I Love These Ratios!

Jerryc41

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I installed a set of Ratio tuners onto an Ohana pineapple sopranino. The shaft on the Ratios is very thin, as someone else mentioned, so reaming is not necessary. However, that thin shaft also makes the collars to the top of the headstock too small. Like a previous poster, I kept the original Ohana collars in the headstock.

I experimented with filling and coloring the screw holes. I filled them with Minwax Color-Changing filler. It starts out purple and dries white. Although I had ordered some filler and scratch-fill pens from Amazon, I was impatient, so I bought more filler yesterday. I found a felt tip art pen that was a pretty good color match, and I used that to color the filler. Then I installed the tuners.

By the following morning, the color had faded a bit, so I touched-up the filler. The furniture touch-up sticks will arrive next week, so I'll see if any of them are a better match. When I do the next uke, I'll wait till the color has dried before installing the tuners. It's much easier applying the color without the tuners blocking the filler.

Yes, those screws are tiny! I used an awl to enlarge and deepen the holes so I'd be less likely to strip the heads. One thing I thought was odd: the screws seem to be longer than necessary. I was concerned that they would poke through the front of the headstock.

I'm going to order more of these tuners and put them on a matching sopranissimo and other ukes.

Before and after pictures below.

02.jpg Ratio 1.jpg Ratio 2.jpg
 
You’re right. I like the headstock without the ears. Nice work.
 
Really nice, but your strings should go to the inside of the post not the outside.
 
Really nice, but your strings should go to the inside of the post not the outside.

I have seen some instruments where the two lower pegs are strung to the outside and the upper ones to the inside. Some feel it works better as the strings line up more directly with the nut slots.

At any rate, nice job, looks great
 
I have seen some instruments where the two lower pegs are strung to the outside and the upper ones to the inside. Some feel it works better as the strings line up more directly with the nut slots.

Right! Martin sopranos are wound like that. The lower two are outside, and the upper two are inside.
 
I installed a set of Ratio tuners onto an Ohana pineapple sopranino. The shaft on the Ratios is very thin, as someone else mentioned, so reaming is not necessary. However, that thin shaft also makes the collars to the top of the headstock too small. Like a previous poster, I kept the original Ohana collars in the headstock.

I experimented with filling and coloring the screw holes. I filled them with Minwax Color-Changing filler. It starts out purple and dries white. Although I had ordered some filler and scratch-fill pens from Amazon, I was impatient, so I bought more filler yesterday. I found a felt tip art pen that was a pretty good color match, and I used that to color the filler. Then I installed the tuners.

By the following morning, the color had faded a bit, so I touched-up the filler. The furniture touch-up sticks will arrive next week, so I'll see if any of them are a better match. When I do the next uke, I'll wait till the color has dried before installing the tuners. It's much easier applying the color without the tuners blocking the filler.

Yes, those screws are tiny! I used an awl to enlarge and deepen the holes so I'd be less likely to strip the heads. One thing I thought was odd: the screws seem to be longer than necessary. I was concerned that they would poke through the front of the headstock.

I'm going to order more of these tuners and put them on a matching sopranissimo and other ukes.

Before and after pictures below.

View attachment 119963 View attachment 119964 View attachment 119966

My Ohana sopranissimo from USpace came with black tuner buttons, which I think look better on it than silver ones would have.
 
That’s a good looking pineapple!
 
That's a good idea Jerry. I'll tell my Ohana pineapple owning friend about those!
 
IIRC, you were concerned the Ratios were sticky rather than smooth. From your reaction here I assume that smoothed out once they were installed?
 
I installed a set of Ratio tuners onto an Ohana pineapple sopranino. The shaft on the Ratios is very thin, as someone else mentioned, so reaming is not necessary. However, that thin shaft also makes the collars to the top of the headstock too small. Like a previous poster, I kept the original Ohana collars in the headstock.

I experimented with filling and coloring the screw holes. I filled them with Minwax Color-Changing filler. It starts out purple and dries white. Although I had ordered some filler and scratch-fill pens from Amazon, I was impatient, so I bought more filler yesterday. I found a felt tip art pen that was a pretty good color match, and I used that to color the filler. Then I installed the tuners.

By the following morning, the color had faded a bit, so I touched-up the filler. The furniture touch-up sticks will arrive next week, so I'll see if any of them are a better match. When I do the next uke, I'll wait till the color has dried before installing the tuners. It's much easier applying the color without the tuners blocking the filler.

Yes, those screws are tiny! I used an awl to enlarge and deepen the holes so I'd be less likely to strip the heads. One thing I thought was odd: the screws seem to be longer than necessary. I was concerned that they would poke through the front of the headstock.

I'm going to order more of these tuners and put them on a matching sopranissimo and other ukes.

Before and after pictures below.

View attachment 119963 View attachment 119964 View attachment 119966

I've been waiting for someone to post a picture of how these lined up with the screw holes on a Ohana.

If you get a chance, could you please take an up close picture of how the Ratio posts look with the Ohana collars?
 
IIRC, you were concerned the Ratios were sticky rather than smooth. From your reaction here I assume that smoothed out once they were installed?

Ah, yes. I should have mentioned that. Installed with the strings attached, they are perfectly smooth.
 
@Jerry-

Did you buy these direct from Graph-Tech, or are they also available from other vendors now?

Thanks :)
 
Thanks for all the reporting Jerry!

I wonder if/when there will be a second generation though I’m more concerned with the price and working quality both of which seem very good.

Next string change these are a go.
 
Thanks for all the reporting Jerry!

I wonder if/when there will be a second generation though I’m more concerned with the price and working quality both of which seem very good.

Next string change these are a go.

They are working on high end tuners for high end ukes.
 
I've been waiting for someone to post a picture of how these lined up with the screw holes on a Ohana.

If you get a chance, could you please take an up close picture of how the Ratio posts look with the Ohana collars?

Yes, I will. Today or tomorrow. I'm working on plumbing in the kitchen. :(
 
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