Your favourite Gibson replacement tuners?

Chiliwailer

I’m have a 2019 SG Special (P90 version) with the white button tuners and am now not convinced by them. The G string is particularly dodgy. Guitar is strung with 11’s and has a wrap around bridge. 

If a tuner change is needed, I was thinking Grover, but I’m quite out of touch. What retrofit tuners do you recommend? Or any other ideas? 

Thanks 

Boromedic

I've got Grover's on 2 of mine, better than the Klusons on my R8. Tbh though sounds more like the nut slots are the problem D and G string tuning problems are a Gibson issue sometimes. Try some nut lube and the Tim Pierce method of winding the G string up the post instead of down. 

Chiliwailer

Boromedic said:

I've got Grover's on 2 of mine, better than the Klusons on my R8. Tbh though sounds more like the nut slots are the problem D and G string tuning problems are a Gibson issue sometimes. Try some nut lube and the Tim Pierce method of winding the G string up the post instead of down. 

Very good call on the nut issue,  cheers

andyp

I was going to replace the tuners on my SG a couple of years ago, as I had this very issue. Before I did that though, I took it for setup and as part of that they replaced the nut. Completely fixed the tuning issue and ever since then, the original Klusons have worked perfectly. The guy said Gibsons are notorious for this issue (badly cut nut).

Andy

stickyfiddle

Sort the nut first. File the slots a little as a minimum, but ideally replace with a properly-cut bone one. 

If you really want to change tuners then Faber are my favourite kluson-alikes.

p90fool

The tuners are the components which are trying to help you battle against your tuning issues, they are not the cause. 

Blaming them is almost always akin to blaming your steering wheel when you skid on ice. 

ICBM

If those are the tuners which look like Klusons but with a front nut, the choices are quite limited - there are no other types which fit completely. Although that style of tuners are made by at least two different manufacturers and sold under several brand names, they’re all the same basic design and all have the same faults.

The only other options are vintage-style Kluson types with an oversized conversion bushing to fit the 10mm hole, or Grover Rotomatics which are a direct fit but leave the upper screw hole unused (and exposed) - they’re also heavy, which isn’t a good thing on an SG.

But as the others have said - unless the tuners are actually damaged, which is a possibility with those, especially the G and D which are easily bumped - the problem is the nut, not the tuners.

Chiliwailer

All sorted now, following @Boromedic advice, I put some pencil lead on the nut, after giving it a file. Seems perfectly good so far.
Just need to buy some nut sauce now, the pencil lead makes it look like the nut has a missing tooth  
Cheers for the comments all.

KrisGee

I love klusons on everything Les Paul except LPC. It's the nut that is a problem most of the times. 

Jonathangus

New Gibsons come strung with 9-46 as standard, I think.  So you've actually gone up a couple of gauges on the plain strings.

markj

I also have a 2019 special and changed to a set of Gotohs  with white buttons, but they're a little shorter in the shaft length. They did the job well but reverted back to the originals. One of the upgrades I would highly recommend would be to change the bridge to a Faber aluminium wraparound along with the steel mounting screws / studs. Its really opened up the guitar.