Gotohs on a KoAloha

Jerryc41

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I tend to leave my KoAlohas alone, just as they came from Hawaii. I was playing my Scepter at a jam on Saturday, and I remembered how finicky the friction tuners can be. As nice as KoAloha's tuners are, they are still direct - and firm. All it takes is a nudge to make a note flat or sharp. The Scepter has beautiful rose-colored tuning knobs, but similarly-colored Gotohs will make it so much nicer.

I just have to check the thickness of the headstock to see if I need the long or the short. I'll probably go with gold metal. HMS has a decent selection.
 
I’m with you. I upgrade to Gotohs as soon as a new uke comes in the door.
 
I’m with you. I upgrade to Gotohs as soon as a new uke comes in the door.

Where do you usually get them? The selection is limited. I can order them from Japan, but that costs $100 and takes over a month. Every time I buy them, I settle for my second or third choice.
 
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I've only bought them from two places, Elderly Instruments and The Ukulele Site. The former is local to me, so getting them is as fast as driving there. The latter has a better selection of different button styles and is slightly cheaper, but has to be shipped.
 
I changed out the tuners on my 2006 KoAloha. I got the ones that Ukecaster is showing above from an ebay dealer (can't remember which one). I had my local acoustic guitar shop technician switch them out. No issues.
 

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I tend to leave my KoAlohas alone, just as they came from Hawaii. I was playing my Scepter at a jam on Saturday, and I remembered how finicky the friction tuners can be. As nice as KoAloha's tuners are, they are still direct - and firm. All it takes is a nudge to make a note flat or sharp. The Scepter has beautiful rose-colored tuning knobs, but similarly-colored Gotohs will make it so much nicer.

I just have to check the thickness of the headstock to see if I need the long or the short. I'll probably go with gold metal. HMS has a decent selection.

Here's a link-back to a NUD post (that you actually commented on !) for my Libero Antica Ukuleleria, wherein I provided comparison photos. My K'Aloha 25th anniversary concert is compared in profile with the Libero. I used the 'short' version, in gold with black buttons. As with many of my ukes, I prefer those 'without wings' :) I also replaced the stock friction tuners on my Pikake Soprano....Quite striking and a perfect replacement for the stock friction tuners.

Of note... if you're installing them yourself you'll note that (at least on mine) the hole that was drilled to accomodate the stock tuners is larger than that needed for the GOTOHs. While not hugely large, large enough so that the tiny pin ( that prevents rotation ) could locate in the void. I installed my own GOTOHs and (having experience installing about a half dozen other GOTOHs) am familiar with how important that tiny pin is. It really does keep the tuner from rotating under tension. You really can't compensate by tighten the nut, which will crack any surface finish on the headstock. I shifted the tuner body toward the pin side, pressed the tuner in to the surface of the headstock and used the mark to locate a tiny hole for the pin. (which ends up very close to the edge of the larger hole). Of course if you have HMS do it, I'm sure they'll be aware.

There's a few photos here to see the final product.
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...3-NUD-Antica-Ukuleleria-Concert-LIbero-Custom
 
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Of note... if you're installing them yourself you'll note that (at least on mine) the hole that was drilled to accomodate the stock tuners is larger than that needed for the GOTOHs.

There's a few photos here to see the final product.
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...3-NUD-Antica-Ukuleleria-Concert-LIbero-Custom

I have a Ukuleria Sacco coming in a month or so.

I've installed several sets of Gotohs, but in most cases, the existing hole is too small. If the holes in my Scepter are too large, I can fill them and drill them.
 
Where Gotohs are concerned, there's a substantial difference between the price of the tuners and the cost of shipping, depending on the seller. Then, of course, there's the problem of finding someone who has exactly what I want, which usually involves settling. HMS has gone up $10 since I bought from them last, and you have to add almost $10 shipping to that.

What I'll do is see who has what and then decide what color combination of metal and plastic I want. That will determine the seller. White knobs are out.
 
Lucy's Ukuleles on eBay and Reverb has a good selection of the small button UPTs, good prices and fast shipping, I usually get them in 3-4 days. Good string selection too, Fremont, Worth, etc.

If you want the ones in pic below (would look good on a Koaloha), a seller in PA has those

View attachment 131190

No Gotohs from Lucy today, and the seller in PA will let me know when they get some more. I need the long shaft tuners, and HMS is the only one who has them - for $88.60. It looks like I'll have to settle for all black with rectangular knobs for $73.
 
I don't find the tuners to be that much of a problem on the KoAloha. The main problem is the sound a KoAloho makes. Should I look for cover? : )
 
I don't find the tuners to be that much of a problem on the KoAloha. The main problem is the sound a KoAloho makes. Should I look for cover? : )

Gosh. Have you considered lessons?

:p
 
This. HMS has a short how-to video on its website. Stewart-MacDonald sells a pricey but great-quality peg hole reamer (selling feature is that the cutting edge is on only one side, so the new hole follows the original hole path). If you're a DIY kind of fellow, then 2 ukes that you (or your buddy) change over yourself "pays" for the reamer.

I’m with you. I upgrade to Gotohs as soon as a new uke comes in the door.
 
I switched my KoAloha Concert from the original friction pegs to Gotohs. It went from a uke I rarely played to one that gets picked up almost every day.
GotohTuners-2.jpg

When my Jupiter Tenor was being built, we found Gotoh UPT tuners from Pohaku Ukulele in California. Good price, fast shipping.
http://www.pohakuukulele.com/store?category=Ukulele+Tuners
 
I switched my KoAloha Concert from the original friction pegs to Gotohs. It went from a uke I rarely played to one that gets picked up almost every day.
View attachment 131204

When my Jupiter Tenor was being built, we found Gotoh UPT tuners from Pohaku Ukulele in California. Good price, fast shipping.
http://www.pohakuukulele.com/store?category=Ukulele+Tuners

Do you remember if you used the regular or long? I measured the headstock of the Scepter, and it seems to be close to 12mm, so Long would be better.
 
I used the regulars on my 2006 concert. Not a scepter, so I don't know if the headstock is exactly the same. I'd say, call or email HMS and ask them.
 
Unless I wanted to pay $14 more, I didn't have much choice. I bought the silver/black/round/long from Pohaku. $74 with free shipping.
 
I used the regulars on my 2006 concert. Not a scepter, so I don't know if the headstock is exactly the same. I'd say, call or email HMS and ask them.

I measured the headstock to be about 12mm, so that's really into Long territory. I'd rather have too long than too short.

I already posted this, but I don't see it. I ordered silver/black/round/long from Pohaku, $74 with free shipping.
 
Unless I wanted to pay $14 more, I didn't have much choice. I bought the silver/black/round/long from Pohaku. $74 with free shipping.

Are you going to install them yourself? I didn't want to mess around with a reamer and make a mess, so I had my local guitar guy do the installation on my KoAloha.
 
Are you going to install them yourself? I didn't want to mess around with a reamer and make a mess, so I had my local guitar guy do the installation on my KoAloha.

Yeah, I'll install them myself. If I mess up the Scepter, it'll go into the wood stove, and I'll buy another one. ;) ;) ;)

Kidding, of course. I'm very careful working on ukes.
 
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