby to cool the knobs (don't quench hot tuners in water - it can weaken the metal and crack the plastic). For this reason, we recommend that you have extra knobs on hand in case you damage one. The ivoroid knobs require more heat than the plastic knobs, and it's possible to damage or deform them by overheating. Create a simple depth stop with a notched piece of scrap wood placed around the shaft.

Be consistent in how far you slide each knob on, so that the complete set of tuners are evenly spaced from the peghead. Hold the knob with pliers, wrapping a small piece of cloth around the knob to protect it from the teeth of the pliers. Plastic and ivoroid knobs may need to have the shaft heated before putting the knob on (ebony knobs won't be helped by heating the shaft). When you have finished shaping the hole in the knob, you should be able to slide the new knob onto the shaft. Also consider filing the shaft to help make a good fit between the shaft and the knob. Micro-chisels are also useful for shaping the hole to match the shaft. Depending on the shaft you're fitting, you may need to use small files or a Dremel tool to modify the hole in the knob. The Ivoroid Knob and the Ebony Knob are more difficult to attach because they are much harder materials, and their holes are round. These flats align with the flat sides of the hole in the white, black and cream knobs. Some knob shafts are round with two flat sides. This flattened spline is parallel to the flat sides of the knob. Often, the old plastic button covers a flat portion of the shaft that acts as a spline to hold the knob. Fit the knob to the shaftĭepending on the diameter of the knob shaft, you may have to enlarge the hole in the replacement knob to get a good fit. Either of these methods will soften most knobs enough to remove them. As the shaft cools, clean away any remaining plastic with a scraper and wire brush.Īn alternate method is to soften the knob with a heat gun or by carefully suspending the knob in boiling water (don't immerse the tuner itself). Remove the heat from the shaft as soon as the knob is off. When the shaft is hot enough, the plastic will soften and the knob will slide off fairly easily. Wrap the knob with an old rag to protect it from the jaws of the pliers.ĭon't try to force the knob off. Pull it straight off, without twisting and deforming the hole. As the knob begins to heat, pull it off with pliers. It's a good idea to use a large copper alligator clip as a heat sink, positioning it between the soldering iron and the gears. Don't heat the shaft longer than necessary, to avoid damaging the tuner's gears. If you want to save the knobs, heat the shafts with a soldering iron and then slide them off. If the knob is crumbling, carefully break it off with pliers (don't bend the knob shaft). Position the knob shaft so you have clear access to work on it. Remove the knob from the shaftĬlamp the tuner's string post securely into your vise with the baseplate flat on top of the jaws. Keep an eye on the press-in bushings, which often drop out when tuners are removed.

Optional: caliper (handy for measuring the shaft)Ĭarefully remove the tuners from the peghead.Small files or Dremel tool (may be needed for shaping the hole).Vise (use wood jaws to protect the string posts).Scraper or razor blade for cleaning the shafts.Heat source (soldering iron, small torch, or heat gun).You wouldn't want to damage a rare vintage tuner as part of your learning curve. Replacing tuner knobs is a simple repair, but as with all repair jobs we recommend that you practice on inexpensive 'yard-sale special' guitars to hone your repair skills. Our Vintage-style Knobs are also useful for creating a custom look. Use our Vintage-style Tuner Knobs to replace the decomposing plastic knobs found on many vintage instruments. View All WOODSTAX - Shop Tonewood by the Piece.View All All Hardware + Parts by Instrument.

Acoustic guitar tuner knobs