Gotoh 510 Tuners

[byrd632]

Hey y'all!
Just send in my 2012 814ce spring LTD for repair :/. I had a question though, do you guys recommend the gotoh 510 tuners over the Taylor gold that it comes with? and if so how much would it cost to ask taylor to switch those out for me?

[Steve]

I don't know if that's something they would do. The Gotoh 510's are nice, but they gold tuners are perfectly fine.

And the Gotoh tuners aren't cheap.

Best bet would be to call them and ask...

[michaelw]

Hey y'all!
Just send in my 2012 814ce spring LTD for repair :/. I had a question though, do you guys recommend the gotoh 510 tuners over the Taylor gold that it comes with? and if so how much would it cost to ask taylor to switch those out for me?

i had a guitar sent in for repair of some shop-wear dings that were on a new guitar that i'd bought from a
non-local dealer & the repair department was willing to do the bone nut/saddle upgrade for the standard charge -
still waiting for a replacement case that UPS scarred up (punched through the side of the box & gouged/tore the lid)

i don't see gotohs on their service package 'menu'
but i recall seeing/hearing that someone had a guitar in at Taylor for warranty work & was able to have gotohs installed also -
not sure on the cost, but if i recall correctly, the impressions left behind by the ping sourced tuners was taken care of as well

i'm with Steve on this one -
call or e-mail them & use your RA# for reference

[Edward]

Hey byrd,

Not exactly your same question, but I recall someone in the past asking Taylor to spec in the 510s at order time ...and he found out it was around 2x what it would cost to DIY.  Not saying that is at all unfair, mind you ...just saying that you'd definitely be paying for them to do it, if they'd do it at all in your case (of being in the shop and having to R&R your old tuners).  Just an option for you to consider is the DIY route which is a pretty easy task, and you also can look around for exactly which finish you prefer (as there are 4 or 5 different finishes on these 510s, IIRC).  OTOH, if you choose Taylor to do the work, I'd personally recommend the "antique gold" fin (which is a satin) over the polished gold machines: looks more "classy" than "blingy" IMHO.  As to whether it is "worth" the cost, well that's a valuation Q which is up to you.  But since you asked, I find zero fault with Taylor machines, yet I find the 510s worth every penny. 

Edward

[Steve]

If I recall correctly, gold tuners on, say, a BTO were aboutn $x. Gotoh 510's were $x...


edited to remove prices

[dcopper]

If you want to purchase them yourself, you can find them on stew-mac.com and they are much cheaper. The six very small holes have to be drilled into the back of the headstock. Otherwise, you can figure that the cost to have it done is about twice as much as the parts.
Make sure you get the right size Gotohs. They make a mini and "mid-size".
I think they are the best tuners I have ever had on any guitar - smooth, precise and non-slip.
Happy hunting,
davidc

[Steve]

If I recall correctly, gold tuners on, say, a BTO were aboutn $x. Gotoh 510's were $x...


edited to remove prices

The Gotoh's are about ten times more expensive than the gold Taylor tuners...

[byrd632]

hahah thanks steve!
taking that into consideration i think ill just be fine with the gold!

[WillaMuse]

Hey byrd,

Not exactly your same question, but I recall someone in the past asking Taylor to spec in the 510s at order time ...and he found out it was around 2x what it would cost to DIY.  Not saying that is at all unfair, mind you ...just saying that you'd definitely be paying for them to do it, if they'd do it at all in your case (of being in the shop and having to R&R your old tuners).  Just an option for you to consider is the DIY route which is a pretty easy task, and you also can look around for exactly which finish you prefer (as there are 4 or 5 different finishes on these 510s, IIRC).  OTOH, if you choose Taylor to do the work, I'd personally recommend the "antique gold" fin (which is a satin) over the polished gold machines: looks more "classy" than "blingy" IMHO.  As to whether it is "worth" the cost, well that's a valuation Q which is up to you.  But since you asked, I find zero fault with Taylor machines, yet I find the 510s worth every penny. 

Edward

I do NOT like the factory-installed tuners on my 816ce at all.  I also want to replace them with the Gotoh "antique gold" fins!  I know a luthier who could change them out for me, and I want to buy some ... Can someone help me out here with this?  What specifics do I need to know so that I (he) can do it for me?  I play but I can hardly operate a hand drill... I have seen them on EBay, but it is very confusing for me ... Any pointers would be helpful.  I could ask my friend, but I would rather have the new ones in hand first, then give them to him to change out.  The tuners on my 916 are gorgeous.. I would love to have some of those on the 816ce as well ...

Thanks,
Willa

[Edward]

This is no endorsement, mind you (though I have purchased from Allparts before), but here's one vendor possibility:
http://www.allparts.com/Gotoh-510-Delta-Tuners-s/419.htm
Clearly, shopping around will yield you a good price, but this at least gives you an idea.

You want the 510 Delta tuners, mid-sized (the small are for 12-string pegheads), and order your desired finish.  And there are two different ratios, either 18:1 or 21:1.  I happen to have guitars with both and am honestly ambivalent between the two.  The 21s are aguably more "fine," but in practice that doesn't make anything "better" IMHO since these tuners are so smooth, so precise, and completely devoid of gear lash that I honestly cannot tell the difference between them, except at string-change time (hardly a big deal).  Hope that helps you a bit

Edward

[flaggerphil]

I put Gotoh 510 tuners on my 426ce-LTD and they are far better than the Taylor tuners.  I've never liked the shape of Taylor's tuners since they went to their "own" brand.  To me it was well worth the money.

[mgap]

I don't mind the Taylor tuners, they are on all but one of my guitars.  The Gotoh are better however, finer tuning, smoother, and look much nicer, except I wish they would hide the screw like the Taylor style.

    Gotoh 510                                                                                                                                       Taylor brand

[Iplay2]

If you are even moderately handy, you can order a set of the antique gold 21:1 ratio Gotoh Delta tuners and put them on yourself.  I have put them on a couple of my guitars, and it tends to take around 20 minutes from start to finish.  If Taylor will even do it, I guarantee that it will be twice as expensive. 

Shoot me a PM or e-mail if you have any questions about any other details.

Heath



edited for price discussion & commercial content