frozen tuners

[hieronymous]

Hey everybody, I've got a mid-'70s Telecaster Bass with a big problem. Three of the tuners are original (one is a Hipshot D-Tuner), and they are so stiff as to be almost impossible to move. I can't remember if it was always like this - it was untouched for several years at a time, I have changed the strings maybe 3 times since I bought it back around '93/'94. Any advice on how to un-stick them? Or should I just get new tuners?

Thanks in advance!

[chromium]

I've had good luck with WD-40 for this kind of stuff.  If you spray a bit in a cup, dip a cotton swab in it, then blot off the excess with a cloth or paper towel and apply it sparingly to the exposed cog and pinion gears on the back of each tuner.  Work it in afterwards by turning each tuner back and forth.

If that doesn't work, they might be binding up in the sleeves that hold the tuning key shafts on, or between the posts and ferrules up on top of the headstock.  You could carefully try to get a bit of the lubricant in the gaps where those parts meet (maybe dip a toothpick in the WD-40 and use it to apply).  You don't want that stuff soaking into the wood, though - so just use trace amounts.  Optimally, pulling them and cleaning/lubing them off the bass would probably have the best outcome if it gets to this point.

[hieronymous]

Thanks Joe, I think I'm going to try the first part - if that doesn't do it, then I might take it to a professional because there's other work that I am thinking of having done.

[hieronymous]

Update: I did the first step, spraying some WD-40 in a cup and using a q-tip to apply it to the gears. It worked really well on the D-string tuner, not as well on the A and G, but they all loosened up enough that I could install a new set of strings on the bass without the swearing and yelling that accompanied trying to get the James Jamerson strings on last year. Thanks Joe!

[chromium]

Glad it helped for you!

Keep posted on the transformation of that bass.  Sounds like an interesting project!