A new poll (and a short review of my new tuning machines)

[Feynman]

Apparently my need for your approval is considerable.  Please vote for your favorite tuning machines on my beloved new guitar.

I sourced these locking Schallers from Europe,* and they are straight drop-ins with no new holes required.

I fully expected to base my decision solely on looks, but the sonic and performance aspects proved to be somewhat surprising.  I’ve captured some of my initial impressions below, but I won’t know my final thoughts until I can test them at gig volumes.

—
Original Imperial Style (243g)

 

To state the obvious up front, the 243g these tuners weigh renders them completely useless in a professional setting.  I do appreciate the bold yet classic Art Deco aesthetic, but these machines were more trouble than they were worth.  There is noticeable slop in the rollers, and the washers they use are clearly inferior to the magnesium alloys that my luthier recommends (he got this tip from John Mayer’s tech, and the sonic results are undeniable).  Of course this could be easily remedied, but not at 243g!  Schaller, what are you thinking here?

Locking with Nickel Buttons (226g)

 

I like the classic look of the nickel bean buttons, and the 1:18 ratio is just what the doctor ordered. 

With these, I was channeling some of the exact tones from Martino’s Live at Yoshi’s performance ( I admit I cop too many of that man’s lines).

Still, there is a thin metallic integument that seemed to glare through at times.  It’s so subtle that I doubt my audiences would ever notice, but it’s enough to drive me mad in my smoke-free home studio through the Two Rock.  That amp is so revealing it’s scary (if you know, you know).

 

The Grab Bag (238g)

 

Haha - I just did this as an experiment, but with the Imperial button on the A string it does seem to balance the sound out in a pleasant way.  I could never live with this look, but try it for yourself - you might be surprised at the tonal consistency.

 

Winner - Locking with Ebony buttons (218g)

 

 

The ebony buttons on the locking machines seem to be as good as it gets for the moment.   They come in just under my specified 220g weight limit, and they balance nicely on my ostrich strap.

These buttons seem to lack a tiny bit of the chocolatey midrange I’d expect to hear around 2.5kHz, but I can live with it for now.  I suspect the buttons are not my preferred Diospyros celebica.  They sound more like Diospyros Crassiflora Hiern to me, though Schaller inexplicably neglects to mention that on the packaging.  I have an inquiry in with them, and I’ll update you as soon as they reply.

 

In the end, these ebony buttons are staying, though I may have a local woodmeister craft some higher density buttons if I can’t dial out that midrange null.

Here’s a random photo in front of my unstaged music stand.

 

 

 

I'd love to hear your own experiences.

_________

* the band, not the city

 

[RobB]

19 minutes ago, Feynman said:

l'd love to hear your own experiences.

I think ya'll is trippin'.

[kizanski]

I don't care about any of that, but the Fackyo trussrod cover is perfect.  

[Jim85IROC]

I found that white buttons really opened up the tone.  The white brings a brighter overall tone, but the non metallic composition softens it just enough to avoid harshness.  

 

😉

[HSB0531]

Someone here once told me I should switch to ebony buttons for the 12-string bass octave strings.

I can see where 8 Ebony buttons would make a difference in neck dive.

It's a heavy neck.

[crunchee]

I dunno about tuner buttons, but I had a similar issue with the stock metal Fender 'flat top' knobs on the '00 P-Bass Special I bought used recently (yes, the one with a Poplar body...and BTW it easily sounds as good as any similar Alder-bodied bass I've played).  I changed the factory original gold anodized pickguard for a tortoise-colored one (the bass is Candy Apple Red, and a gold pickguard just wasn't doin' it for me, the tort pickguard looks much better IMO), and had to remove the knobs to do that.  The original Fender metal flat-top knobs weighed about 30g (about one ounce) each on my postage scale, but the more recent (and practically identical in appearance) Fender metal flat-top knobs weighed about 15g (1/2oz) each.  The fact that this bass uses three of those knobs (it's a P/J PU setup) makes for a 1 1/2 oz. (45g) weight savings by using the newer knobs.  It works for me!  

[JGale]

Ah, I see you have the appropriate response GIF that goes "Ping!"

[BubbaVO]

Never heard a difference due to the buttons.  But I like the Imperials on the “f” holed Newport.

[Feynman]

Okay, Schaller finally got me back to me on the exact species of ebony they use, and they said “can’t your forum friends tell when you’re joking?”

I thought this one was obvious, and at times believed I was actually funny.  Perhaps try reading it again as if it was a TGP or jazzguitar.be post?

For the record, I don’t:

• Own a Two Rock or an ostrich strap
• Have a luthier
• Have a gig volume
• Believe 20g would render a tuner unusable
• Think a washer’s sonic benefits would be undeniable (even coming from John Mayer's tech)
• Imagine that nickel buttons would give me Martino’s live tone (that would require ruthenium)
  • The implied brag about copping Martino's lines is obviously something I could never do either, but it seems most guitar players on the internet can easily do that
• Use ‘integument’ in verbal or written exchanges
• Describe tone as chocolatey, or by specific frequency
• Converse with 1982 Swedish Rock-SM winner Europe (the Joey Tempest fronted rock band known for such hits as The Final Countdown and Carrie)
• Well, all of it.  It was all a joke.  

 

I even totally staged that music stand photo to make you think I was learning sophisticated music.  I said it was an unstaged photo, but I lied. I’m sorry.

As a good friend once told me about jokes, "if you're explaining, you're losing."  I'm losing.

 

[JGale]

Welcome to the club.

[veatch]

If it brings consolation, I thought it was the best post of the year. 

Then again, we're only in early March...

I still think imperials for the win on this one, but if the tuners are sloppy, the ebony tuners do look nice. 

And I know you traded your two rock for a three monkeys. Or was it a divided by 13?

[burningyen]

Ebony looks great, and if it sounds better, then even better. I'm about to experiment with some Hipshot barrels vs. beans on a reverse 6-inline headstock. I doubt I'll hear a difference, but I'm curious to know ergonomically which works better for me.

[JGale]

Extremely well written, strategically placed visuals enhanced the storyline, the reader is immediately pulled into the narrative, made to feel welcome and then thoroughly teabagged.

[veatch]

And easy to dance to. I give it a 10. 

[ArnieZ]

I still believe the first post was his real intent and verifies what we all know…..the dude’s got issues😀

arniez

[BubbaVO]

Losing. 
 

but losing like a champ. 

[benjammin308]

You had me going.  I was gonna paint my tuner knobs red tonight so that I would sound angrier.  Now you're telling me that won't work.  Disappointed.

[crunchee]

I wasn't kidding about Fender knobs, though...I think I'll save the heavier ones as slingshot ammo for varmints. 

[Gabe]

Voted for the original imperial style. 
 

But the first thing I would replace is the nerdy Fackyo truss rod cover….

[scottcald]

I bought rosewood buttons for my Korina Artist I think from ToneNinja.

[MCChris]

On 3/7/2023 at 7:04 PM, Gabe said:

But the first thing I would replace is the nerdy Fackyo truss rod cover….

[kizanski]

On 3/7/2023 at 8:04 PM, Gabe said:

But the first thing I would replace is the nerdy Fackyo truss rod cover….

[django49]

But....But....But.....The Imperial tuners have less wind resistance!

[stratacus]

It was completely believable until you mentioned Two Rock. That sir, was a bridge too far. 

[cynic]

The only Two Rock I've ever heard was being used by Eric Gales.  Not sure how much was him and how much was the amp but it was making great noises.