Technique for replacing plastic tuner buttons

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 5 Aug 2008 4:17 pm

Hi,
I need to replace the tuner buttons on one of my guitars. I have a set of the white plastic buttons, but the little square hole is a little small for the shaft. From what I've read there seems to be three techniques for putting the botton on the shaft:
1) Drill out the hole just enough to press the button on, press on the button.
2) Heat the shaft and press on the button.
3) Drill out the hole and pack it with epoxy and the slide it onto the shaft.

*This is what I am not clear on:
If I try #2, heat the shaft and press on the button, do I still need to drill out the hole, or will the heated shaft stretch-out the hole enough without having to drill it?

Of the three techniques, which is the best?

Thanks!
Cliff

Bill Leach · Post by **Bill Leach** » 5 Aug 2008 4:32 pm

Bump this one up - I want to know the answer as well

Fred Kinbom · Post by **Fred Kinbom** » 5 Aug 2008 4:36 pm

Hi!

It depends on which type of buttons you've got. There are two - the plain white ones (a softer plastic - heat the shaft method for these) or the "ivoroid" ones that are off-white and have a vague grain pattern. I only have experience with the latter. I enlarged the hole just enough so I could force them onto the tuner shaft. No glue was necessary. I think the softer white buttons are easier - just heat the tuner shaft and press on the button, but the ivoroid ones look less out of place on a vintage steel IMHO.

I hope that helps! You can also use the "search" function for more detailed info - this has been up for discussion before.

Good luck!

Fred

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 5 Aug 2008 4:39 pm

Here are detailed instructions from Stew Mac.

Russ Blake · Post by **Russ Blake** » 5 Aug 2008 8:29 pm

I've had very good success installing the softer white buttons using heat. I break off the old buttons and clean the shafts, then use a torch to heat the shaft and press the button on. Heat the shaft for maybe fifteen seconds and then see if the button will slide on easily. Use only as much heat as is neccessary otherwise the plastic will melt too much around the whole. Stew Mac has a great suggestion to make a stop block to get all the buttons to line up. Afterward I use some brown shoe polish to "age" the buttons.

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 6 Aug 2008 2:08 am

Thanks for your help, guys. Well, I heated the tuners with a soldering iron and pressed the buttons on with a vice: it works fine, now my guitar is ready to go!
It was easier than I though it would be

Thanks again
Cliff

Janet Newsom · Post by **Janet Newsom** » 6 Aug 2008 11:37 am

I think you may have convinced me to try this on my Fender Champ

The Stew Mac instructions tell you to remove the tuners, is this necessary? If so, I think I may be sending it to someone else to do.

Thanks,
Janet

Cliff Kane · Post by **Cliff Kane** » 6 Aug 2008 12:09 pm

Hi Janet,
yes, you'll need to remove the tuners so that you can heat them (if you go the heat route) and press them with a vise or how ever else you do it. I guess you could maybe enlarge the hole in the button enough to where you don't need to apply much pressure to press it on with some epoxy to fill the hole, and get away with not removing the tuners, but removing them is the easiest part of the whole process, it's no big deal.

Good luck,
Cliff

Janet Newsom · Post by **Janet Newsom** » 6 Aug 2008 2:16 pm

Thanks Cliff, guess I need to take a close look at the headstock and tuners then I will decide.
Thanks,
Janet

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 6 Aug 2008 5:44 pm

I sometimes buy the "economy" tuners from Stewmac, and replace the wide knobs with the white plastic "classic oval" knobs (buttons) Usually the hole needs to be reamed a bit larger to fit the shafts, but it's a simple job.