New Waverly Ukulele Geared Tuners (16:1) Are Fabulous! HIGHLY Recommended....

joejeweler

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In my recent order from Stewmac.com i picked up a set of the new Waverly 16:1 ratio geared uke tuners with ebony buttons. At $92.98 not a purchase to be taken lightly, but i had specific reasons why it made sense. If builders begin to stock these in small quantities, the pricing drops to:

(1) $92.98
(3) or more $85.54
(6) or more $79.13

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Ukulele_tuners/Waverly_Ukulele_Tuners.html

After getting them installed on my Kanile'a K-2 S soprano, i can say without hesitation they are worth every cent! I suspect once some of the higher end ukulele makers try them, they will be using them in place of the Grovers. If you're in the market for a custom ukulele or will be ordering one soon,....pay a little more and request these tuners. You'll be smiling all the way "from" the bank!

The Grovers work,....but are simply too heavy with the size needed on the Kanile'a. The thicker headstock needs a bit longer post, and all i could find were the same Grover's with a solid metal button that Kanile'a uses. These are probably guitar tuners, not sure. On my Ken Timms soprano, the PO put on Grovers with lighter black buttons, and i was going to try those but the posts are way too short to fit the Kanile'a. These are the Grovers listed for ukes i guess.

Anyway, when the Waverly open backed geared tuners arrived, i was highly impressed with the quality and functioning. Part of the reason i wanted the change was to lighten the weight a bit, and i knew the smaller ebony buttons would be lighter than the all metal ones on the Grovers.

The upper hole on the Waverly matched up fine with the upper hole from the Grover. The lower hole, however, was a bit lower and came into conflict with the previous hole in the headstock.

I decided to fill the lower holes so that the new (and wider) screws supplied with the Waverlys would get a firm bite in the wood. If these filled holes would have been showing, i would have tried to find a close match to the mahogany. But they were strictly structural support, as the new screw holes would be very near, .....so an easier approach was used.

It was a simple matter to use a couple of the old wooden toothpics and fit them "dry" to the holes. Leave plenty sticking out to give you a handle.

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Once i had them easily press fit to the holes by light sanding (cut the fine point off before you start), you can then use the toothpic section to carry a little bead of superglue to the hole, and then go back and cover the 1st 1/8" or so of wood with a thin layer of glue. Protect the headstock from any glue drips if you're a bit messy, but you don't need to go crazy here. A little works fine. I put a few drops of the glue on a plastic baggie to use as a source of supply to work from.

I also used the slightly extended setup superglue,....gives you 20-30 seconds or so. This allows you the time to add a small bead in the hole, go back and cover the end of the toothpic, and then press the wood into the hole to the bottom. Any small excess glue can be quickly wicked up with a small piece of paper towel.

After about 20 minutes, i went back and cut off most of the remaining toothpic,.....with final leveling by careful use of a hand graver used like a small chisel. I use a 2 hand technique to prevent any "slips". One hand works the graver, the other hand helps guide the front of the cutting edge (by pinching the graver sides) so that when the sharp edge clears the "nub" of the toothpick it doesn't wander over to the headstock and nick it up. No accidents this way!

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You can see a bit of the old hole to the left (now filled) in the lower Waverly mounting hole. A careful drilling of a pilot hole for the new screws followed, watching the depth so i didn't drill thru to the front of the headstock! Simple to check by drilling a little and stop. With the drill still in the new hole, pinch the drill bit where it exits the tuner base hole. Now pull the drill bit out and lay the drill alongside close to the headstock to eyeball the depth. Go back and drill a little deeper if needed to complete the screw pilot holes. I always add i touch of dry soap scraped againg the screws threads to add a little lubrication to the screws when seating them. Works smooth, and never had a screw break off in a hole.

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Other than a faint outline in the finish from the old Grover base profile in just a few places, the conversion is invisable. You really have to look close and tip into strong light to even see that,.....so it's a minor point.
 
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I thought you might all want to see these new tuners a bit closer, with some of the fine features and quality construction that caught my eye. The ebony buttons are well matched, high quality material, and finished immaculately. Nice work from Bozeman, Montana and the Waverly crew!

