Low G Trying to figure out which tuning pegs brand(s) I should buy.

[BiosphereDecay]

I'm about to buy this: https://www.enya-music.com/products/ukulele-ms-solid-mahogany?variant=33286214746200

I think the tuning pegs are quite ugly personally. I want 16:1 geared, silver colored posts, with either black or wood peg knobs. I'd like to keep it on the cheaper side, while getting something of high enough quality that it stays in tune. What brands should I be looking at? Let's say the budget is roughly $20-40.

Not having to buy a drill would be a big plus, but the photos of this uke aren't clear enough for me to tell where the holes for the screws are.

 

[Mike $]

Grovers are good. If it were me, I'd get friction tuners. They are traditional on ukes, they hold their tune and are pretty easy to use. I don't like the look of guitar style tuners on ukes.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

Grovers are good. If it were me, I'd get friction tuners. They are traditional on ukes, they hold their tune and are pretty easy to use. I don't like the look on guitar style tuners on ukes.

Genuine Grover Sta-Tite U98 18:1 Long Shaft Tuners for Ukulele, Set 2+

Genuine Grover Sta-Tite U99 18:1 Ukulele Set of four tuners (2+2) NickelManufacturers Part Number : U98-18N The original Grover® Sta-Tite™ machine heads are now available for ukuleles, with an 18:1 gear ratio for precise tuning, still with the classic styling and butter bean button of the...

sporthitech.com

These seem to be a good option. I'd rather have the chrome or black, but they're double the price on most sites. It looks like I'll have to drill a couple small holes for these though.

 

[merlin666]

Wow the price of concert is just $68! I would be reluctant to throw more money toward a cheap uke like this and rather save up for better instrument. I have an Enya uke and the tuners are small and lightweight. Grover on another uke are much bigger so maybe someone here knows dimensions so you get an idea of what kind of work is ahead. Also if new tuners are heavier then uke will be off balance which can be quite distracting if head pulls down.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

Wow the price of concert is just $68! I would be reluctant to throw more money toward a cheap uke like this and rather save up for better instrument. I have an Enya uke and the tuners are small and lightweight. Grover on another uke are much bigger so maybe someone here knows dimensions so you get an idea of what kind of work is ahead. Also if new tuners are heavier then uke will be off balance which can be quite distracting if head pulls down.

I just bought it. The electric version was $76.50. I have a soprano and a tenor, and neither of them feel quite right. The action is too high on both. I plan to really customize this new one to suit my taste. I'd love to get a really nice one, but I just don't have the money. (On disabilities. I don't get much.)

So, what I'm thinking is I could buy legit silver Grover tuners, and then buy knock-off black ones from aliexpress, and put the black pegs on the Grover tuners. How hard would it be to replace those? The videos I watched use vices and other tools that I don't have to do it.

 

[TerryM]

In my limited experience, not all buttons fit all tuners. They tend to be proprietary. You may wind up stuck with black buttons you can't use or chrome buttons you don't want.

 

[rainbow21]

I recommend waiting to get the ukulele and having it around for a bit. You may grow to like them, or at least tolerate them to not have to jump through more hoops trying to buy and change tuners.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

In my limited experience, not all buttons fit all tuners. They tend to be proprietary. You may wind up stuck with black buttons you can't use or chrome buttons you don't want.

Yeah, how do I figure out the size of the hole on the button? From what I've seen, there's no standard size. If I bought a Chinese version of the exact same model of Grover pegs, surely they would fit right?

 

[Ukecaster]

For an inexpensive uke like that, instead of the $38+ shipping fancy Grover tuners, I'd get the standard black button Grover 9b. Same excellent Grover performance, just less fancy and cheaper.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...tite-ukulele-tuners-nickel-with-black-buttons

 

[TerryM]

Yeah, how do I figure out the size of the hole on the button? From what I've seen, there's no standard size. If I bought a Chinese version of the exact same model of Grover pegs, surely they would fit right?

Correct, there's no standard, so without an engineering schematic, you won't figure it out. Rainbow21's advice is good. Likewise Ukecaster's.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

If it's too difficult to do, I'm okay with just the solid nickel or Chrome tuners. Maybe the all black one, but I can only find that in sets of six for guitar. Having a hard time finding models that are meant for ukulele.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

For an inexpensive uke like that, instead of the $38+ shipping fancy Grover tuners, I'd get the standard black button Grover 9b. Same excellent Grover performance, just less fancy and cheaper.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...tite-ukulele-tuners-nickel-with-black-buttons

Oh! This is exactly what I want. Thank you so much. And very affordable too. I'm going to have to buy a drill to install it right?

