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Topic: Sho-Bud Maverick Tuner replacements |
Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 7 Nov 2023 11:59 am |
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I needed to replace the tuners in my Maverick PSG.
First, let me define the Sho-Bud Mavericks. There are 3 major versions of the Maverick:
Mk1 - Sho-Bud 6138 - 1969ish to 1979ish ???
This was the original version of the Maverick. All Mk1s came with 3 pedals. Some also had a single knee lever. Legs were non-adjustable. I owned one of these back in 1974ish and last May I bought another one, mostly for old time's sake.
Most of these were shipped in natural maple. There are two 6138s in the FOR SALE section right now: Andy Gibson has black 3+1 and Rick Grieco has a red 3+1 one, both look nice. I am just one Lotto ticket away from buying both of them  .
Mk2 - Sho-Bud 6152 - 1982ish to ???
The Mk2 is easy to spot. It is covered in an ugly brown vinyl and it has a Fender Stringmaster-ish style recessed tuner pan & keys.
Much the same specs as the 6138. I have only seen photos of them. I am not sure if any came with a knee lever or not.
Mk3 Jackson Maverick HD
Jackson Steel Guitar Co. USA guitar is currently making a much, much, much improved Maverick, designated as a Maverick HD.
https://www.jacksonsteelguitar.com/product/maverick-hd-pedal-steel-guitar/
You can get it in a 10 string 3x4 version OR a 6 string version with 2x2 or 2x3 setups.
Contact Jackson for more info. Bring your check book . This Maverick is on my Lotto list as well!
OK. My Maverick is a Mk1 6138 version that I needed to replace the tuners.
It had 3 bent tuners. I tried to straighten one and of course it broke. Not Grover's fault. I contacted Grover for replacements and the bad news is that they no longer make that exact tuner. I asked Grover to send me some samples so I could see if any would fit.
Grover sent me 5 samples to try. The good news is that they have a current production tuner that with slight modifications it will fit.
Grover Sta-Tite V97C (chrome) is the one I used.
https://grotro.com/product/sta-tite-97-series/
Since it is only sold in packs of 6, 3+3 I had to buy 2 packs and thus I have two spares.
IMPORTANT!: The stock screws are TOO small to fit in the holes Sho-Bud drilled for the tuners. USE THE ORIGINAL SCREWS to attach the new V97C tuners!
Tuners #1 & #10 fit with no mods. The others need to have the end that points toward the bridge filed down a bit so that they lie flat against the headstock.
There is one big issue with the V97 tuners. #5 & #6 touch and do not lie flush. The tuner shafts are too long. I tried swapping in the shafts & gears from the original tuners into the V97 tuners but nothing fit. You have three options:
1. Use the two best original tuners that you have, polish/clean them to match the new V97 tuners.
2. Grind down the ends of two new tuners so that they do not touch.
3. Have a machine shop make two new shortened shafts. The local quotes were in the $300-$400 range to make them as one-offs.
I chose option two. Took all of 10 minutes with my bench grinder to make them fit.
I gave the old tuners to my tech who will use them to keep old Mk1 Mavericks running.
_________________
Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 8 Nov 2023 11:31 am
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Just an observation:
What looks like a sloppy fit between the tuner posts and the holes in your keyhead may give you some tuning problems down the line. |
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Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 8 Nov 2023 1:01 pm
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
Just an observation:
What looks like a sloppy fit between the tuner posts and the holes in your keyhead may give you some tuning problems down the line. |
Yes, it might cause tuning issues. That's why I made sure that there was a gap between the #5 & #6 tuners. The issue is the way that the tuner holes were factory drilled back in the 70's. The are not parallel or lined up. I ran a steel rod between the holes and it would not pass through to the other side. The original keys looked miss-aligned as well.
The way to fix it would be to fill the holes with aluminum rod, weld the ends, grind flush, and drill again. Way too expensive for the Maverick. I will have to see how it does. It's being set up for C6.
_________________
Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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