Repair HD 28- installing Waverly tuners and reducing the raccoon eyes

Another part of the repair process on a 70's HD-28 that I evaluated earlier ( • Evaluating a 70's Mart... ). In this video, I'm putting Waverly tuners on after reducing the raccoon eyes left from removing the Grover Rotomatics.
The video is "live" with minimal editing. It's long. I talk a lot. There's a lot of good information, but you'll have to pay attention.
Playlist:
• Playlist

[@danielibnz]

While proceeding to do the same operation on my guitar, I bumped into this video. And watching this video has been a real delight.
 Operations that, typically, are taken from granted, are explained very well and carried out on a smart manner: Drilling the headstock, inserting the racoon eyes, filling in the holes with toothpicks, ways of alignment of the machine heads, etc. Always with subtle details, not obvious, which reveal experience, dexterity and know-how. Yes, I would have done it anyhow, though, to be honest, I learnt a lot from this video and enjoyed it… a real delight…;-)
Thank you very much.

[@danielibnz]

(14:00)... I fully agree with your approach; i.e. using the drill or doing it by hand. Actually I did the same procedure, before seeing this video, and some little scratch appeared. So I changed the method and did it with a step bit drill, which dramatically changed the task with a flawless result; and I did it by hand... Thanks for your video.

[@bluegrassbarry]

I respect someone who's good at what they do.

[@somedude3601]

Damn right!

[@patricelongchamps9880]

Love watching your natural video and your work as well . I have learned a lot from you!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@calebdaugherty9268]

Just got done putting Waverleys on my 73 d28 and thanks to your videos it looks great! Thanks a bunch!!

[@redlinemando]

Love it!! Love it!! Love it!! I just upgraded my 73 with Grover vintage, kluson, closed back tuners. I can't afford the Waverly's although they are fine tuners. In hind sight, I wish I had went with open backs for reduced weight. I mainly used the Grover's because they're adapted to fill the enlarged hole left in the back of the peghead by the rotos. They are also 14:1 gear ratio which I'm not fond of, but the small oval button seems to make up for that somewhat. I used two part 5 minute epoxy mixed with mahogany dust to fill my holes. I would take a toothpick and roll a drop of the glue/wood mixture on the tip and drop it in the hole. The problem is that you don't always have the hole filled like you may think it is. The glue can often settle & create a bubble on the surface. A couple of my screws didn't grip as well as they could have upon installation & for that very reason. I knew about Brian's method & I wish I had done it that way instead. Although epoxy is hard stuff, you have to work fast & it is usually unforgiving. Besides, no one will ever see the toothpicks anyway & they will surely hold tight. Thanks for another great video Brian!!!!!!! Keep em coming!!!!!!!

[@dalehockin]

Very nice work and tuners!

[@patricelongchamps9880]

Love watching your videos this one is very instructive and well done!!

[@texless69]

Great work!

[@smylight]

Hey Brian, thanks a lot for this. I'd have loved to see you using Fill’n Finish to get this one leveled out. How about another video about F'nF?

[@Bryankimsey]

I could fill some dents in a neck... it'll NEVER be 100% totally invisible because of the light refraction but they can be pretty good. Also, the more you polish, the harder they are to hide. Matte is MUCH easier to hide.

[@LegsON]

Bryan, you're SAINT!😄 Thank you SO MUCH for this tutorial!!! Any tips for high gloss headstocks? What were your toothpicks covered with?

[@Bryankimsey]

Superglue, but you can use any glue. I just used superglue because it'll dry hard and fast and the screws grip really well in it. High gloss is exactly the same except you'll have to spend more time and more grits re-polishing. I just did a D-45 and _fortunately_ the dents weren't bad so I just went straight to finer grit paper and skipped the wet 320/400.

[@LegsON]

@@Bryankimsey Thank you very much! Bryan, how do you decide whether little bridge plate is enough and whether reducing bridge plate size might lead to bad warping of the top? Also, have you ever considered replacing big rosewood bridgeplates with, let's say, big spruce ones, except there are small inlaid rounds of rosrwood/ebony right where strings dive?

[@ThePhildamon1]

Great Video Bryan! I have a similar situation with my Martin. So now which conversion bushings should I get, tapered or straight?

[@Bryankimsey]

I've never seen that choice. www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Parts/Tuning_Machines/Tuner_Parts/3_8_Conversion_Tuner_Bushing.html

[@isaacsanchez5349]

I accidentally tightened the tuning key bushing to much and then noticed that it pushed down and lookers deeper into the wood then the rest. Would that effect anything because right now it works fine.

