Is there a good, standard replacement set of replacement tuners anyone can recommend for an '80s squareneck Dobro (slot head, naturally)?
I'm not sure if there are variations in shaft size, distance between tuners, etc. that I need to take into account for this brand/model.
Thanks for any help.
This is a case of "a picture is worth a thousand words."
In the '80s OMI Dobro used a few different styles of tuners at the shop in Huntington Beach.
A few photos from different angles would go a long way toward advising you on what to purchase.
The photo is from a Dobro brochure from the mid 1970s. Kind of a start page to see what you might have on your guitar.
The all stainless steel jobs could be Grovers.
The three-in-line tuners look very much like the Golden Age Restoration tuners that have been available for a number of years from StewMac. I have seen the Golden Age tuners installed as replacements on Dobros from the '70s and '80s, and they are a popular fix for pre WW2 Dobros. There are versions for both slotted and solid headstocks.
Click on the photo to enlarge.
Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 08/04/2024 13:13:13
Link to a scan of the entire OMI Dobro brochure from the '70s, when you arrive at the site, scroll down almost to the bottom in the index on the left side to locate the brochure.
Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 08/04/2024 13:18:00
I just remembered - here is a link to a scan in the archives of a 1980s OMI Dobro brochure:
Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 08/04/2024 13:22:34
There are two shaft sizes: 0.249 and 0.236. Most likely, the ones you have are 0.249, but worth checking. Of course, you can use the 0.236 shafts in a hole drilled for 0.249, but the fit will be a little sloppy.
Excellent; thanks for all the tips. I was thinking the Golden Age tuners might be the way to go; I have some on an old Regal guitar.
