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Drilling out the low E on locking tuners? 
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Simethicone
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Post Drilling out the low E on locking tuners?
Okay, a legitimate guitar-related question: my beater LP has Kluson locking tuners. They won't fit an .056 low E. (Which, clearly, will not be tuned to E.) Is there a reliable method of expanding the hole slightly without really buggering up the tuner? Chris- any thoughts?

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Fri May 12, 2017 3:23 am
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Drilling out the low E on locking tuners?
Depends a little on how far off it is. I have never had to do it, but if ti is pretty close in diameter already, with a good drillbit designed for using on metal you should be able to get cleanly through without fuckering it too badly.

I would avoid doing anything that involves tiny files or the like.

I don't know how the kluson lockers are arranged. Is it a screw on the back or do you tighten down on the top side with a slot in the peg?

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Fri May 12, 2017 6:38 am
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Simethicone
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Post Re: Drilling out the low E on locking tuners?
The Klusons lock from the top. Not my favorite configuration, but they were on the guitar when I bought it. My preference is Schallers, with the thick knurled knob on the back. They're the easiest to grip and use, IMO. The bit on the top of the Klusons detaches from the tuner if you unscrew it too much.

I was wondering about the file thing, whether that would be a preferable option. They fit an .046 without issue, so we're talking less than .01 of an inch here. 'Course, I don't want the bit going through at an angle, either- is there a best way to hold this in place without a drill press? (Don't have access to one- I asked the two people I know who I thought might have one.) Should I remove the tuner from the guitar first?

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Fri May 12, 2017 11:13 pm
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Simethicone
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Post Re: Drilling out the low E on locking tuners?
A quick Google search tells me they're Kluson KB3Ls:

Image

Image

The string threads through holes in both the shaft of the tuner and the bushing.

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Fri May 12, 2017 11:18 pm
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Drilling out the low E on locking tuners?
Sorry, i was in the woods there for the last few days. :red:

I have never seen that type of Kluson, crazy. It looks like they might be relatively simple to drill out though, if the knurled threaded bit just unscrews all the way out like they appear to.

When removed, is the little pin that sticks out of the locking part, threaded like a screw? It almost looks like it in the picture. If so, i am assuming that the threaded section on that is also the locking mechanism, where the screw bit just pushed into the string and pins it in place.

If that is what it is, there might be a slight problem if you run a drill bit through the string hole to widen it, as it will be perpendicular to fine threads and might create burrs on the thread side that might make tightening the locking mechanism hard, or could strip out the screw itself.

In that case, the best solution to that would be to find out precisely what the thread pitch of the piece is(i.e. standard or metric, the diameter and the thread count and coarse-or-fineness), and to get a tiny little drill tap that is correct, to chase the threads after drilling and clean out any burrs that the original hole drilling process will likely produce.

Meaning: It is kind of involved, not super difficult, should be doable, but has some quirks/obstacles that you will want to carefully navigate in order to come out at the other end with a working tuner. :idk:

If however, when the locking blob is removed, the hole you want to drill does not go through any part of the thing that has screw threads, it is much simpler and more a matter of having a drill and a metal cutting drill bit of the correct diameter, just run through carefully.

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Wed May 17, 2017 9:21 am
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