Waverly Tuner Advice Needed

[dave42]

Originally Posted by darylcrisp

.... When Waverly's first came out, Stew Mac would sell you the tool to turn the collar for a small fee. But they don't do that any more....

I have one of those....

[dave42]

I'll have to admit, as nice has Waverly tuners are, they are the only tuner ever to fall apart while playing at a gig. I always check those bushings before leaving the house for a gig.

[vindibona1]

I'm not a fan of Waverly tuners for many reasons. But I would think that if you need to lubricate them you may want to try something like trumpet valve oil that does the job but has very low viscosity so would be less apt to attract dirt and gunk. These issues never occur with Grovers or Gotohs.

[Zissou Intern]

Tri Flow works well. We used it in the shop I worked in. It does not attract dirt. It can be found at any bike shop, but I suspect that lubrication isn't your issue. See Daryl's posts above.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by darylcrisp

The threaded collar does determine the tension on the worm gear, but it is installed with Loctite. Without Loctite, the collar can unscrew during normal use, and the tuner will fall apart. The inner plastic washer can get lost if this occurs, and Stew Mac will not supply parts. That means you are out of luck until Stew Mac sends you another tuner.
The only way to adjust the tension is to unscrew the collar completely (don't lose the plastic washer!!), clean the threads with acetone, and reassemble with fresh Loctite.
When Waverly's first came out, Stew Mac would sell you the tool to turn the collar for a small fee. But they don't do that any more. They want you to send them the defective tuner for replacement under warranty.
I made my own adjustment tool. This is a picture of Waverlys on a mandolin, yours will be laid out differently being on a guitar, but without seeing an actual picture I can only assume the build structure is similar.
PM me if you want to know more, I can send you a link where this is discussed in detail by some world class mandolin luthiers.
Stewmac is a top shelf company and will stand behind their sales.

A couple more thoughts if you want to delve further on your own:
remove the machines from the headstock and feel the quality of resistance on the worm shafts. This tension is set at the factory and is usually 'just snug', not loose and not tight. If they all work evenly then the problem may be in the placement of the bushings in the headstock.

if you do disassemble the tuners use Loctite blue thread locker, DO NOT USE LOCTITE RED, as it is a very strong bond, which is why they label it PERMANENT.

In fact Waverly REFUSE to sell you that tool - I know I asked - they prefer to replace the tuner.

[simpl man]

I began to question my own sanity when I read several posts advising against tuner maintenance, adjustment, and lubrication.

But, at least the OP let us know what Stew Mac's special rep had to say.

Or maybe, ...it was all just a dream?

You'd think we were discussing Rocket Surgery, the way people carry on about these things. They are simple machines. Period.

Sometimes you just gotta let common sense prevail over internet "wisdom".

[cheer tunes]

I had a good experience when I reached out to StewMac. There were very helpful and I think my issue will be resolved.

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by dave42

I have one of those....

Never had any of this with Gotohs or Grovers or any other closed back tuner. Just sayin'.

[John Arnold]

You may want to check w Stew Mac, the distributor for Waverly.

More than a distributor....they are the manufacturer. Stew Mac has owned the Waverly name since very early in their history.

You'd think we were discussing Rocket Surgery, the way people carry on about these things. They are simple machines. Period.

The only reliable way to change the tension on Waverly's is to follow the instructions. If you repeat this on all six tuners, the time involved may exceed the cost of some very expensive tuners.
Yes, they are simple machines, and Stew Mac chose a design with a fatal flaw, IMHO. The threaded collar can loosen during normal use. The ONLY thing preventing it is Loctite.
Stew Mac stands behind their products, but that is little consolation when you are at a gig with a tuner that fell apart.

I can buy high quality Gotoh's for 1/3 the price of Waverly's ($47), and they never fall apart or get tight/loose.