Shobud tuners

Don Hines · From: Georgia, USA

Hey everyone I have a shobud LDG that the tuning keys are really hard to turn. Is there a way to fix this or do I need to replace them?

Eric Dahlhoff · From: Point Arena, California

Are they Grovers?
Are all the keys hard to turn? If not, take off a bad one and test it. Maybe there is dirt or something in the keyhead, or the roller nut is stuck.
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Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=387558&highlight=shobud+sperzels
Probably old Sperzels if they're like these: I had these on a Zum. Several other guitars in the 80s used these. I tried lubing and loosening them up but I wasn't very successful.

There have been several threads on these. Maybe poke around and find suggestions for cure or replacement.

Mike Preuss · From: Mount Vernon, Washington, USA

I have occasionally, but never 100% successfully revived gummy and gunked up tuners. They need to be completely disassembled. Put all parts in a mason jar with acetone. Shake lightly occasionally over the course of several days. Slowly heating the jar in a pot of boiling water to bring up the temperature can speed up the process. A final picking and brushing might be warranted.

It's a bit of effort for an unknowable result, so I just replace them now.

Some tuning machines just get worn out beyond repair.

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

My '78 Super Pro has the same tuner problem. Any suggestions about a fit-right-in replacement?

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

If it's the old Sprezel tuners that were used on late-70s-early-80s Sho Buds, Emmons, Franklins, and no doubt others, then there are a lot of threads on the problems caused by hardening of the white grease used to lubricate them. The reason they are such a total PITA is that they are very hard to non-destructively disassemble. I've had hundreds of guitar tuners apart, these are like no other IMO.

Here are a bunch of old threads - you'll find more by searching for Sperzel Tuners in the Pedal Steel section -

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=359914

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=338152

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=318231

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=229646

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=387558

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=388550

I've had a few guitars with these old Sperzels. I related in that first thread that I called Sperzel to see if they could make me replacements. I talked with Bob Sperzel himself, you can read the details in that thread. Never heard a thing back, and as far as I know, nobody makes a tuner that retro-fits. That was a long time ago, maybe there's something available now, but I tend to doubt it.

A number of people have suggested potential solutions in those threads:

Dan Beller- McKenna:
1. get a drill bit peg-winder (https://www.steelguitarshopper.com/drill-bit-peg-winder/).
2. remove the string from the offending tuner.
3. spin the heck out of that tuner with the drill in both directions.

Bob Carlucci:
Remove them all,soak them for several days, maybe even a week, in WD 40 or similar,[kerosene will work too] in a jar so they are all submerged , turning and working them well, once or twice each day.. When they have loosened up, soak them for a few days in a mixture of trans fluid or light motor oil, and WD 40, at maybe 50-50.. That WILL work.That grease in Sperzals gets like concrete..bob

Some have had some degree of success taking them partially apart - enough for the soaking to work.

In that last thread I linked to, Ron Pruter described how he modded the keyhead on his old SKH Emmons Legrande to fit Grovers. I still have an '84 Zum with those damned Sperzels. I did the spin-the-tuners thing enough so that they sort of work, but I still need to find a permanent solution. If you do the spin thing, I suggest starting slow and gradually speed up as they (hopefully) loosen up a bit.

Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

Is there some known cut-off date when Sperzel remedied the problem? I have a guitar with Sperzel tuners that work fine, but I'm not sure of their age.

Don Hines · From: Georgia, USA

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

If the keys turn, But turn hard. Gears still functions proper, Just hard to adjust.

Remove the tension adjustment screw, Butter fly knob, And small plastic washer, If Present. Drop a few drops of Kerosene along the shaft, Reassemble washer, Knob and replace screw till just snug. Attach a drill or power screwdriver with a String Winder. Start turning, Which will mix the kerosene into the grease and thin it.

The grease from that time were most Petroleum based, Kerosene will act as a thinner, To soften the dried out lube and make the keys work proper again.

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