Kluson replacement tuners

xcoyle · Post by **xcoyle** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:10 am

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22672&item=3766344933&rd=1

I have seen these on Ebay, but never for sale anywhere else. Does someone/some company own the right to use the Kluson name, or are these made illegally in Asia or something. Do they say Kluson on them?

Has any one bought these and what was your opinion of them?

Thanks

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:28 am

Could these be NOS?

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 7:14 am

Go to Kluson .com
Yes, they Are being made again.Offshore; probably. Any better/worse than original? Probably. Affordable? Yes.Just go there and stop being so anal about,"But I Gotta have some originals." Get over it.New RIs are Not going to be worse than Originals that are close to shot.

learning_curve · Post by **learning_curve** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 8:49 am

Question don't the Kluson Tuners Ric used have the RIC on the back? I sure would hate to be Anal but if it's to keep a Rickenbacker a Rickenbacker then I'll be anal all day.

Bet if someone was buying a nice Vintage Ric they would not pay top dollar for it if it did not have the correct tuners on it. I wouldn't?

xcoyle · Post by **xcoyle** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:24 pm

I am anal, but not about these tuners, because I am taking off the originals plastic button tuners to keep them from breaking (that's anal). But replacement tuners, I am buying just so I can play the guitar (all guitars should be played not just collected), but I want good quality if I am paying the money. I usually just buy Ric Vintage, because I know they are good quality. But if these new Klusons are good quality and cheaper and look more like the originals, than I will switch to them.

With regard to the early tuners on Ric's, they do not say Ric. The early ones say "kluson deluxe" in one line in the center. Later, not sure what year, but by the mid-60's they said "Kluson" on one side and "Deluxe" on the other side much like the Ric Vintage Reissues.

Don thanks for the Kluson website. It does look like this company did buy the right to use the "Kluson" name, which leads me to believe if they spent money on naming rights, they probably make a good product.

My original concern was; if a company is willing to steel naming rights, they probably are slapping that name on the worst product available.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 9:31 pm

Update on this; I got an email from John Hall, who had read my post, and to put his comment in my words, let's just say, Don't Go There. Not good stuff.Get a Gotoh copy of the Kluson instead.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 7:49 am

A final note on the "Kluson "repros; WD, the pickguard folks[some have joked that WD stands for "Wrong Dimensions"]have the Kluson name, and so maybe their commitment to the quality of tuners rivals what they do with guards.Caveat Emptor...On a related note, one of my recent guitar acquisitions, a Martin HD28VSL, has a Kluson type gear on it. Not sure, but I Think they are a Gotoh repro.And they work fine.

learning_curve · Post by **learning_curve** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 5:25 am

Point taken, at least by me. Yet if you want good tuners the Schallers are real nice. I just hate to hear comments about parts being made overseas, most likely at times by kids! I won't go there any farther than that, It seeems to me if this kind of attitude is OK today then perhaps a few years down the road the comments will be; "Don't worry about the Chinese Rickenbackers they work just fine" Not that John would ever do that...... But If you see my point. Glad to see everyone is keeping the original tuners. I to am a "player" and altough I am close to becoming a "collector" I still plan to use each guitar I have on stage. when I start leaving more than one guitar at home when playing out then I guess I will have crossed over into the, never ending, collectors market. I thought the Klusons had "R I C" vertically stamped on the back? May be mistaken I often am?

For what little it's worth......

Randy

xcoyle · Post by **xcoyle** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:35 am

Just to beat a dead horse. The new Klusons, are made on a metric scale and the post and bushings are slightly smaller. The Gotoh's are the same size as the old Klusons.

saturn · Post by **saturn** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:27 am

I bought some Kluson copies from GuitarFetish.com on eBay. they're the same measurements as Klusons and better than the Gutoh copies. only difference is they don't say Kluson on the back and they don't have that cheesy chrome plating (they're nickel plated like genuine Klusons).

they're really smooth and don't slip at all. very very nice tuners and the price is more than fair, imo.

check it out here: http://stores.ebay.com/Guitarfetish-Store