How I make a keyless tuner - video clips

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Les Ford
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Location: British Columbia, Canada

How I make a keyless tuner - video clips

Post by Les Ford »

I have started posting a few videos on the process of making a Lamar style tuner assembly. It's a bit of a rambling exercise but hopefully it will be interesting to someone in the same situation as me when I started.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 20LPY-vGr1

I'll add to it as I go along.
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J D Sauser
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Re: How I make a keyless tuner - video clips

Post by J D Sauser »

Les Ford wrote: 22 Jul 2025 5:39 pm I have started posting a few videos on the process of making a Lamar style tuner assembly. It's a bit of a rambling exercise but hopefully it will be interesting to someone in the same situation as me when I started.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 20LPY-vGr1

I'll add to it as I go along.
Very nifty keyless-head, beautifully machined. Thanks for sharing!... J-D.
__________________________________________________________

Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"

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Les Ford
Posts: 84
Joined: 15 Oct 2017 7:22 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Re: How I make a keyless tuner - video clips

Post by Les Ford »

Thanks JD. I think that it is based on a Lamar design and it looks to be similar to Ross Schafer's new Sierra tuners.
I got a similar one a few years ago with some stripped out parts and I figured it would be worthwhile to try to build a modified version with the changes I thought I needed.

I will continue to post the steps as I go.
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J D Sauser
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Re: How I make a keyless tuner - video clips

Post by J D Sauser »

You really got me scratching my head when I saw the separator fins... until I came to realize that the block was two-part. Which also explained the tuning screw-niche.
Very "laborous", but nifty!

... J-D.
__________________________________________________________

Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"

A Little Mental Health Warning:

Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.

I say it humorously, but I mean it.
Les Ford
Posts: 84
Joined: 15 Oct 2017 7:22 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Re: How I make a keyless tuner - video clips

Post by Les Ford »

I copied those fins/separators off the old broken one I had, which I think might be a Lamar. I guess that the idea was to stop the pullers from rubbing on each other and pulling out of tune. I honestly don't know if they are necessary.

I expect to post more on this in a week or two. It's peak summer craziness around here; Festivals, gigs, visitors and wildfires. Soon the geese will fly in and the rains will come to save us all and I get back in the shop.
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J D Sauser
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Re: How I make a keyless tuner - video clips

Post by J D Sauser »

Thanks, and yes, keep it coming, please.

I went to mechanical college in Switzerland as a youth in the 80's. I graduated and never worked in the industry anymore until last year I bought a mini mill and lathe and started making parts for several guitars which needed attention and upgrades... the main goal being to go back to prototype.
I recently moved it all to our other home on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic... it's a different feeling to machine out parts while seeing the palm trees in the back ground.

Beautiful craftsmanship! We can use all the knowledge you have!

Fins: From a design point of view, the more one can reduce friction, the better. Evidently, on a pull-tuner like those are, the friction speed is minimal just as the lateral pressure. The main pressure will be condensed on the tuner screw's very small surface head, and on the front of the pull fingers (front facing the neck). Aluminum doesn't "run" well on anything and especially bad against another aluminum part. It even tends to bind in plain stand still (I had a Sierra Session leg lock up in it's socket once as it was aluminum on aluminum. A little bit of ambient humidity and a hint of saltiness "et voilá!" as the French say (like saying "and there ya go!").
I have written extensively about this disregard of basic concepts taught in schools when steel guitar builders choose materials. This disregard is especially blatant when one looks at how most changers are built.

I remember sitting at a Lamar Keyless at a convention in the late 1990's... it was beautiful but out of tune. I had a very hard time to work it in tune. Since I was not "invited" to take it apart, I can't say for sure what the issue may have been, but I did suspect binding there and then.
On the other hand, I don't like the use of Delron either. It's a tone killer and it requires sloppy tolerances to run freely and without wear. The good ol' principles of brass-against-steel still stands and works exceptionally well even with quite tight fits and won't kill tone. I've gotten to the point of using brass hex tuners on all pull changers, and to stop all pull anywhere possible against the sound board (cabinet) so to cycle the frequencies removed from the changer's resting bar as well as possible around instead of just "hanging" these pulled stings against nylon tuners and the frame.



Thanks!... J-D.
__________________________________________________________

Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"

A Little Mental Health Warning:

Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.

I say it humorously, but I mean it.