New GOTOH Tuners for Seagull - (step-by-step)

[Mr Fixit eh]

I recently installed new GOTOH tuners in my Epiphone with good success. I shared my experience in a recent step-by-step thread http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=276814

Well, Santa Claus was gracious to provide another set of GOTOH 510's for my Seagull S6. The installation was a little different that the Epiphone, in that there was no need to drill out the holes, but I did need to drill pilot holes for the attachment screws.

Just a caveat note - I am not a trained luthier or guitar technician. I am fairly handy around the woodshop.

Here goes..... the 'before' pictures. Kind of boring...









The first step was to mark the headstock to assist with aligning the new tuners. I used masking tape for easy removal. I first checked the existing alignment to make sure nothing was sadly askew.






Removing the collar nuts from the old tuners







The old tuners removed.

Next up, installing the new tuners.

[Mr Fixit eh]

So now to install the new tuners. First to do a dryfit installation, align the tuners, mark the new screw location.




So the holes do not require any drilling - ready to slip in the new tuners.




Here are the beautiful new GOTOH 510 tuners 3 per side 1:21 ratio




The new tuners were just a very tiny bit loose int the old hole. I could have left it alone, but decided to apply a wrap or two of good quality masking tape to eliminate the slippage. Turns out 1 wrap was adequate to do the job.







Installing the new tuners and attaching the collar nuts.




Tightening up the collar nuts to just snug with a 10mm socket, leaving the tuners just loose enough to turn by hand but to nicely hold alignment.




Align the tuning machines. I aligned the tuners in a straight plane. The originals were skewed on a bit of an angle. It's personal preference, whatever you like.



Carefully mark the screw location with a well-centered scratch awl.

Next up - drilling the pilot holes for the attachment screws.

[Mr Fixit eh]

So now to drill the pilot holes for the tuner attachment screws. They're tiny and you only get one chance, so take your time and be careful....



Remove the collar nuts and remove the tuning machines.




Here's the headstock ready for drilling. You may have to look carefully to see the scratch awl marks.



Drilling the pilot hole for the screw. This wants to be very slightly smaller than the thread (inside) where the threaded portion joins the solid screw shaft - in my case, I chose a 1/16 inch drill bit and stoppered it in the drill's chuck so it could not drill deeper than the screw's total depth.



Here's the attachment screw. In this photo, you're seeing a 7/64 inch drill bit for the non-threaded shaft of the screw. This requires a slightly larger diameter pilot. The masking tape marks a 1/8 inch depth - if you drill any deeper with the larger bit, the thread will have no wood to bite into. Because I drilled the smaller diameter hole first, I found it helpful to center the larger drill bit, by spinning the bit in reverse for a few seconds before drilling the hole.



I recommend keeping the tuners organized spatially in the same orientation they were dryfit. This ensures they will fit exactly as you planned.



Here are the pilot holes all drilled out. In just a minute, we'll see if we botched the job, or not...

[Mr Fixit eh]

Ok, so we're in the final stretch. We'll just reinstall the tuners, attach the screws, and admire the handiwork....



Reinstalling the tuners.



Make sure the screwdriver has an excellent fit in the Phillips screw head. Not all drivers are the same in size or quality. If it is the least bit loose, you risk stripping out the heads of the screws - and you don't want that.



I found the screws just a bit too snug. It was helpful to rub off a bit of candle wax onto the threads.



Here you see the wax shavings. Floor wax would work just as well.



Tighten the screws to just snug, but not too tight. These screws only keep the tuners from rotating, so they don't need to be locked-down tight.

And here is the finished product:






Very nice looking, if I don't say so myself. And best of all, the tuning is very, very precise. I like them alot.

Steve

[bnjp]

Those are really nice tuners! Nice that you did it yourself too. Good tip on the candle wax. I've broken a few tuner screws before!

[Buzz1234]

Those look fantastic. I have an S6 I really like and would like to dress up. May I ask, exactly which Gotohs are those, and about what did they cost? Thanks.

[Mr Fixit eh]

Thanks, guys, for the kind words. I really like them and I think they complement the guitar.

They are GOTOH Delta 510s 1:21 ratio 3 per side# SGL510Z-L5 (screw hole at 8 oclock). The SGV510Z-L5 is the same, but with screw hole at 6 oclock). Cost is $89 per set, $110 shipped to anywhere in the USA or Canada. http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=271049. The Delta 510s are available through several sponsors on this forum, but this particular finish - officially, AG (Antique Gold) is only available from Japarts, aka joshgemmell, AGF sponsor http://www.japarts.ca/ Josh refers to them as "Aged Gold"

If you decide to go with them, let us know how it goes.

Steve

[downtime]

Nice job, I think they look great.

I would put forth that with the small Seagull headstock the Gotoh 510 mini's would also be a good fit. They are just a bit smaller that the standard 510's.

I put mini's on a Voyage-Air OM that had a relatively small headstock and I think they worked well.

[Mr Fixit eh]

Thanks, downtime. I agree about the minis - problem is the minis weren't available in that finish. Nice job on your guitar too.

Steve

[PlaysGuitar]

Hi Steve, I really like the way the delta's look. You did a great job with the step-by-step pictures and descriptions, I have an S6 and I'd like to swap out the tuners like you did. Your pics will help me out alot.

[Buzz1234]

Originally Posted by Mr Fixit eh

Thanks, guys, for the kind words. I really like them and I think they complement the guitar.

They are GOTOH Delta 510s 1:21 ratio 3 per side# SGL510Z-L5 (screw hole at 8 oclock). The SGV510Z-L5 is the same, but with screw hole at 6 oclock). Cost is $89 per set, $110 shipped to anywhere in the USA or Canada. http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=271049. The Delta 510s are available through several sponsors on this forum, but this particular finish - officially, AG (Antique Gold) is only available from Japarts, aka joshgemmell, AGF sponsor http://www.japarts.ca/ Josh refers to them as "Aged Gold"

If you decide to go with them, let us know how it goes.

Steve

I did; I installed a set of 7107-CBs in black. Went just as you described, and really dressed up the guitar, which is also staying in tune better. Thanks for the help; really fun little project.

If you have an S6 you should try this; if I can do it anybody can.

[joeguam]

Originally Posted by Mr Fixit eh

Here are the pilot holes all drilled out. In just a minute, we'll see if we botched the job, or not...

Wow, these pilots holes are mighty big. A suggested pilot hole size should be the diameter of the screw subtracting the threads. This will ensure a proper fit of the center-pole of the screw and maximum grab of the threading.

[Luke_]

Yay another project for my seagull.... Did Colosi nut and saddle already

Set up perfect just for me

[cooper59]

definitely want the hole smaller than the screws. 1/16 is usually what I use fro mounting screws. you want the screws to bite into the wood.