The Steel Guitar Forum

i need repair work done on my tuning machines in the ny/nj area. any suggestions?

You may try Bill Bonanzinga in Bay Shore NY......he may be too busy to do repairs but it doesn't hurt to ask.......he's very well known locally and state wise as being an excellent builder.......I have one of his Weissenborns which he is not building at present.....Dave Giegerich was very impressed with it and if the "Hula Monster" liked it.....that said a lot....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGzZiC4ZeQ0

What is the issue with the tuners, ebb?

they slip badly and the buttons are disentegrating

Okay - are they the old style 'reverse' gears (appear upside down but work as normal) or the standard factory era tuner?

i think these are the originals

You might replace your tuners with Stew-Mac's Golden Age Restoration 1920s tuners. I have used the GAR 2500s with success--cream knobs and standard posts.

Both styles are original, however if your buttons are disintegrating that would be unusual for the celluloid used on the Weissenborn era tuners.

Here is a picture of the two basic styles of tuner that shows orientation:



Whether you choose to replace or refurbish is a personal decision. However, If you have the early style tuners they are almost impossible to replace, since they were engineered differently. Luckily, the originals can be made to work quite well.

If you have the later style there are several options. Refurbish the set you have, find another cleaner original set, or replacement. The tuners George mentions work well but are cheap. The short post model Stewmac recently introduced is the correct model for Weissenborn. Higher end tuners are also available though specialist suppliers such as Folkway music.

yes i have the earlier style reverse gears
this is great info thanks