Old Ovation Tuners

[Mandobart]

I've contacted Ovation with this question but have not heard back. They've always been great in the past but these are strange times for all of us.

I have an Ovation Model 1115 (Connecticut built, 12 string, deep bowl, 12 fret, slothead) that I bought used in 1982 while stationed in Florida. It has the closed gear mini-tuners with the Ovation silhouette on them, with pearloid buttons.

I've been replacing pearloid tuner buttons with ebony on most of my instruments and I really like the look and feel. I'd like to get wood buttons on this Ovation, but I don't know the actual tuner brand.

What I know so far: the tuners have round shafts, ~.150" with two flats ~.138" apart. My mini Grover and mini Gotoh buttons do not fit (holes are too small).

I contacted Charis (makers of very nice wood tuner buttons) with this info but they have nothing that would fit and did not want to make a custom order. They felt the dimensions I gave would not work well on a wooden button.

I'm looking for info on the mfr for the old Ovation tuners or leads on buttons anyone knows of that may fit.

Another option is to by a few sets of mini Grover or Gotoh buttons and use my tiny bits and files to fit them on the shafts. I've done that before for a set of no-name Chinese tuners.

[LeDave]

I don't want to hijack this thread but I think this question suits well here,

My dad has a old Ovation acoustic electric with the tuners being VERY wobbly. I tried tightening them with a phillips head, but all the tuners' screws just keeps turning. It won't tighten. How does one fix such a problem?

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by LeDave

I don't want to hijack this thread but I think this question suits well here,

My dad has a old Ovation acoustic electric with the tuners being VERY wobbly. I tried tightening them with a phillips head, but all the tuners' screws just keeps turning. It won't tighten. How does one fix such a problem?

You're tightening up the screw that attaches the button to the shaft? Or the ones that fasten the tuner(s) to the headstock?

Are the buttons wobbly, or are the shafts wobbly? Or is it the roller (shaft the string wraps around) that wobbles?

Are the bushings screw-in or press fit?

[Wade Hampton]

Mandobart, if the Ovation guitar that you have is from the 1970’s, the tuners are probably Schallers. If they have black nylon casings, that settles it, they’re definitely Schallers.


whm

[Mandobart]

Thanks Wade. These are all chrome. I did, however, order some Schaller buttons last week as this is one brand I haven't tried yet. I'll see if they fit when they come in.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Mandobart, if the Ovation guitar that you have is from the 1970’s, the tuners are probably Schallers. If they have black nylon casings, that settles it, they’re definitely Schallers.


whm

The ebony mini Schaller buttons from Stew-Mac arrived today. Fit the old tuners perfectly. Another instrument converted from ivoroid.

[Wade Hampton]

Glad to hear it, although I’m not surprised. From about the mid-1970’s through the mid-1990’s Schaller tuners were commonly used as the factory stock tuners on professional quality American-made guitars and mandolins. But Schaller’s quality control became more erratic as first the founder and then his son who had taken over managing the company died within a couple of years - the old man of natural causes, the son in one of those horrific multi-vehicle car accidents that I saw every time I drove on the German and Austrian autobahns.

Once both of them died, Schaller drifted rudderless for some ten or twelve years, when a new owner bought the company and brought the quality back up to where it had been. But by that point the differences in the international currency exchange rates made the German-made Schallers far too expensive for most US guitar companies to use as their factory stock tuners.

So I doubt we’ll see Schaller return to dominate the market the way that it did for some time to come, if ever. For one thing, the Gotohs have consistently gotten better and better, and they only cost about two thirds the price of the Schallers. Plus the Ping tuners and the Grover tuners (which are actually made by Ping acting as a subcontractor) have gotten better, although neither have reached either Gotoh or Schaller precision and accuracy levels.

Anyway, I’m glad you got ebony buttons to fit. They not only cut down on the weight a little bit, in my opinion they also add a quiet touch of understated elegance to the guitar. I have lightweight aftermarket tuner buttons on all of my sealed gear tuners for that very reason: weight reduction and visual enhancement.


Wade Hampton Miller

[ruger9]

I LOVE the ivoroid buttons on my '91 Ovation. No issues with them being loose or not holding tune.

I too had great customer service from Ovation in the past (while they were still in CT)- the top had separated from the bowl on the upper bout, I paid to ship it back, they fixed it for free, shipped it back fro free... did these have lifetime warranties? This was 20 years ago, and not a problem since.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by ruger9

I LOVE the ivoroid buttons on my '91 Ovation. No issues with them being loose or not holding tune.

I too had great customer service from Ovation in the past (while they were still in CT)- the top had separated from the bowl on the upper bout, I paid to ship it back, they fixed it for free, shipped it back fro free....

I had no problems with the buttons or tuners; I just really prefer wood or bone to plastic on my instruments. And Ovations can always use some more wood on them. I replaced the strap buttons with ebony as well.

I sent a follow-up to Ovation that I had determined the Schaller buttons fit the tuners. They sent a nice reply apologizing for not getting back to me sooner. I still think they offer good support and service. As I said originally these are difficult times for everyone.