"X" Finsh Gotoh 510 Tuners

[btaylor]

I am considering Gotoh 510s in one of the "X" or "Antique" finishes. If you have one of these finishes, let's see them! It's hard to find many pics of them in the X-Nickel and X-Chrome. I've seen a few X-Gold, but post those too!

[AcousticDreams]

This is a reasonable picture I tool of the Gotoh 510 locking tuners with X Gold finish. ( I have added Some Charis Cocobolo Buttons and some brass washers before the button)

Obviously because of the Studio lighting...the reflections are bigger, thus a bit shinier. In real life in normal lighting...just a shade duller..but not by much. Actually if you look at the Treble side...that is how it looks in a well light white walled room. And on the face that is how it might look out in bright outdoors with sun reflecting into it.

I believe Wade once mentioned that the X finish are a stronger-longer lasting finish as well.. Gotoh says this on their website:
"It’s the ultimate finish!
It can result in an unique appearance
for life no matter what your instrument
is subject to water or any dirts."

I really like the look of it...that one step down from bright gold is very classy.

[mercy]

I much prefer the look of them to the traditional finishes

[Mark Hatcher]

I'm a big fan of the Gotoh antique finishes. Sometimes the colors are just the ticket! Here is a Gold and the rarer Copper finished sets:





These are both minis and I switched out the buttons.

Mark

[Wade Hampton]

I don’t have any photos to contribute, but I’ve been a big fan of Gotoh’s X finishes for a long time now. My McAlister acoustic baritone guitar originally came with full sized gold Schaller M6 tuners, and I had a bit of a problem being able to keep it in tune. Which at the time I attributed to the lower register of its tuning, not the tuners. Then, almost on impulse I replaced the Schallers with some 21 to 1 gear ratio Gotoh 510Z tuners in their X gold finish, and the tuning problems I’d had for the first year and a half I owned the baritone departed as if they’d never been there.

For about a twelve to fifteen year period, from the early 1990’s to the mid-2000’s, Schaller tuners declined in quality, while at the same time Gotohs rapidly got better. The baritone was delivered to me in 1999, so the tuners that came stock on it were manufactured in the middle of Schaller’s extended period of functional mediocrity.

Anyway, the Schallers were a bright, shiny gold, but I preferred the more subdued Gotoh X gold tuners that I bought to replace them.

Since then I’ve put Gotoh X gold and X copper tuners on a number of instruments, and the Gotoh mandolin tuners on the National RM-1 mandolin that I helped design come stock in X gold.

The custom guitar builder Kevin Ryan was a consultant to Gotoh while they were developing their 510 product line the same way I was a consultant to National Reso-Phonic while they developed their mandolin design. What Kevin told me about Gotoh’s proprietary X finish process is that it wasn’t developed specifically for its antique appearance, but for anti-corrosive and self-lubricating properties. The visual appearance it imparts is a sort of happy side effect, but it wasn’t their original intent.

As a result of those original parameters of corrosion resistance and built-in lubrication, Gotoh tuners with X finishes actually work slightly better than Gotohs with traditional shiny metal plating. They’re just a TINY BIT more accurate and precise.

So, yes, I’m a fan of Gotoh’s X finishes, and most of the Gotoh tuners that are on my instruments have an X finish because of that improved performance as well as their appearance.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[sakar12]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

I'm a big fan of the Gotoh antique finishes. Sometimes the colors are just the ticket! Here is a Gold and the rarer Copper finished sets:





These are both minis and I switched out the buttons.

Mark

Mark,

Do you make and sell custom tuning buttons?

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by sakar12

Mark,

Do you make and sell custom tuning buttons?

Yes and no. I do make them but only for my guitars.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I don’t have any photos to contribute, but I’ve been a big fan of Gotoh’s X finishes for a long time now. My McAlister acoustic baritone guitar originally came with full sized gold Schaller M6 tuners, and I had a bit of a problem being able to keep it in tune. Which at the time I attributed to the lower register of its tuning, not the tuners. Then, almost on impulse I replaced the Schallers with some 21 to 1 gear ratio Gotoh 510Z tuners in their X gold finish, and the tuning problems I’d had for the first year and a half I owned the baritone departed as if they’d never been there.

For about a twelve to fifteen year period, from the early 1990’s to the mid-2000’s, Schaller tuners declined in quality, while at the same time Gotohs rapidly got better. The baritone was delivered to me in 1999, so the tuners that came stock on it were manufactured in the middle of Schaller’s extended period of functional mediocrity.

Anyway, the Schallers were a bright, shiny gold, but I preferred the more subdued Gotoh X gold tuners that I bought to replace them.

Since then I’ve put Gotoh X gold and X copper tuners on a number of instruments, and the Gotoh mandolin tuners on the National RM-1 mandolin that I helped design come stock in X gold.

The custom guitar builder Kevin Ryan was a consultant to Gotoh while they were developing their 510 product line the same way I was a consultant to National Reso-Phonic while they developed their mandolin design. What Kevin told me about Gotoh’s proprietary X finish process is that it wasn’t developed specifically for its antique appearance, but for anti-corrosive and self-lubricating properties. The visual appearance it imparts is a sort of happy side effect, but it wasn’t their original intent.

As a result of those original parameters of corrosion resistance and built-in lubrication, Gotoh tuners with X finishes actually work slightly better than Gotohs with traditional shiny metal plating. They’re just a TINY BIT more accurate and precise.

So, yes, I’m a fan of Gotoh’s X finishes, and most of the Gotoh tuners that are on my instruments have an X finish because of that improved performance as well as their appearance.

Hope that makes sense.

Wade Hampton Miller

Thanks for this information, Wade. On my recently acquired Kramer Prairie Grass, I chose the 510s with the antique gold finish and they seemed like they worked a bit better than the standard gold 510s on my two other guitars. I figured that it was just because they were much newer (which could still be true) but I am happy to find out that they have improved performance as well. My other two guitars with the 510s are 18 and 15 years old and the tuners work fine but the new tuners are noticeably better.

Best,
Jayne

[Tnfiddler]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

Yes and no. I do make them but only for my guitars.

WOW WOW WOW WOW!! Your guitars look and sound AMAZING!! The Josie model is phenomenal!!

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Tnfiddler

WOW WOW WOW WOW!! Your guitars look and sound AMAZING!! The Josie model is phenomenal!!

Thanks! And those Gotoh tuners are great too!

[Fresh1985]

Gotoh SEP700 with x nickel finish on my furch. I think they look much better than the usual polished look. Also work a treat!20181020_145540.jpg