Installing Sperzel locking tuners

[seagulc]

Hey guys, I have a few questions about installing Sperzel locking tuners, it's a 3 by 3 set of graduated post position tuners for a Les Paul angled headstock.

Two questions:

1) The tuners don't quite fit through the tuner holes, it seems like Warmoth drilled the exact size so the tuners would fit through if I applied some force, should I just do this or is it neccesary/safer to somehow drill the hole or sand it down to make it VERY slightly bigger?

2) How does the pin work in terms of the installation? Do I just apply force to push the pin into the headstock or do I need to drill a very tiny hole to push this pin into?

Thanks

 

[GoDrex]

This what I would do. If anyone thinks it's a bad idea, be sure to post and correct me. It's what I did with my build and it worked out fine for me.

When I got my neck I noticed that the tuners wouldn't fit in the holes  - they were just a little too tight. Some finish got in the holes on the top and bottom. I just took some fine sand paper and rolled it into a small tube shape and moved it around in the hole a little bit at a time until they would fit nicely. First problem solved.

I haven't instaled Sperzels, but the PWs have tiny bumps that push into the wood and kind of hold them there. They're not big enough to need their own holes. But my strat's tuners have bigger posts and they have little holes for each.

What I'd do is be really careful and make sure the tuner is lined up and I'd press it in a bit to make a dent (if you think these post need holes) and then drill a small hole at that spot. Just be real careful about it and you won't need to do it again.

I've heard that these tuners are kind of a pain to line up, so maybe someone else has some tips.

 

[nathan a]

+1 on Gary's light sanding of the tuner holes, that's what I did too.

And the little sperzel post nub thing definitely needs its own hole. Don't try to just push that in. Get some masking tape and a tiny drill bit and mark off exactly where you want those holes to be. Put a piece of tape on the bit itself to mark the depth you want, and drill carefully. It isn't easy to get them aligned perfectly, but I got mine pretty damn close just by eyeballin it and taking my time. Measure twice, cut once!  :hello2:

 

[Orpheo]

in the cartboard box of sperzels, you have a template. What I do. is make a small scratch in the laquer with that peg by twisting the tuner around, to see where and what the radius of the peg is. then, by using that template and some eyeballing (and seeing where its at its highest point;then its straight!), I drill it out. but that template works quite nice too. what I'd do, is xerox that thing several times, at least 6, on thicker paper, just in case. after having drilled 2 tuners, the template (which is cartboard!) will become wide, so it wont be a good template anymore (or just make one from plexiglas or wood).

the way I do it with the template is very straight forward. I take a 10 mm drill bit, press it in the hole of the tuner, mount the template over it, and mix and match so its straight, and then I drill the small one.

well, there you have it 2 ways, in 1 post!

 

[seagulc]

Thanks for the tips guys. Good to know that I'll need to drill, I almost tried to just push them in.

My pot holes and switch hole is just a tiny bit small also, I'm guessing sanding is the way to go for that too? Just want to be sure.. this is my first build.