Gotoh UPT Tuner

zztush

Well-known member
Joined
May 18, 2015
Messages
864
Reaction score
3
Location
Sweet Home Osaka Japan
I like friction tuners on my ukuleles especially soprano. But I sometimes frustrate to tune strings with electric tuners, because they are too accurate. Gotoh UPT tuner looks same as friction tuner but it is planetary tuner, which has 1:4 gears inside. Very easy to tune and stay long as geared tuners.

We just need three items.
1) UPT tuners: Gotoh has two planetary tuners, UPT and UPTL. The UPT manufacturer recommended head thickness is 10-12 mm. UPTL is 11.5-13.5 mm. If you have 12 mm thickness, both works, but UPT is better than UPTL. Because we don't need extra length of tuner pole.
2) Taper pin reamer: I use 3-15mm one. Any taper pin reamers around this size are ok.
3) Drill



Instractions
1) Remove the friction tuners.
2) Expand the holes around 10mm with reamer both side of headstock (see the left figure above) . Headstock wood is very light and very easy to cut.
3) Drill a small hole next to the tuner hole (see the right figure above). The location of the small hole is easy to identify by UPT's thorn, which prevent to turn the tuner on the headstock.
4) Set up tuners.

I have installed 5 sets of UPT tuners for me and my friends. Very good tuner and install is quite simple.
 
Thanks, great instructions. I'm way too scared of doing damage, but luckily, the guys at HMS will change friction tuners to Gotoh UPT for a small upcharge. They also made an instructive video of how to do it:


https://vimeo.com/123455918
 
Excellent instructions, the pictures you always include in your posts are extremely helpful, thank you. I have a Mya Moe baritone with "rabbit ears" and I didn't like the look. I switched them out for my favorite, black on black Gotoh UPT. The existing holes were just a little too big, alway check first. One single wrap of electrical tape around the barrel of the tuner made it a perfect fit.

20170517_174056.jpg20170520_200148.jpg20170520_200203.jpg
 
Hi Dave, can you share a picture of what the back of the headstock looks like? Can you see the old screw holes from the geared rabbit ear tuners that you removed? Thanks!
 
Here is the back of the headstock. I left the holes unfilled, I NEVER look back there. I did a similar switch over on a Pono tenor and spent the time filling and stain matching. Then never looked back there so I left the MM as is.

20171118_195324.jpg
 
Excellent instructions, the pictures you always include in your posts are extremely helpful, thank you. I have a Mya Moe baritone with "rabbit ears" and I didn't like the look. I switched them out for my favorite, black on black Gotoh UPT. The existing holes were just a little too big, alway check first. One single wrap of electrical tape around the barrel of the tuner made it a perfect fit.

View attachment 104355View attachment 104356View attachment 104357

I have always used a thin brass shim to take up any size difference. In the banjo world we would find this when fitting a ⅜" planetary (such as Gotoh, Five STAR or Waverly) in a hole for a 10mm tuner such as a Schaller. I hate black tape!
 
I have always used a thin brass shim to take up any size difference. In the banjo world we would find this when fitting a ⅜" planetary (such as Gotoh, Five STAR or Waverly) in a hole for a 10mm tuner such as a Schaller. I hate black tape!

Well the black tape is wrapped around the barrel of the tuner which is then inserted into the hole in the headstock. You dont see it. So.........!!!!
 
I love the Gotoh UPT-L tuners. I've installed a few myself.

Nice replacement for nearly any other tuners.
 
Thank you for this thread!

It gave me the courage to give the installation a try on my Ohana SK-35. I ordered a set from HMS, and a tapered reamer off Amazon.

UPT's arrived tonight, and the entire process took 45 minutes - If I wasn't intentionally going slowly and carefully, could probably have been done sooner. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.

They look great, and are so much better than the friction tuners it came with. Went with the all black UPT's, and they go really well with the dark headstock.

IMG_20180213_200648_01.jpg

IMG_20180213_200653_01.jpg
 
Last edited:
Well done both of you above. I know it makes one nervous to attack a precious instrument with tools, and more so to change the way it was originally done. However instruments are made to be played and not worshiped. I installed a set of Pegheds last month. I did it poorly but was able to cover up my mistakes and am well pleased with the results. Knowing what I do now I would install the Gotoh upts in preference to the Pegheds, but that is now water under the bridge and the Pegheds work flawlessly, they were just harder to install well.
Again - well done.
 
Quick question: on my “new” 2004 KoAloha, Gotoh UPTs were installed. Are there Left/Right Gotohs or do they all turn the same way, because as an turn the heads on the left side, to get the strings winding the right way, I have to turn them opposite of what I normally do with geared or friction tuners.

The right side tuners wind as usual, making me suspect that Gotohs may only turn one way. Or maybe these are older Gotoh UPT tuners and they addressed that issue?
 
Quick question: on my “new” 2004 KoAloha, Gotoh UPTs were installed. Are there Left/Right Gotohs or do they all turn the same way, because as an turn the heads on the left side, to get the strings winding the right way, I have to turn them opposite of what I normally do with geared or friction tuners.

The right side tuners wind as usual, making me suspect that Gotohs may only turn one way. Or maybe these are older Gotoh UPT tuners and they addressed that issue?

They turn both ways - how they tune depends on how you have them wound.
 
Well, they do...but do they have a reverse gear that I need to flip? Again, regular geared tuners tighten the same way based on whether they are on the left or right side.
 
They will turn both ways. If you want top & bottom tuner buttons to turn the same way, you can do that, but the top strings will be on the outside of the posts. Just the nature of the beast, and no biggie. I puzzled over that too.
 
Well, they do...but do they have a reverse gear that I need to flip? Again, regular geared tuners tighten the same way based on whether they are on the left or right side.

Think of these like friction tuners, the post turns in the same direction as the button, it is an inline configuration. So there is no left or right or no gear to flip. Hope this helps.
 
Well, they do...but do they have a reverse gear that I need to flip? Again, regular geared tuners tighten the same way based on whether they are on the left or right side.

Ah - I begin to understand the question. You are correct - geared tuners do turn the same way and there is a left side and a right side. The Gotoh tuners are planetary - we use them all the time on banjos - and are each the same. You learn to turn them according to how you have wound the pegs. The work like friction pegs but with gearing and so much better. Most people turn the string so that it is passed on the inside of the peg and then on to the nut. When tuning you learn - it gets instinctive - to turn opposite ways for tuning up or down between the top two on the headstock and the bottom two - as you hold it.

I hope this makes sense. Think friction pegs with gearing!

IMHO the Gotoh upt are the best.

Happy playing - Ian
 
Top Bottom