New Tuners For A Godin 5th Avenue?

[wharriso]

I've had this Godin 5th Avenue CW Kingpin II for about 6 years or so and just noticed a little bit of play in the tuners. I am wondering if it would be worthwhile to replace them and if so, can anyone recommend a set that I can just drop in without modifying the headstock?

[Hammertone]

Is this what is on the guitar now?

[wharriso]

[Tom Karol]

My Montreal Premiere came with the same tuners you have.
I replaced them with these - a drop in replacement!:
https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-ha...g-mount-tuners
I've had guitars with Shallers, Grovers, Gotohs, and Sperzels - all very good, but these Klusons are the best tuners I've ever used!

[wharriso]

My Montreal Premiere came with the same tuners you have.
I replaced them with these - a drop in replacement!:
Kluson 3+3 Revolution Series G-Mount Tuners - StewMac
I've had guitars with Shallers, Grovers, Gotohs, and Sperzels - all very good, but these Klusons are the best tuners I've ever used!

Thanks so much! I just ordered them.

[wharriso]

My Montreal Premiere came with the same tuners you have.
I replaced them with these - a drop in replacement!:
Kluson 3+3 Revolution Series G-Mount Tuners - StewMac
I've had guitars with Shallers, Grovers, Gotohs, and Sperzels - all very good, but these Klusons are the best tuners I've ever used!

Update: The tuners do not fit. The screw holes match but the tuners require 10mm holes, I have 9mm holes. I am now trying to decide if I should ream out the holes or scrap this project.

[jazzshrink]

Update: The tuners do not fit. The screw holes match but the tuners require 10mm holes, I have 9mm holes. I am now trying to decide if I should ream out the holes or scrap this project.

Why not exchange them for ones that fit? Stewmac has other Kluson tuners for 8.8 and 9mm pegholes.

[wharriso]

Why not exchange them for ones that fit? Stewmac has other Kluson tuners for 8.8 and 9mm pegholes.

I have been looking but I am having a lot of trouble searching by peghole size.

[Tom Karol]

Wow - sorry if I steered you wrong! (My tech said that ...) mine were a drop-in replacement! Weird!
If it were me, I'd ream the holes, as I think the switch to the new tuners is worth it. But, of course, that's your call.

[John A.]

Update: The tuners do not fit. The screw holes match but the tuners require 10mm holes, I have 9mm holes. I am now trying to decide if I should ream out the holes or scrap this project.

Those are the wrong version of the Revolution tuners for replacing Kluson-Deluxe style tuners. You need the non-collared one for press-fit bushings. I Installed a set of these on a Godin Kingpin without having to ream out the hole or re-drill anything:

Kluson 3+3 Locking Revolution Series G-Mount Non-Collared Tuners - StewMac


It looks like stewmac doesn't have the non-locking version, but WD (the company that makes and distributes Kluson) does. I put a set of these on another guitar (a Seventy Seven) that had Gotoh Kluson-style tuners (same thing as what's on Godins), again without having to ream or re-drill.

Kluson 3 Per Side Revolution Series G-Mount Non-Collared Tuning Machines.

Full disclosure, I got the locking ones I put in my Godin used and one turned out to be defective (it was very stiff, and the knob eventually broke off after a few months), so I swapped back the originals. But the non-locking ones in my Seventy-seven are great. The smoothest and most precise tuners I've ever had.

[wharriso]

Wow - sorry if I steered you wrong! (My tech said that ...) mine were a drop-in replacement! Weird!
If it were me, I'd ream the holes, as I think the switch to the new tuners is worth it. But, of course, that's your call.

Yeah, tough call. The problem with reaming is that there is no going back. I hate making permanent mods to guitars, I have sold many for much more than I paid for them.

[Chazmo]

Stewmac Golden Age Vintage tuners are a drop-in fit for 5th Avenues.

Golden Age Vintage Keystone-style 3+3 Tuning Machines - StewMac

[Doctor Jeff]

Wonder if Hipshot locking tuners would fit. I put some on a Voyage Air guitar, and they are awesome. Much less bulky and heavy than one might imagine. And look great. (They have a plate that is adjustable for different screw hole configurations.)

They’re currently my favorite for tuner replacements unless one is going for that OEM/vintage vibe.