 

[BiosphereDecay]

Grover 9NB Sta-Tite Geared Ukulele Tuners - Nickel with Black Buttons

Ukulele Tuning Machine Heads (2 + 2 Configuration) with 14:1 Gear Ratio - Set of 4, Nickel

www.sweetwater.com

I just bought these. Will they come with screws? If not, what type of screw should I get?

 

[pondweed]

Good buys. Most importantly, how does the Enya play? Do you like it? Those tuners you have bought are good to have around but why bother swapping out Enya's design for other 'eared' ones.. it will just devalue it if you sell it on for a better one later. It's not going to improve how it plays. Do you need to lower the action further, or is there anything else which you think will help it play better?

 

[BiosphereDecay]

Good buys. Most importantly, how does the Enya play? Do you like it? Those tuners you have bought are good to have around but why bother swapping out Enya's design for other 'eared' ones.. it will just devalue it if you sell it on for a better one later. It's not going to improve how it plays. Do you need to lower the action further, or is there anything else which you think will help it play better?

Whether I lower the action depends on how high the strings are, but probably at least a little. I don't have it yet, so I can't say how it sounds yet. I'm changing the pegs purely because I like the aesthetic of the Grover ones more. I plan to customize this one pretty heavily. I'll probably get a design engraved on the front eventually, but I'm not sure what design I would want yet. Something that goes with the cherry blossoms on the headstock. Maybe something with a hummingbird?

 

[pondweed]

Will await delivery with interest! Just be careful with the front as that's the heart of the sound - anything you stick on or paint is going to affect the response for the worse. Would be interesting to hear from others what engraving could do. That heat etching process probably most suitable - but has anyone done any comparisons before/after? I'm guessing most tops that come with that sort of design are laminates where nothing is going to matter.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

Will await delivery with interest! Just be careful with the front as that's the heart of the sound - anything you stick on or paint is going to affect the response for the worse. Would be interesting to hear from others what engraving could do. That heat etching process probably most suitable - but has anyone done any comparisons before/after? I'm guessing most tops that come with that sort of design are laminates where nothing is going to matter.

Yeah I don't really know what techniques they use to put designs on them. I'll look into heat etching. Ideally, something that doesn't go very deep.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

The closest place that I can find that does pyrography is in portland. That's a good 8 hour drive for me. I'll make it happen one day.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

New question: I have a cheap aklot soprano that's actually quite good, but I really don't like the small fretboard. It has tuners that look identical to the ones I just bought, however they're 18:1, vs 14:1. I'm just wondering if I could swap the gears(just the gear itself) from those new tuners with the ones on this Aklot. It looks like it's just a single screw, would this be difficult (or worth it) to do?

 

[PTRarch.]

For an inexpensive uke like that, instead of the $38+ shipping fancy Grover tuners, I'd get the standard black button Grover 9b. Same excellent Grover performance, just less fancy and cheaper.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...tite-ukulele-tuners-nickel-with-black-buttons

Genuine Grover Sta-Tite U98 18:1 Long Shaft Tuners for Ukulele, Set 2+

Genuine Grover Sta-Tite U99 18:1 Ukulele Set of four tuners (2+2) NickelManufacturers Part Number : U98-18N The original Grover® Sta-Tite™ machine heads are now available for ukuleles, with an 18:1 gear ratio for precise tuning, still with the classic styling and butter bean button of the...

sporthitech.com

These seem to be a good option. I'd rather have the chrome or black, but they're double the price on most sites. It looks like I'll have to drill a couple small holes for these though.

I concur with @Ukecaster, the other ones you mentioned have bigger buttons that would stand out even more in my opinion.

I also think that you don't want to get in over your head with mods to a budget uke. If you add all up, better spending on something that is right for you from the get-go, just avoiding the risk of spending on premium parts that:

• Don't add significant value to playability (allbeit that Grovers are top, I guess the originals are OK too);
• May not fit "plug and play" - or maybe don't even fit alltogether (diameter, shaft length, width and length of the baseplate);
• You have no experience with in installing, with the risk of having to get it fixed by a luthier when things go sideways.

That to me seems to be a lot to consider for just cosmetics to be honest. If the orange bothers you, try enamel paint (Humbrol), or even nailpolish - pick any colour you want .

Edit: I now see you allready bought some (they come with screws). I personally would have waited till I had the uke to measure things first... Hope they fit ...
(And please don't get me wrong, this is meant as a genuine expression of concern, not criticism... )