evanL777
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what is the difference?
friction tuners vs. sealed geared tuners?
- Thread starter evanL777
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hoosierhiver
Well-known member
Friction pegs are prefered by folks who like the "old style" look, they work fine but need a little more finesse to tune them in.
Sealed gear are much more prefered today and can be more easliy "dialed in"
We sell sealed gear over friction pegs at probably 10 to 1 now.
Sealed gear are much more prefered today and can be more easliy "dialed in"
We sell sealed gear over friction pegs at probably 10 to 1 now.
evanL777
Well-known member
do they look different?
one goes out to the side, the other to the back- i believe friction goes back and sealed out to the side (like on most guitars)
DaveVisi
Well-known member
Friction tuners are a straight post. One turn of the knob equals one turn of the string post. There is a small screw in the end of the knob to adjust friction so it doesn't loosen when you let go.
Geared tuners use gear reduction so that somewhere around fourteen turns of the knob equals one turn around the string post. This makes for much more precision tuning. Geared tuners use two gears. One worm gear on the tuning knob and a standard gear screwed to the back end of the string post. Because of this arrangement, the knob is usually at right angles to the shaft. Sealed gears work the same, it's just that the gears themselves are enclosed for protection from corrosion and dirt.
Geared tuners use gear reduction so that somewhere around fourteen turns of the knob equals one turn around the string post. This makes for much more precision tuning. Geared tuners use two gears. One worm gear on the tuning knob and a standard gear screwed to the back end of the string post. Because of this arrangement, the knob is usually at right angles to the shaft. Sealed gears work the same, it's just that the gears themselves are enclosed for protection from corrosion and dirt.
ichadwick
Well-known member
Friction versus geared tuners.
It's the same as the difference between:
- An icebox and a refigerator;
- The telegraph and the Internet;
- A clipper ship and a cruise ship;
- A Model A Ford and a Corvette;
- A flintlock and an M16;
- Churning your own butter and store-bought butter;
- Milking the cow yourself and store-bought, pasteurized milk;
- A Kinetoscope and a digital camcorder;
- Kitty Hawk and a 747;
- The Daimler-Maybach Reitwagen and a modern Harley Davidson;
- An abacus and a digital calculator;
- A dinosaur and a chicken;
- A 78rpm gramophone record and a CD;
- A VHS tape and a Blu-Ray DVD;
- A Commodore Pet and a Dell dual-core laptop;
- A Linotype machine and Adobe Indesign...
Dirka
Well-known member
It should be noted that friction pegs are usually lighter than geared tuners, which I think makes the uke easier to hold.
I'm curious how they'll work for me on my new uke, I guess it'll take some getting used to.
I'm curious how they'll work for me on my new uke, I guess it'll take some getting used to.
My newest uke is a Kala slimline travel soprano. It came fitted with sealed geared tuners. They work very well indeed, but are SOOO heavy. They make the uke feel unbalanced, and adversley affect the way I control the uke while playing. I suppose if it were the only uke I ever played, I'd get used to it, but I've got - erm - several others. So I've changed my Kala to friction tuners, and now it feels normal.
I did like the precision of those geared tuners, though.
John Colter.
I did like the precision of those geared tuners, though.
John Colter.
Tanizaki
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This is common misunderstanding of evolution. Descendant species are not more "advanced" than ancestor species.
haole
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Good friction tuners are better than bad geared tuners.
But in general, geared tuners are popular because they're easier to use. Friction tuners take more practice.
If you're asking this because you're considering a Mainland, opt for the geared tuners. I'm sure they use quality friction tuners as well, but the geared ones will be a lot easier to tune with. Plus, you get your choice of classy color combinations!
But in general, geared tuners are popular because they're easier to use. Friction tuners take more practice.
If you're asking this because you're considering a Mainland, opt for the geared tuners. I'm sure they use quality friction tuners as well, but the geared ones will be a lot easier to tune with. Plus, you get your choice of classy color combinations!
Geared tuners are much easier to use. Good thing because they go out of tune if you breathe on them. Wooden pegs, at least on my Kumalae never go out of tune. Actually that's not entirely true. The whole uke will go up or down in pitch depending on humidity, but individual strings, never. I do agree about the inDesign part though.
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Pippin
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John, I had a conversation about geared tuners with Kala Uke founder, Mike Upton. Mike is a guitarist and ukulele player. He believes that geared tuners are more efficient and the majority of ukulele players today were guitarists first... so, his thinking is that geared tuners are easier and more familiar to them and ukes are so light for them that the weight doesn't seem to be an issue. The ukulele traditionalists are shooting for the big "K" ukes and custom-built models more than the Kala uke line. Ohana has more traditional looking models, but Louis Wu is a big ukulele traditionalist and fan of lightweight ukes.
dave g
Well-known member
Sealed geared tuners are pretty heavy for a ukulele, in my opinion. The ones with exposed gears are considerably lighter in weight. Every little bit matters in an instrument that weighs less than a pound overall... Friction tuners are lighter still, and work just fine once they settle in and are adjusted right. But it really comes down to a matter of opinion, rather like strings :cheers:
" Descendant species are not more "advanced" than ancestor species."
Quite correct - but they have adapted. To say they are more advanced suggests that they are better. Is a modern human being "better" than the versions which came before? Looking at the modern world would suggest otherwise.
Ukantor.
Quite correct - but they have adapted. To say they are more advanced suggests that they are better. Is a modern human being "better" than the versions which came before? Looking at the modern world would suggest otherwise.
Ukantor.
Tanizaki
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I have great news for you. There are many places on this planet for people who wish to "get away" from the modern world. We call these places "developing countries".
Pippin
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I really like the open-geared Grovers on my OU-5LCE.
Lanark
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It seems like some people just lack the patience to develop the finesse of a 1:1 turning ratio with friction tuners or develop a phobia of them because of what they read about them as written by these same people.
It takes a little practice to master, but it's less difficult than learning to play in the first place or changing strings.
It's a knob. You twist it. It's not complicated. If some folks find it too burdensome a difficulty to master, you really can't necessarily fault the mechanism for that. I've got either on different instruments. It's not an issue.
Aesthetically speaking though, I do prefer the classic look of friction tuners. And at this point that's what it comes down to mostly.
Meanwhile, my lovely wife still can't seem tune her uke on her own after months of playing even with geared tuners.
It takes a little practice to master, but it's less difficult than learning to play in the first place or changing strings.
It's a knob. You twist it. It's not complicated. If some folks find it too burdensome a difficulty to master, you really can't necessarily fault the mechanism for that. I've got either on different instruments. It's not an issue.
Aesthetically speaking though, I do prefer the classic look of friction tuners. And at this point that's what it comes down to mostly.
Meanwhile, my lovely wife still can't seem tune her uke on her own after months of playing even with geared tuners.
Thumper
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Amen. It's really not a biggie at all. I've got both types, and don't really care one way or the other. They both work fine.
hoosierhiver
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or developing counties in my case.
Tanizaki
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To which I say, so what?
This seems like a very similar lament I hear from an old timer whom I have informed that I have never driven an automobile with a manual transmission. My geared tuners allow more precision, stay in tune better, and are less sensitive that friction tuners. It's a no-brainer for me. Of course, as someone with a life, I don't care about another person choice of tuner for his musical instrument.
