grover tuning machine loose button issue

rrieth

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I have a Kala KA-ACP-CTG which is fitted with Grover open gear tuners with metal buttons on its slotted peghead. All the metal buttons have a small amount of play on the shaft when turned. At first I thought it was backlash in the gear before I realized it was the button. I bought the instrument new long enough ago that the warranty is long expired, though I have been only using it for the last three months. The looseness showed up almost immediately when I started playing it.

I have a guitar that experienced a similar problem which got to the point that the button would vibrate when the instrument was played, producing an audible buzz. The button finally fell off completely and I fixed it a short time ago with super glue and it is still holding.

I would prefer to fix the buttons as opposed to replacing the tuners. I'm guessing that they are designed to be a press fit on the shaft. Would re-pressing them be possible? I have read of people repairing buttons with super glue, but am uncertain how well the glue would flow into the tight space between the button and the tuner shaft. Do I have to wait until the button falls off the shaft?

I'm disappointed. I thought Grover's engineering and quality control were better than this. I see Grover tuners often recommended as upgrades by members of this and other forums.

If anyone has had any experience fixing this sort of problem I would appreciate any advice.
 
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Thanks Bill Sheehan for the PM of sympathy. In doing a bit of research I found that some people have used thin consistency superglue to solve this problem. I'll report my results when I've tried it.
 
Thanks Bill Sheehan for the PM of sympathy. In doing a bit of research I found that some people have used thin consistency superglue to solve this problem. I'll report my results when I've tried it.

Sounds good! I hope that'll do the trick!
 
Grovers have a lifetime warranty and will replace faulty tuners at no charge. Contact Grover.
 
Thanks Dennis! I'll give that a try.
 
Thanks Dennis! I'll give that a try.
I'm updating this very old post in case it would be helpful to others.

I tried calling Grover Customer service and was unsuccessful at getting through. I'm also wondering whether they would have honored their warranty on Kala branded Grover tuners. I realized I was on my own and put off doing anything about it until recently.

I decided to try the super glue trick in a Dan Erlewine video. Because of shipping costs of the recommended thin superglue from Stew Mac I did a lot of searching and finally found thin superglue locally at Hobby Lobby. Recently one of the buttons came loose enough that I could pull it off. I reglued that with regular superglue and the other 3 with the thin formulation. It worked like a charm.

The tuners from new were tight from new and it's likely that that contributed to or caused the buttons to fail. I used a very light dab of petroleum jelly on the moving parts and they now move with little effort so I expect this repair to last.

I should add that before gluing the buttons I made sure they worked with no slop if I pushed the button all the way in. The super glue only served to hold the loose button in the correct position for good contact.
 
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