[@Bryankimsey]

It's fine except that you probably dented the finish and maybe the wood.

[@jayjuliecooper8882]

Hi Bryan, what size conversion bushing did you use? 3/8 or 10.5?

[@Bryankimsey]

3/8". I don't think I've _ever_ used 10.5 mm.

[@jayjuliecooper8882]

@@Bryankimsey Thank you sir 🙏 I appreciate it very much. You have a wonderful channel and great content; I’ve been a fan of you for years.

[@BrianRowland_Google]

Question: My D28 is a 2013 and the face of the headstock is a satin finish. Would you use this same process on a satin finish?

[@Bryankimsey]

Don't need the sandpaper. Just polish away.

[@pc2520]

Hey Brian, I installed Waverly's on my J45 recently, also love the look, but one tuner is very difficult to turn and another is slightly difficult to turn. The others are great. I was able to use one existing hole and had to drill a second for each tuner. Any suggestions what could be causing the problem?

[@Bryankimsey]

Take the stiff one off and see if it's still stiff off the guitar. If is....call Stew Mac. If not, then it's binding. Try loosening a mount screw ever so slightly.

[@pc2520]

Kimsey Lutherie thanks for the response

[@jimhendricks4394]

Would you do this same techno with a “crazing” finish on the headstock?

[@Bryankimsey]

Sure... you're not sanding deep enough to remove any cracks. You can make your swirls smaller to focus on the "eyes". And if you want it looking old and beat up, then you can scuff it up and just not polish it. The idea is mostly to reduce the ridges around the eyes where the grommets dented the finish.

[@williamjahn7514]

I have a question. This is not an expensive guitar it's a Cheap Recording King with 6 cheap Kluson look alike tuners. The only tuners I could find that the string hole is far enough from the head stock face and have the proper shaft spacing are Grover three on one plate . The trouble is one tuner the B string hole is set in further so the three on one plate set style needs all holes the same in line. The new string bushings require a larger hole . The only way is to plug and re drill or since the bushings are larger in OD use a round file and move the hole so it lines up . The holes are all drilled larger than the string post so it won't bind there. Plus the 2 bushings at the end of the peg head are a loose fit and the larger bushings will fix this. I know the best way is to plug that hole and start over , I was hoping just filing the top to move it the 1/32" might work . Trouble is if it does not I'd need to drill an even larger hole and make a larger plug. William

[@Bryankimsey]

I assume you looked at Kluson copies made by Gotoh? Honestly, I'd just leave the tuners alone. Most tuning issues are causing by a binding nut or poor string wrapping.

[@jeffreyeaston5932]

Is it possible to just keep the old washers on to avoid the eyes?

[@Bryankimsey]

The whole point of changing tuners is to reduce weight. If you're going to leave the ugly heavy washers on, you might as well just leave the Rotomatics on.

[@MrTuberguber]

@@BryankimseyI changed to the butterbeans for appearance. The weight of a washer is minimal. Much respect BTW.

[@rfphill]

He gave that headstock his awl...

[@Bryankimsey]

I hope you haven't given up your day job.

[@rfphill]

@@Bryankimsey lol... You are right, I should stay in my lane. :)

[@tokairic3925]

Looks like you've been doing this for a long time. Can't understand why you didn't pilot drill the screw holes and put the screws in by hand. The electric screwdriver looks so clumsy.

[@Bryankimsey]

I've been doing it for 20 years. The electric screwdriver is easier to hold steady and I don't have to use a twisting motion to turn the screws. I'm very comfortable with it. You should use the tools you're comfortable with. Oh!!! I did drill pilot holes. 25:00

[@tokairic3925]

@@Bryankimsey I agree, and respect your choice. I will stick with my screwdrivers, I find I have better control without the weight of the mechanical device. I've only been building guitars for the last seven years but involved in similar woodworking for the last 30. Keep up the informative videos, please.

[@SammyAmps]

Your voice sounds like Joe Walsh..ha

[@Bryankimsey]

Have you ever seen us together at the same time? Just saying.

[@DessieTots]

Super-Glue should be nowhere near an acoustic guitar. Wood glue yes, super-glue a definite no-no.

[@Bryankimsey]

Superglue is a COMMON repair tool. Not only for small finish repairs, but for binding and cracks, including cracked bridges. www.stewmac.com/SiteSearch/?search=super%20glue gluboost.com/

[@wadepatton2433]

@@Bryankimsey Never seen a luthier shop without plenty of C/A glues!