Malfunctioning Schaller Tuner

Chiefbigeasy

D string Schaller tuner has been difficult to turn for months. Went to change strings, now won’t tighten at all and still very stiff. Took it off the head, it’s sealed with no entry point.

Repair or replace?

crookedpinky

I think replace as these are sealed so well. I had the same problem with my b string tuner. Thankfully I had a replacement set of Saga deluxe which I had bought from Djangobooks.

Buco

Selmer copy that Schaller made?

I have a different problem with those. The sleeves that go over the shaft are turning a little too freely, little looser than what it should be and are causing a lot of buzzing. Like I'll play a note and the sleeve will start buzzing. If I tape over it, everything is fine.
I contacted the place I bought it from and sent a video that shows what's happening, they said they never heard of such problem but said send it back and we'll send you a brand new set and they did.
Same thing. I can spin the sleeve with my finger.
I've been thinking to put silicone over it, let it set and then cut it and hopefully that'll do it.

So maybe your problem is the opposite side. This winter here has been cold and dry and you're on the other side of the spectrum. So the brass (I'm guessing they're brass) may have shrunk just enough to make it buzz in my case and swelled just enough to make it shut in your case.

Chiefbigeasy

I’ve got a cool-looking new nickel set with black buttons (try something different) on the way from Michael. Meanwhile, here’s a quote from Bob Holo in 2014 regarding rattling tuner issues and his solution:

When I encountered this, I primed the area between the knob and sleeve with thinned cyanoacrylate (which wicks up into the sleeve) and then daubed a small dot of medium density cyanoacrylate to flow around the base where the finial of the sleeve meets the knob - to seal the area. The thinned glue draws the medium in enough to become invisible. Then accelerate the cyano to lock things up. It's perhaps overkill , but it works. Alternately - a drop of any common superglue where the knob meets the sleeve finial will do the trick If you don't have multiple viscosities of acrylate and accelerator. Better yet, take it to a good repair guy. They know 1,000 things that can cause a buzz and 10,000 ways to fix them.

Buco

That's exactly what I did yesterday, dabbed some super glue between the button and the sleeve, seems to do the trick.
But a friend here has the same set on his Mazaud and on it the sleeves are attached to the buttons already so I definitely have a defective set.
My thinking about the metal expanding/contracting might sound silly but on some days I can spin these very easily, and that's when they buzz the worst, and on some days I have to make an effort to turn it with the finger, same tuner.

Chiefbigeasy

Ended up getting a new set of nickel Schaller tuners with larger ebony buttons. The buttons are actually a little different than what Michael has pictured; they are a little more squared off than oval (I’ll see if I can figure how to post a picture). Actually, I think I like them better—adds a little more modern classy look.

The upshot is, I have a half set of nickel a Schaller white button tuners (E, B, G side) if anyone needs them

I think my new ones look pretty snazzy.