The fact that they are still made in the USA by American workers is a plus also!

Because BOTH sides of the base plate are solid with no open "hook" to get the worm gear in place,....these Waverly tuners have a drilled and tapped screwed in bushing that can be seen here. The reduction gear is bronze also,....much harder than simple brass and should last a very long time.

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Here are a few views that i think show how well made these tuners are:

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The weight savings was significant also from the tuner switch.

Here are all 4 Grovers, with the heavy metal tuning buttons weighing in at 3.16 ounces:

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....and the new Waverly ukulele tuners at just 2.676 ounces:

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The total weight savings of .484 ounces is more significant than what it might seem. I was amazed at how much less top heavy the Kanile's uke felt. The fact that the extra weight was at the end of the instrument becomes more noticable the farther up the fretboard you played. Much like holding a gallon of liquid with your arm straight down is no big deal. Hold that same weight out at arms length and it quicky becomes a burden,....a sort of lever effect.

One final thought is that these new tuners work so smoothly it becomes fun and something to look forward to when your strings need changing! The 16:1 gear ratio makes minute adjustments a breeze,......and the overall look, feel, and quality of these tuners will surely put a smile on your face. :D

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I recently did this same tuner swap (but with koa buttons) on my Kanilea as well. I am much happier with the look and feel of the Waverly's. They are plenty expensive but worth it for a uke I will keep forthe rest of my life. Those ebony knobs look nice too!

Forgot to mention that I also received the wrong bushings from Stewmac but the Waverly's fit in the Grover bushing anyways.
 
I'm just about to purchase a Kanile'a - do you think they would install Waverly's from the factory?
 
Grover makes different sized posts for their tuners. StewMac just doesn't carry them.
On the topic of weight..... Is light weight necessarily what you want at the head stock? I know one builder here who adds lead weight under the head stock veneer in order to increase sustain. And there are head stock weights you can buy that are supposed to accomplish the same thing. I'm not "weighing" in either way, I'm just saying there are other things to consider.
 
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-I'm not sure if Kanilea would put Waverly tuners on at the factory, you should definitely ask though.......

-One reason I swapped to Waverly tuners was that I felt Grovers added weight to where the uke was already heavy. I much prefer a well balanced uke and this change helped. Of course we're not talking much weight but it was a very noticeable difference to me.
 
Grover makes different sized posts for their tuners. StewMac just doesn't carry them.
On the topic of weight..... Is light weight necessarily what you want at the head stock? I know one builder here who adds lead weight under the head stock veneer in order to increase sustain. And there are head stock weights you can buy that are supposed to accomplish the same thing. I'm not "weighing" in either way, I'm just saying there are other things to consider.

Interesting point.

In a discussion on another board a while back, a well known expert on instrument acoustics pointed out that an increase in sustain will mean a drop in volume. Swings and roundabouts, I suppose...
 
Call me unsophisticated but what does a $95.00 set of tuners offer over the tuners that I have on my $50.00 Ohana Ukulele? The tuners I have allow me to adjust the strings quickly and they hold right where I put them. Tuners don't effect any part of the sound of an Ukulele do they? Except maybe if they are loose.

I realize that Fiats and Roll Royce vehicles do the same job but with different prestige and comfort levels. But I was under the impression that with quality instruments the value would hold better if the original parts (with the caveat that they do the job capably) remain on the instrument.

The weight savings as discussed in this post seems immaterial. I mean if Ukuleles weigh 12 ounces or so and you are able to save .484 ounce that is like a 4% weight savings. I'd venture to say most toddlers that have been walking for any length of time could probably handle an Ukulele of that weight range. Well actually that .484 ounce would be an issue if there was a 5 or 10 foot pole sticking out from the headstock and that weight put at the end of that poll.

Although
I do applaud and appreciate joejeweler's description of how he handles various problems he runs across in these modifications.
 
These tuners are not for everybody, I have enjoyed having them on some of my instruments and I like the way they look and perform. I see them as the last tuners I will ever need when I install them. I don't expect them to change the sound on my uke at all but they make me happy because they look awesome and they will very likely last the lifetime of my uke and then some.

