Saga Guitar Kit – The Guitar Tuners
Ok, if you remember I got some new gold tuners for this kit. They looked really good, and they were a good price. The only problem was, they were too big. Meaning the tuning posts were too thick to fit through the holes that were drilled. It seems like and easy fix, just go ahead and drill the holes bigger. Well, never try to redrill a hole on anything you want precise. It’s almost impossible to get the bit completely centered, and you still have the chance of the bit drifting, and ending up with an oval hole. So the thing to do is ream it out. You’ll make a cone shaped hole, but it won’t show after the tuners are fitted. Plus, the reamer self centers as long as you keep it straight up and down. I used reamers that were designed for metal, but they worked on wood really well. You just have to use a little elbow grease. On some things, when precision is important it’s better to do things by hand, slowly, so that things don’t get away from you. The process is pretty simple, insert the reamer from the back, ream a little, then do a little from the front. Try the tuners and see if they fit. If not repeat. If you’re going to do this make sure you put the tuners in before you try fitting the neck. Being able to put the strings on will help you center the neck and bridge. Next time, putting the neck in the pocket.
Reamers used on tuning peg holes
Reaming tuning holes
Tuning hole size comparison. Notice how much bigger the new ones were.
Tuner type comparison. Notice the new ones are sealed
Still too small, need to ream out a little more.
All fit and lined up. Notice the screw holes don't line up. Time to mark and redrill.
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What about the old screw holes from the old tuning machines that don’t line up to the new ones.
Should I fill them with something like superglue?
Jim, I had the problem of the old screw holes not lining up with the new tuners. Don’t fill them with superglue if you need to drill into them, if they’re going to be completely covered by the new tuners, I wouldn’t worry about it. Mine were close enough to the real tuners that the drill would cut partially into the old hole. I took a matchstick and split it into small slivers, then put some wood glue into the holes, and plugged them, like I did with the holes for the pickguard. I’ve got pictures of it, just haven’t posted it yet.
What kind of tuners did you get? I have a kit and would like to get new tuners but am skeptical about brand and whether or not they will fit.
I got all my extra parts from Guitar Fetish. They didn’t fit exactly, that’s why I had to ream out the holes. You may have to do the same thing, but if you’re lucky they’ll fit the first time.