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I'm drawing a plan for a tiny classical guitar and, at the moment, the headstock looks a little large with standard classical tuners. I'd like for it to look a little more in proportion, so I've been looking at individual tuners.

So far, I haven't seen much of a range. There are very cheap and slightly suspect looking ones and then the price jumps considerably. Does anyone have any recommendations?

More importantly, I need to know how close together I can install them. Is the only consideration that you have to be able to fit your fingers around the tuning keys?


I thought about uke tuners, or "planetary" pegs, or even converting a set of steel string tuners.... Does any of that make sense?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Nick

Rubner makes a very nice set of individual classical tuners:
http://rosetteguitarproducts.com/store/ ... ry&path=46

You could also take a set of 12 string 6-on-a-plate tuners (Stew Mac) and cut the plates in half and use them (you'll then have 2 sets).

My vote goes to Rubner, too. Very attractive and extremely smooth action.

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

Great suggestions, David. Thanks!

Decent tuners are a considerable amount of the cost price of a guitar if you're not using highly figured, rare wood!

Indeed. I'd say Pegheds, but they're quite pricey. Very lightweight though, and easier to get strings on a paddle headstock than in slots. And you can taper the headstock thickness to reduce weight further.

Wood pegs are lightest and cheapest of all, but probably too fiddly for a kid.

As for spacing, just imagine each knob being in the worst possible position relative to eachother. If you can still turn them easily, then they're far enough apart. For small button geared pegs (Knilling perfection pegs, which I think are pretty much the same as the uke style pegheds) I've packed them 1" from eachother. Tight, but usable. 1 1/8" is better (and required for larger buttons to not bump into eachother), and 1 1/4" is best. But I have huge hands, so if I can use 1" spacing, anyone can.

Try some on a piece of scrap wood to see if you can tolerate the close spacing.

Yeah, testing on scrap will answer that question. Now it's just a matter of choosing a tuner.
Spending more on the tuners than the top and b&s just seems perverse.

The Pegheds are nice, I hadn't seen those before. Wood pegs will be too much for her I'm sure. Sta-tite price range would be nice. Even this kind of price bracket... How are these, https://allstringsnylon.com/rubner-tuning-machines-weissgerber-150-830a-eha?products_id=89:89320d8ea4f925cb2a20a6176747ab19&zenid=e45a3321b019d55738ca35e2495e7a0e#.Uji1lcbWTuo? Only problem is you have to order four sets.

The Rubners that David recommended are mighty tempting though.

You might consider modifying a set of slot head mandolin tuners - cutting the plates down to three on a side. You could make plastic (or ivory) covers for the rollers if you want the strings to wind on quicker. I believe a common spacing is 29/32nds inch between centers.
Violin sized friction pegs might also work, and if well fitted should not be too hard to use.

I'll think about the friction pegs but I'm a little wary of them... Modifying the mandolin tuners is a good idea. I'd have to find a set that lend themselves to such a procedure. That would give me the smallest headstock possible, which would be great as some of the individual guitar tuners have a 29mm minimum spacing. 29 is better than 35 but not quite the drastic reduction in size I was looking for.

I'll have to see about making covers for the rollers. How would I affix them?

Thanks for the advice,
Nick

The mandolin tuners would give you a 23mm string post spacing. The covers could be glued over top of the posts, as they did on some of the ivory covered posts on the old romantic guitars.
Some of the inexpensive Chinese mandolin tuners use a 1 inch spacing (25mm) that might also work.