Anyone try these Schertler Tuning machines?

[John How]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Very well, and you? I thought you went back to your high-tech gig and were not building.

Well I never stopped building guitars and this gig is just a temporary thing helping out a former employer, though it was a fun change of pace. It is coming to an end pretty soon though and it'll be back to the bench full time again.

[MikeD]

Played a few at Woodstock with them. Seemed fine to me. Very smooth and very accurate. Didn't notice any "slop" in the gears. I distinctly remember them because I had never seen a set before.

[fitness1]

Certainly are attractive....



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[pgilmor]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

I found this review so unlikely that I had to make sure they actually make classical tuners. Or maybe there is a knock off with a similar name. I have never seen even a hint of slop in a single one of the Schertler tuners I've handled, and since they are made on a cast base I guess I imagined that a bad one wouldn't exist.

Yep, not a knock off, these came from StewMac. Unlikely is what I thought as well.

Originally Posted by runamuck

"...over 90 degrees slop..."

Let's see a photo of that.

A photo won't do it, I'd have to set up a video account somewhere and that's just too much hassle to prove a point that hopefully is just a one-off defect.

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

I'm having trouble believing this. 1/4 of a rotation with no engagement of the gears? You would need a tooth missing.

That is correct, OVER 1/4 turn. I am not exaggerating. I took another look at it this morning and all the teeth are there. It is as if the pitch on the tuner is off or something, or the screw isn't close enough to the gear. I also double checked the screws and they are all tight.

Sorry for upsetting the applecart on this, but remember these are the classical tuners, not the steel string tuners that everyone here is likely familiar with. I'll stand by my original story: of the six, one is worthless and must be replaced and the other five are not as tight as I would have thought they should be. No value at this price point. About what I would expect of a $40 set.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by pgilmor

Yep, not a knock off, these came from StewMac. Unlikely is what I thought as well.



A photo won't do it, I'd have to set up a video account somewhere and that's just too much hassle to prove a point that hopefully is just a one-off defect.




That is correct, OVER 1/4 turn. I am not exaggerating. I took another look at it this morning and all the teeth are there. It is as if the pitch on the tuner is off or something, or the screw isn't close enough to the gear. I also double checked the screws and they are all tight.

Sorry for upsetting the applecart on this, but remember these are the classical tuners, not the steel string tuners that everyone here is likely familiar with. I'll stand by my original story: of the six, one is worthless and must be replaced and the other five are not as tight as I would have thought they should be. No value at this price point. About what I would expect of a $40 set.

did you request to return them?

[ukrobbiej1]

I must be in the absolute minority in not really liking these tuners. I have a set fitted to one of my Brook acoustics, especially as they were European (and my guitar had a European theme to it!) I love the look of them- very simple, elegant, and quite funky on modern style guitars, as someone has already observed, but...I find these very stiff, vague and not as smooth as either Gotoh 510s or the Grover Sta-tites that are on my new Brook build. To be fair, I've found waverlies to be equally as stiff and vague in use on some guitars I've tried. But the bottom line is I find these tuners a triumph of looks over functionality.

Robbie

[jalbert]

I have these Schertler tuners on a custom guitar. I am very fond of them--no problems encountered with them in the year I've had the instrument. I agree with Mr Sexauer: these would look quite out-of-place on a traditional guitar.

[pgilmor]

Originally Posted by fitness1

did you request to return them?

We will. I just received this guitar. I haven't decided if I want to try a new set or go with something else entirely. They do look great.

[darylcrisp]

Originally Posted by pgilmor

We will. I just received this guitar. I haven't decided if I want to try a new set or go with something else entirely. They do look great.

interested in following this as i have just recently been considering a set for a classical build i have in the works.

d

[Bugeyed]

Originally Posted by pgilmor

snip
That is correct, OVER 1/4 turn. I am not exaggerating. I took another look at it this morning and all the teeth are there. It is as if the pitch on the tuner is off or something, or the screw isn't close enough to the gear. I also double checked the screws and they are all tight.

.

With that much slop, you should be able to see & describe where the play is! Could it possibly be the buttons?

kev

[theEdwinson]

When these Shertlers first showed up, I was glad to have that one more top-quality choice, especially for slot-head steel string guitars. Not too long ago, it seemed that the choice for these was mighty slim-- maybe three brand names, with one or two slot-head styles. And the Waverlys were the de facto high-end choice. The Waverlys were acclaimed to be accurate, tight, well made, great finish, AND the Waverly brand stamped in the base plate.

I bought my first two sets of Waverlys in about 2004, first time I made a slotted headstock. They were the most inexpensive Waverlys, the nickle-plated ones.
Both sets had significant slop in at least one tuner. I noted that the slop was evident even before the tuners were installed, so it wasn't because I had done a poor job installing them. I couldn't see any anomalies, but I was disappointed that both sets had bad tuners. A couple years later, I thought I'd try the Waverlys again. The gold plating looked cheesy, especially on the base plate. And a quarter turn of slop on one of them.
I recently had a client insist on a set of engraved baseplate, snakewood button Waverlys, you know, the $212 ones. They were perfect. Beautiful, snug, accurate.
So my impression was, the people who make these tuners spend a lot more time on the expensive ones.

I've never run across a bad Grover Sta-Tite, or the Gotoh version either. But now that we have Schertlers, I hope the quality proves out over time to be reliable and accurate. I love also that they are very modern looking, so us non-traditionalists have a great new choice.

[Simon Fay]

It is indeed nice to have a good alternative to Waverly -- I just have never cared for the look of the Schertler tuners. The finish just reminds me of Legos for some reason - in other words, to me they look like plastic. Now granted, I have only seen them in photos. My current preference for tuners are Alessi. They are beautiful and are mechanically perfect. They are also incredibly easy and smooth in their movement.

[jimmy bookout]

I love the way Schertlers look, that said, I am not a fan of any of the press fit bushing/open back tuners. I find that they all bind under tension (tuner post against the bushing), this happens on my Pagelli (with Schertlers), happened on both my Collings (Waverly). Give me good old Gotoh 510's, I admit that sealed tuners like 510's are heavier, but they are just so much smoother and precise. Obviously, the above is my experience and my opinion. YMMMV.

Jimmy

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by jimmy bookout

I am not a fan of any of the press fit bushing/open back tuners. I find that they all bind under tension (tuner post against the bushing)

The post bears against the bushing with every solid headstock tuner, regardless of whether the bushing screws into the tuner base or is pressed into the headstock.

[tadol]

Has anyone seen the pearloid or metal buttons? All I have found are the ebony button ones. And has anyone used these as retrofit to replace Gotoh or other open back tuners? Just wondering how everything lines up -