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Weissenborn Players

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This group is dedicated to the Weissenborn players around the world.

179 Members, Created 2/15/2011 -

Administrators: Grizz (owner)

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From jclay on 7/17/2015 1:56:25 PM

I've been playing for almost a year now. Picked up a mahogany Lazy River and I'm loving it enough to want to get a koa Weiss. It'll be finished sometime in the Spring so I have time to figure out some stuff. One of the choices given to me is installing Waverly tuners or Schaller mini locking tuners. Both seem to be good quality. I prefer the look of the Waverlies, yet I know the Schallers would be heavier. I know there's a thought that adding mass to the headstock of guitars may increase sustain and alter the tone of guitars. Anyone have experience with this? Is there a discernible enough difference to care?

4 Comments
x says: 7/17/2015 10:17:35 PM I've used (and own) high end and low end, Waverly, Schaller, Grover, Kluson, Gotoh, etc., and think you hit it on the head. Not really enough difference for the weight to be a factor on its own; all mechanical functionality being equal. I happen to really like the simple, open back design of the Waverlys ( and the Grover Sta-tite), so I gravitate toward that. I like the earlier designs aesthetics. But I also have some Steingberger tuners (on an electric) that I like, too.
	Buzz Turner says: 7/20/2015 4:31:57 AM J- My new Bear Creek is supposed to arrive around February 2016! In regards to your question I tried six of Schaller's version of Bill Keith's banjo "D" tuners on a Lowden F32. I stole the idea from Adrian Legg. The difference in weight was extreme and made the instrument headstock heavy. I "perceived" that both the open string and stopped string sustain was slightly greater than the stock tuners but... that was hardly a proper A/B test. I ended up removing and re-installing the factory tuners simply because I capo a lot and even with violin fine tuners (again ala Mr. Legg) it was too tough to constantly tweak tuning when capo'ed.
	jclay says: 7/20/2015 8:03:11 AM Congrats on your upcoming BK, Buzz. I asked Bill Hardin about this and this was his response, "The theory with weissenborns was lighter tuners are better, but I think it's more the height of the post that matters, because that affects the tension of the string on the nut. I like the schaller lockers because they have nice low post."
	Buzz Turner says: 7/20/2015 2:54:08 PM There you go. Straight from the horse's mouth. A guy with Bill's experience has forgotten more about Weissenborns then I'll ever know.
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