Replacement tuners?

[t100d]

Hey guys,
Its been a while …

While gigging my Monoprice Indio Classic Tele clone today, I was having some trouble getting it into tune with the band, partly because I was playing with a Fender Rhodes, and a sax player and bassist whose intonation was a little shaky. I finally got it to settle down, but after a few tunes it started to drift again—although we were playing jazz, I'm a string bender … I use Thomastik-Infeld 11's which are great strings (the high price is more than made up for by their quality, tone and long life).

I'm thinking about replacing the tuners, and I was wondering if anyone out there has this same guitar and if you have replaced the tuners, and if so what brand and style you used.
This was a $69.00 guitar (on sale)— I did a bunch of setup work on it, including a pair of Tusk string trees because the stock metal ones were a POS, and it plays like a dream.

Any thoughts? I'd like to keep it around $40-50.00 if a decent set can be found for that price.

IMG_20250302_231423266_HDR.jpg

[t100d]

These look like they would work—I have Wilkinsons on my Douglas archtop and they seem pretty good. From the inner of the button to the back of the casing is a couple of mm shorter on the Monoprice, but everything else seems to line up (as yet I haven't pulled one to check the hole size …)
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=guitar+tuner ... nb_sb_noss

[dabbler]

I know you said you did a setup but I have to ask, did you make sure the nut wasn't grabbing the strings?

[Rollin Hand]

Wilkinson EZ-Loks are very good. Perhaps consider a Tusq XL nut as well.

[Tiga]

I would start with the nut - could try some light filing to clean up the slots then add a little lubricant. Replacing with a Tusq makes a lot of sense too. If after that you feel you still want new tuners then I say spend the extra on a good brand-name set (hipshot, grover, etc) and consider locking just to make your life easier. (having said that I recently bought a set of Guyker lockers for $28 and they are working well).

[andrewsrea]

I'm thinking about replacing the tuners, and I was wondering if anyone out there has this same guitar and if you have replaced the tuners, and if so what brand and style you used.
IMG_20250302_231423266_HDR.jpg

I am going to answer this as a repair man: don't fix what isn't broken - fix the root cause. Tuning machines are way too expensive to buy, to find out the problem had nothing to do with them. However, it seems to be the first thing people do.

The problem with tuning instability is somewhat in this order of cause:
- Binding in the nut (use powdered graphite, nut sauce, or perhaps take it to a luthier to properly slot the nut).
- New strings not stretched. Pull them and retune at least 3 times.
- Guitar's relief, nut height, action and intonation not set (which can include a bad bridge or bridge placement)
- Frets not spaced correctly or not crowned right. This typically presents itself as being in-tune at some frets and not others, can affect all strings
or just a few.
- Bad wound strings with broken cores. They sound in tune opened-string and then are badly out when you cross the break point. Obviously, the fix
is buy new strings. I had once purchased a bot of 10 sets of Dean Markley 10's only to find almost every set had a broken core on the D strings.
It took a while t figure it out.
- Faulty tuners: sticky post, gear slippage and missing teeth (you can feel it when you wind it).

If you really feel it is a tuning machine and not the items before it, I suggest 18:1 ratio tuners. Light weight is also of importance to me, as if the guitar becomes headstock heavy, your fretting hand gets double-duty f having to play and support the neck. It will fatigue your hand.

I like safety-post tuners, like Kluson Supreme (split Safety-posts are the ultimate locking tuners, IMHO), or Grover Mini locking 406 Series

[BrianSkeezer]

I agree with the nut most likely being the cause. Just a question and you may have already checked this....your picture looks like some of the tuners are slightly rotated compared to others. Are they tight to the headstock? Meaning, the retaining nut and placement screws are tight? I've had some of mine loosen from the vibrations without me knowing and cause tuning issues before.

[t100d]

I agree with the nut most likely being the cause. Just a question and you may have already checked this....your picture looks like some of the tuners are slightly rotated compared to others. Are they tight to the headstock? Meaning, the retaining nut and placement screws are tight? I've had some of mine loosen from the vibrations without me knowing and cause tuning issues before.

Yeah, looks like a sloppy job to me, but hey the guitar only cost me $89!
I just checked and the G string tuner screw was not tightened all the way down. I used a straight edge to line them all up, but the 4th string was shy of the rest by a millimeter or two—good job I bought this to play and not to gaze at!
Powdered graphite is next. tuning seems to be holding though, won't be certain until I gig it again …

Thanks as always for all the good advice, folks!

[BrianSkeezer]

I agree with the nut most likely being the cause. Just a question and you may have already checked this....your picture looks like some of the tuners are slightly rotated compared to others. Are they tight to the headstock? Meaning, the retaining nut and placement screws are tight? I've had some of mine loosen from the vibrations without me knowing and cause tuning issues before.

Yeah, looks like a sloppy job to me, but hey the guitar only cost me $89!
I just checked and the G string tuner screw was not tightened all the way down. I used a straight edge to line them all up, but the 4th string was shy of the rest by a millimeter or two—good job I bought this to play and not to gaze at!
Powdered graphite is next. tuning seems to be holding though, won't be certain until I gig it again …

Thanks as always for all the good advice, folks!

I apologize if it appeared I was being judgemental about the build quality. That wasn't my intention at all. Like I said earlier, I've had a tuning machine nut and the retaining screw loosen on some of my guitars and the tuning machines have rotated, which caused tuning issues for me. At no point did I mean to insinuate that your guitar was of poor quality or a "sloppy job" was done.

Glad to hear that it seems to be holding tune a bit better now! Happy playing!

[t100d]

No offense taken, mon ami!
I'm amazed that this guitar is as good as it is for such a low price … I found a couple of loose screws, and finagled the tuners as best as I could. Looks a lot better!
I don't remember what gauge strings it came with, but I have 11's on almost all my electrics and acoustics, so possibly if it came with 10's then the nut slots could be a little tight, on the 3rd especially. Not a big deal.
Still waiting on graphite from my incompetent local hardware store, should be in by tomorrow they say, but ¿quien sabe?
Really appreciate all the feedback …