Direction of turning tuning pegs

maikii

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On some guitars, as they come from the factory, you turn all pegs the same way to tighten, and the opposite way to loosen them. That is what I am used to.

On others I have noticed, the three treble strings turn one way to tighten, and the three bass strings the opposite way.

I think most ukuleles do it the second way, where the two lower string tuners turn the opposite way to tighten as the two higher ones.

Is there any logical reason for these two different ways to set up the tuners, or is it just a matter of tradition?

It seems simpler to me to turn them all the same direction to tighten, same direction to loosen, rather than having two different ways, depending on which string. But I guess if one gets used to the other way, that seems natural and simple too.

Is it only a matter of custom and tradition---

Or--do some thing it could affect the sound, and/or the durability of the instrument?
 
Aloha Maikii,
It's probably due to the routing of the strings from the nut to the tuner pegheads. Much like comparing a Fender guitar head to a Gibson. Depending on how the tuners are set up in relation to the nut. Make sense?
 
I have never seen a guitar or uke where all the tuners turned the same direction except on Fender Strat type headstock. If you look at the tuners in relation to the nut on a "standard" headstock you can see how things line up correctly using what you call method two tuning.
 
It is the standard for function and design except noted by Mandarb...Fender type strat headstocks.....
 
I have never seen a guitar or uke where all the tuners turned the same direction except on Fender Strat type headstock. If you look at the tuners in relation to the nut on a "standard" headstock you can see how things line up correctly using what you call method two tuning.

What about on a classical guitar? THey have the tuning knobs going backwards, rather than to the sides, and you turn them all the same way to tighten, other way to loosen.
 
Classical guitars have slotted headstocks. The tuners are "going backwards" because there is not room to mount them with the tuners out to the side as on solid headstocks. Good luck and enjoy your uke.
 
I assume it is so all the tuners are the same for capatibility. On the other side of the headstock for the tuner to turn the same way as the other side, the gears would have to be reversed (mirror imaged). And that would be more expensive to manufacture with two sets (left hand, and right hand) tooling, and the confusion of using two separate operations of tuners as far as replacing them.
 
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