The Steel Guitar Forum

As mentioned in another thread below about pick-up covers, I have been given this really nice old National double 8. It has Kluson Deluxe tuners on it, but the buttons don't look too long for this world. I believe you can get buttons from Stew-Mac, and I'm wondering if anybody can comment if they had success just replacing the buttons. Any help would be appreciated.







Thanks.

Geo

Hi George. Tuner buttons are not that hard to replace. Here's a link to some easy instructions. Click Here and another link to some tuner buttons. Click Here

Stew-Mac is just across town about 3 miles from me. I replaced the buttons on my D-8 National and my D-6 Supro. Probably been at least 4 years ago and they are holding up fine. I cleaned them and lubed them before I put them back on.

The buttons from stewmac have instructions with them. The plastic buttons are easy, but the ivory type are harder material, and more difficult to put on.

Hi, very interested to read the above. I have an as new condition 1974 stella 6 string parlor size guitar which has had a button break apart, probably lack of lubrication and break revealing perfectly round shaft without a shank to give the button purchase!

Can anyone advise what to do ref the above? If buying replacement strips of 3 tuners anyone have a supplier, don't see any old parts on sale for these, many thanks.

edit

I used StewMac buttons to replace the crumbling originals on my English Electronics Tonemaster. Dan Erlewine's instructional shows him using a soldering gun with heavy gauge copper wire to heat the tuner shafts. I am sure that is the best way to go, but I just removed the tuners from the guitar and heated the (cleaned and polished) shaft ends on my gas stove burner, then slid the new buttons on. Finished up with a drop or two of thin super glue.

George Piburn wrote:Go to www.wdmusic.com to purchase EXACT KLUSON BRAND

I bought replacement tuners for my English Electronics there, but note that they are not an exact replacement. The shaft diameter is slightly smaller, while the outside diameter of the bezels is slightly larger.

WOW, all you folks who answered really made it easier for me. I now know where I stand. I think I'll take a crack at replacing the buttons first. I'm not concerned about originality, that's an impossibility with this type of problem.

Thanks so much to everybody who put in their comments.

George

George, here's a shot of my old National D-8 with the tuner buttons replaced. I got mine from the Stewart McDonald catalog very cheap and installed 'em myself........JH in Va.