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Another option is to find a set of mid 40s early 50s Kluson Sealfasts w plastic buttons. They're the same as the prewar Sealfasts save for the buttons and much easier to find, though not cheap.
If it was me I'd start by calling someone like Norm, he's been in biz long enough he might have something laying around and I believe the OP knows him.
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12-03-2020 10:15 PM
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Well yes. You just say it much more accurately than I do. That you gain “sensitivity points” is also a bonus. But simply more accurate is the part that matters.
Originally Posted by Hammertone
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Excellent! I'll definitely get more action with the chicks - they I hear they dig sensitivity points, big time. Originally Posted by Bezoeker
Last edited by Hammertone; 03-02-2022 at 01:13 AM.
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Just go to the Drake Hotel and hang out in the bar. If a woman approaches, introduce yourself as “Sealfast, James Sealfast” Originally Posted by Hammertone
That should do it.
*********
I have not been in Toronto in many years, so change the venue as needed to make the weak joke work.
Hope all is well with you Hammer. Miss Patrick2 big time.
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While you're at it, make these as well... Originally Posted by wintermoon
I should find someone to tool up and make reissues of these, most other tuners seem to have been reissued by now, haven't they? and while I'm at it make correct reissues of Grover Imperials in the prewar style which look way cooler than what's out there now. I'd provide a service and make a fortune. well, maybe not the last part so much
Last edited by Hammertone; 12-07-2020 at 02:11 AM.
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Well, they're certainly Cugat, but maybe even less profitable. Originally Posted by Hammertone
just maybe....
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If the wormgears are shot, I don't see what further harm a very small hole would do.
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...And, as of late 2021, Kluson have reissued Sealfast tuners, with a 15:1 ratio. Woohoo! Originally Posted by Hammertone
Kluson 3 Per Side Vintage Diecast Sealfast Tuning Machines
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I thought those tuners in #8 looked familiar. Looking through my old notes, those are the same as the ones I bought as a replacement for the originals that came on my 1967 L-5C. I bought that L-5 new in 1967. I don’t remember drilling any holes, but….memory. That changeout was Sept. 1971 and the cost was just short of $60. I thought the originals were around here somewhere but I can’t find them.
In looking at a very old photo of that 1967 L-5C (with a single JS pickup), the keys appear to be gold colored with a shape similar to those on my 1952 L-5C.
Way back then, the difference in gear ratios was not a detail I was aware of. At the time, it was just an aesthetics thing for me. I liked the “steps” on the key and the gold color.
The photo here is my current 1952 L-5C. (The 1967 left here a long time ago.) These 1952 tuners seem to work OK and the guitar stays in tune, so no plans to change them. I do not know what brand these are and assume they are original….from 71 years ago!
I have no idea what brand these are. And….what is a catalin? I’m guessing that is the plastic tuning key. Good to learn that the Imperials are still available.
Tom
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These appear to be Kluson sealfasts. Last year i bought two replacement sets, one with metal knobs, the other with plastic for two seventies Gibsons. The tuners were expensive, but it's now much easier to tune the instruments. Just one thing, the new screws which came with them did not fit through holes in the metal so i used the old screws which seem to be of slightly smaller diameter. Originally Posted by TAA
The photo here is my current 1952 L-5C. (The 1967 left here a long time ago.) These 1952 tuners seem to work OK and the guitar stays in tune, so no plans to change them. I do not know what brand these are and assume they are original….from 71 years ago!
I have no idea what brand these are. And….what is a catalin? I’m guessing that is the plastic tuning key. Good to learn that the Imperials are still available.
Tom
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Thanks!
Looks like mine and those in #30 might be catalin material.
Tom
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Tom those aren't catalin, but a different type of plastic Kluson used in the mid 40s-50s. Originally Posted by TAA
Kluson used catalin plastic in the late 30s early 40s. Catalin was very popular in the deco age and is frequently found on many objects from radio cases to hair brushes.
it came in various colors and was prized for it's swirl pattern
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WM,
Thanks, helps a lot!
I guess my '52 L-5 tuners are Kluson. The Art Deco era is often noted as running into the 1930's. Sometimes we see references to the L-5 tailpiece as being "Art Deco influenced". Maybe the catalin material is an off shoot of the Art Deco thing. Would be interesting to learn the first year that the L-5 tailpiece we see so often today, came into use by Gibson. Probably early in the Art Deco era?
Tom
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A short story: Years ago I bought a used S400. The guitar came with a brand new set of Kluson tuners in their original box, never installed. A couple years later I thought, hmm I better see what these are worth as I don’t need them. I was shocked to learn that a new pair sold for $1k. If I had known that I’d never had sold the guitar!
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my 70’s versions work great. Solid, precise….the only real problem is that they should have made them heavier
Last edited by Chris236; 07-29-2023 at 09:55 AM.
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