I'm not worried about the value of my uke going down but I'm also not selling mine (another reason why I swapped tuners). In the off chance that I decide to get rid of it however, I think the Waverly tuners would actually be a good selling point.

As I posted earlier, there isn't a significant savings in weight but on my particular uke it makes a nice difference in the balance/feel and the instrument is less heavy at the headstock.

If stock tuners make you happy then more power to you, you'll save some $$$. If you happen to be looking for one of of the best tuner sets you can buy, Waverly's are a good choice.
 
Thanks for the report on these. Nice look and I have no doubt they function like butter! I am seriously considering them. Anyone know if these are as light as the pegheads?
 
I recently did this same tuner swap (but with koa buttons) on my Kanilea as well. I am much happier with the look and feel of the Waverly's. They are plenty expensive but worth it for a uke I will keep forthe rest of my life. Those ebony knobs look nice too!

Forgot to mention that I also received the wrong bushings from Stewmac but the Waverly's fit in the Grover bushing anyways.

I edited my initail post about the Waverly bushing being way too big , as someone at Stemac got back to me and said they pulled a unit and the bushings were within spec on the one he checked. I can get a steel rod thru the Waverly bushings that won't go thru the Grover bushings still mounted on my Kanile'a, so the Grover bushings are definately smaller.

I left the Grover bushings on for another reason besides it being a tighter fit,.....and that is the Waverly's had a hex sided top design to it. I didn't want to have the old bushing outline show thru, and besides, it looks cleaner without all the extra slop.

I still feel the Waverly set i got had the wrong bushings,.....but maybe i'm too being too picky in expecting a closer fit.

...... don't think so though, as your response echo's my feeling.

-I'm not sure if Kanilea would put Waverly tuners on at the factory, you should definitely ask though.......

-One reason I swapped to Waverly tuners was that I felt Grovers added weight to where the uke was already heavy. I much prefer a well balanced uke and this change helped. Of course we're not talking much weight but it was a very noticeable difference to me.

As i mentioned in the original post,.....there IS a pronounced less "peghead heavy" feel with the Waverlys over the 1/2 ounce heavier Grovers. It feels more balanced now, and surprising since it's just 1/2 ounce weight reduction.

The feel is more precise also,.....the 16:1 ratio makes small adjustments a snap.


BTW,....if a group of six got together these could be had for $79/set plus a little shipping. Still not cheap, but better than $93/set.

Grover makes different sized posts for their tuners. StewMac just doesn't carry them.
On the topic of weight..... Is light weight necessarily what you want at the head stock? I know one builder here who adds lead weight under the head stock veneer in order to increase sustain. And there are head stock weights you can buy that are supposed to accomplish the same thing. I'm not "weighing" in either way, I'm just saying there are other things to consider.

Definately true,....but believe me the Kanile'a headstock is plently heavy without adding unnessarily to the weight with
all metal tuner buttons. Not sure if all Kanile'a sopronos come with a 1-1/2 inch nut with, but mine does so it might have been a special order that way. Same with the meatier feel to the neck at the nut,.....better contol for fingerpicking and a trifecta for the big three,...........sustain/volumn/tone.
 
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Call me unsophisticated but what does a $95.00 set of tuners offer over the tuners that I have on my $50.00 Ohana Ukulele? The tuners I have allow me to adjust the strings quickly and they hold right where I put them. Tuners don't effect any part of the sound of an Ukulele do they? Except maybe if they are loose.

I realize that Fiats and Roll Royce vehicles do the same job but with different prestige and comfort levels. But I was under the impression that with quality instruments the value would hold better if the original parts (with the caveat that they do the job capably) remain on the instrument.

The weight savings as discussed in this post seems immaterial. I mean if Ukuleles weigh 12 ounces or so and you are able to save .484 ounce that is like a 4% weight savings. I'd venture to say most toddlers that have been walking for any length of time could probably handle an Ukulele of that weight range. Well actually that .484 ounce would be an issue if there was a 5 or 10 foot pole sticking out from the headstock and that weight put at the end of that poll.

Although
I do applaud and appreciate joejeweler's description of how he handles various problems he runs across in these modifications.

