Hey all, have boought the Grover tuning machine upgrade for my JB4A kit but the PRE-drilled holes in the headstock are too big. Has anyone had any success dowelling and re-drilling? Should I just stick to the basic tuners that came with the kit?
Hey all, have boought the Grover tuning machine upgrade for my JB4A kit but the PRE-drilled holes in the headstock are too big. Has anyone had any success dowelling and re-drilling? Should I just stick to the basic tuners that came with the kit?
You may also be able to get reduction bushings, I know they are available for guitars
Build 19 PSH-1 Kustom
Build 18 HB-4S Kustom
Build 17 WL-1 Kustom
Build 16 TL-1TB Kustom
Build 15 PBG-2-
Build 14 FTD-1
Build 13 RD-1 Kustom
Build 12 DM-1S
Build 11 MKA-2 -
Build 10 Basic strat
Build 9 JM Kustom
Build 8 FV-1G
Build 7 ES-2V
Build 6- Community prototype
Build 5 LP-1LQ
Build 4 ES-5V
Build 3 JR-1
Build 2 GD-1
Build 1 TLA-1
Welcome Micky.
Yes many of us have had to fill and re-drill tuner holes and it usually is no problem, especially if you have access to a drillpress. Before you proceed though can you send us a picture of the tuners and the holes. The holes are usually larger to accommodate the part that screws in from the front of the headstock.
Current:
GTH-1
Completed:
AST-1FB
First Act ME276 (resurrected curb-side find)
ES-5V
Scratchie lapsteel
Custom ST-1 12 String
JBA-4
TL-1TB
Scratch Lapsteel
Meinl DIY Cajon
Cigar Box lap steel
Wishing:
Baritone
Open D/Standard Double 6 twin neck
Plug and re-drill will be fine if you're careful and confident in your abilities (I'm about to do it on a bass build). Or, as Deds suggests, you could try some Adapter bushings.
Scott.
18mm diameter holes for the Fender style kit basses (in traditional Fender style), but the Grovers that PBG sell use a 14mm diameter hole. They'd be fine on the YB-4 Yamaha-style kit which already uses the mini-tuners, but the Fender style kits are all designed for Fender sized tuners. There is a practical benefit to this, as the larger gear size allow for a higher gear ratio of 24:1 on decent replacements whilst the standard Fender tuners are 20:1 (not sure what the basic kit ones are). Those mini-Grovers are 20:1. The higher ratio does allow for more precise tuning.
I'd email Adam and see if you can return the tuners and get your money back and look for some reasonable cost replacements. From what I've heard, the kit tuners aren't that good at all and really do need upgrading.
Last edited by Simon Barden; 09-08-2017 at 04:57 PM.
I actually bought a set from realparts but I still have the issue of the hole being too big for the back side of the tuning machine. I'll try to post a photo. Plugging will also allow me to get a little more height from the pegs for clearance on the bass side of the headstock.
OK, I see what you're trying to achieve. Pluging and redrilling is your best bet then.