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423:, where string tension is extremely high, larger, heavier-duty machine heads than those used on guitars are used. Bass tuners generally feature larger knobs than guitar tuners as well; often these are distinctively shaped, and known as "elephant ears". Gear ratios of 20:1 are used often. Exposed gears are much more common in premium bass guitars than in six-string non-bass instruments.
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with friction pegs slipping out of tune, coming loose or jamming. In the early 2000s, tuning pegs were introduced with planetary gearing inside a friction-peg shaped casing that can be fitted to an instrument without physical alterations. While reasonably well-accepted, planetary pegs can make string changes more time-consuming.
385:, although budget models may have exposed gears fixed on plates housing a row of gears. Vintage and vintage-reproduction guitars frequently have individual open-gear tuners, enclosed tuners not having become common until after WWII. Several machine head placements are possible, depending on the shape of the
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As increased precision of milling became more cost-effective, higher ratios appeared on the market, with 14:1 being the modern standard, trading accuracy against slower initial string winding. More recently, versions with an 18:1 gear ratio are available (particularly from Grover), and the Gotoh 510
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of 14:1. In older designs, 12:1 was common, and lower ratios as well. Lower ratios allow a replacement string to be brought more quickly up to pitch, though with less precision for fine-tuning. Lower ratios are also more forgiving of imperfect machining, and of factors that might compromise the gear
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Musicians playing certain instruments, most notably the violin family, (excepting the double bass) remain resistant to the use of machine heads, insisting on the continued use of friction pegs. Such factors as appearance, weight, tradition and simplicity are cited as justification, despite issues
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that links them. The capstan has a hole through the far end from the gear, and the string is made to go through that hole, and is wrapped around the capstan. To complete the string installation, the string is tightened by turning the capstan using the tuning knob. The worm gear ensures that the
278:(also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and are usually located on the instrument's
511:, where the individual tuner has an additional mechanism to lock the string in place and stabilize tuning, primarily intended for musicians who make regular use of the vibrato. Some designs increase string breakage at the point they grip the string.
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The term "locking tuners" has two meanings. Presently, it refers to some sort of mechanism in the string peg (usually a cam or screw) that locks the string in place, preventing slippage. With the popular increase of extreme
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established a
Chicago machine shop in 1925, specifically for making tuning machines, with the "Kluson-style" design having each mechanism enclosed in a stamped-sheetmetal shell
342:: a higher tension yields a sharper pitch, a lower tension a flatter pitch. Typical tensions for steel-string acoustic guitars with "light" tension strings are 10.5
522:. The gear's teeth are shaped to lock into those of the worm, with the string tension insufficient to overcome the friction between the gears. Such a design is called
584:) continued to refine the machine-head concept through the 20th century, particularly a design with the mechanism sealed in a cast-metal shell.
289:, which hold the string to tension by way of friction caused by their tapered shape and by the string pull created by the tight string.
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370:(with nylon strings), the worm gears are generally exposed; the strings are wound on the pins inside grooves in the head;
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Non-geared tuning devices as used on violins, violas, cellos, lutes, older
Flamenco guitars and ukuleles are known as
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rectangular head, 2 rows of 3 pins (or 6 pins for 12-string guitars): found on most "Folk" and "Jazz" guitars and on
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580:(1865–1927) held at least 50 patents for musical instrument parts and accessories. The company he founded (now
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282:. Other names for guitar tuners include pegs, gears, machines, cranks, knobs, tensioners and tighteners.
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327:- in this case, the knob and the capstan both rotate on the same axis. A few guitars (e.g. the original
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526:. Grover Rotomatics and similar designs from other manufacturers are rightly called "locking tuners".
557:(1778–1853) was an Austrian luthier generally credited with creating the worm-and-gear tuning machine
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The guitarist adjusts the tension of the various strings using the knobs so that they are correctly
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The reverse of the machine heads on a "folk" steel-string acoustic guitar. Note the enclosed gears.
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Traditionally, a single machine head consists of a cylinder or capstan, mounted at the center of a
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require specialist double-ball end strings, whereas the
Washburn Bantam can take regular strings.
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The term "locking" is much older, possibly originating with Grover, and refers to an "anti-
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usage in the 1980s, several manufacturers introduced a modified design, commonly called
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The machine heads on a classical guitar. Note the exposed gears and the decorations.
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This article is about the musical instrument tuning device. For the metal band, see
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capstan cannot turn without a movement on the knob; it also allows precise tuning.
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is often credited with a linear-pull tuning machine, appearing in the latter 1700s
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Martin EB18 bass guitar headstock, showing Martin open-type machine heads.
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one diagonal row of four pins and one diagonal row of two pins: found on
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Likewise, 'headless' guitars and basses, notably those designed by
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the "Stauffer-style" tuner was brought to the United States by
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455:bridge, string tuning may be also conducted using
470:Jack Bass, and unlicensed imitations such as the
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27:Apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments
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474:Bantam, have the machine heads at the body end.
362:Several kinds of machine head apparatus exist:
335:'s plastic instruments) have used this design.
490:surfaces (corrosion, grit, poor lubrication).
459:tuners incorporated into the guitar bridge.
485:Presently, most worm-gear tuners provide a
466:and their licensed imitations, such as the
354:) to 13.8 kgf (30.2 lbf, 135 N).
323:usually employ a different mechanism using
77:Learn how and when to remove these messages
595:Tuning mechanisms for stringed instruments
399:a single diagonal row of 6 pins: found on
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254:Learn how and when to remove this message
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174:Learn how and when to remove this message
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601:Schaller Electronic GmbH
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572:John Kluson
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457:microtuning
383:lubrication
346:(23.3
303:double bass
616:Categories
608:References
539:Innovators
487:gear ratio
453:Floyd Rose
210:improve it
164:April 2023
134:newspapers
63:improve it
412:Music Man
387:headstock
358:Varieties
314:worm gear
280:headstock
214:verifying
69:talk page
18:Meccanica
589:See also
516:backlash
472:Washburn
414:guitars;
407:guitars;
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375:acoustic
545:Cittern
480:Hohners
208:Please
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468:Hohner
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321:Banjos
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