It's where the weight savings comes off that matters here,......and the 1/2 ounce savings makes a better balanced instrument.

Do an experiment with one of your own ukuleles that feels pretty balanced now. Take a piece of metal that weighs 1/2 ounce, wrap it in masking tape to pretect your ukes finish and use a bit of masking tape to attach it to the top or back of your peghead.

I'll bet you're going to be surprised on how much difference that 1/2 ounce of weight means in the overall balance! :D

Oh,....and of course it makes no sense upgrading the tuners on a budget uke. But on a $1200 to $2000 instrument, it begins to make sense if the overall feel is improved, and you'll want to play it all the more.

.......like i said earlier,....you'll be LOOKING for an excuse to change strings!
 
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I sent an email to Stewmac regarding the bushings and have yet to hear back. My bushings were absolutely too big for these tuners, I've never seen such a gap! I was surprised to see this problem given Waverly's quality history but it worked out in the end.
 
I sent an email to Stewmac regarding the bushings and have yet to hear back. My bushings were absolutely too big for these tuners, I've never seen such a gap! I was surprised to see this problem given Waverly's quality history but it worked out in the end.


Below is my inquiry to Stew-Mac,....and their response. Not a big deal to me now since the Grover bushings worked OK. But if you don't have a better fitting set of bushings already in hand i doubt these will please you if they are as loose as mine (and yours) were.

I can't find my micrometer to get a precise measurement to respond back wiith the exactness i would like to, but a millimeter guage as well as my eyes tells me all i need to know. Just way too big a bushing in my case.

They were trying to be helpful though,....and maybe some sets like the one he pulled are better. I suspect this initial problem will be resolved once they get more customer feedback like mine and yours.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting us. I checked the specs for the Waverly uke tuners on our website and checked a set from stock, and everything seemed in order. The posts are stepped, but the portion that rests against the bushing measures .236". The ID of the bushing measure .256", which is within spec. If the bushings were smaller than .236" then you the string posts wouldn't fit through them. Is there something I'm missing? This is the first time we've heard this being a problem.
Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions.

Best regards,

Mike McGovern
Technical Support
Stewart MacDonald
www.stewmac.com

> NAME: Joseph T...........
> EMAIL: joejeweler@.......
> REGARDING: Tech
> COMMENT:
> Hi, i recieved my order number 0330575SNFQ today. Included in the order was a set of the new Waverly ukulele tuners that i wanted to put on my Kanile'a soprano and replace the very heavy Grovers with solid metal buttons. The Waverly's have ebony buttons and are sustantially lighter. They also are very well made.
>
> Anyway, the bushings that came with the Waverly's are much too large for the post diameter. They measure a hair over 1/4 inch, but the posts are 3/16" inch.
>
> Fortunately, the bushings from the previous Grovers are the right diameter. I got them installed today and they work great, but now i have a set of Grovers i can't use because i have no bushings of proper size.
>
> Since they are listed as a new product, i thought i should alert you that possibly more sets are mismatched in your inventory so you can get it worked out with Waverly.
>
> Please advise as to when you might be able to provide (4) 3/16" post hole size so that i can use the previous tuners. No rush,...but an estimate would be appreciated.
>
> Also, what do you want me to do with the bushings sent in error?
>
> thanks,
> Joseph T............
>
>
 
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You should edit your post with your private info.
 
I love Waverly's on all my guitars and mandolins...I'd love them to be on my ukuleles too...
 
Gerry at Boat Paddle got some Grovers with 1/2" posts for the tenor I got from him. He likes a thicker headstock and I like friction tuners for the decreased weight.

That said, I love the look and feel of Waverlys. They are classic. I have a couple of guitars that I put Grovers (rotomatics) in the past and really wished I had used Waverlys instead.

Looks great! (Should have gone with koa buttons.. Sorry had to say it. )

Grover makes different sized posts for their tuners. StewMac just doesn't carry them.
On the topic of weight..... Is light weight necessarily what you want at the head stock? I know one builder here who adds lead weight under the head stock veneer in order to increase sustain. And there are head stock weights you can buy that are supposed to accomplish the same thing. I'm not "weighing" in either way, I'm just saying there are other things to consider.
 
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