Nickle vs chrome rotomatics

hansmoust

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
When did Guild stop offering nickle rotomatics?

Hello Darryl,

Didn't check it against my database but off the top of my head I believe that nickel plated Grover RotoMatics were phased out round about the time that the German-made Schaller M-6 machines were introduced, so that must have been around 1971. For a while you would still see Chrome Grover RotoMatics used simultaneously with the Schaller heads on the higher end guitars but by the mid-'70s the Grover RotoMatics were gone.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
 

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I am going to change out the original "worn out" tuners on my '78 D-40 with Grovers, but I can't decide whether to use Nickel plated or Chrome plated.

Any opinions?
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Thanks, Hans. I just put nickel rotomatics on a 1969 and then wondered if Guild was still using nickel then. Do you know when Guild quit using nickel tailpieces?

Mr. P, I just prefer nickel because I like things plain and understated. Chrome and gold and inlay all look like unnecessary decoration to me. As for which one actually works better or lasts longer, I have no idea.
 

hansmoust

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Mr. P ~ said:
I am going to change out the original "worn out" tuners on my '78 D-40 with Grovers, but I can't decide whether to use Nickel plated or Chrome plated.

Any opinions?

Hello Mr. P.

I'm not saying it's impossible but I find it hard to believe that your '78 D-40 would have Grovers as original equipment. In 1978 the standard tuners for the D-40 were the Japanese made Gotoh tuners with enclosed housings.
Can you show me a clear picture of the back of your headstock?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
 

hansmoust

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
Thanks, Hans. I just put nickel rotomatics on a 1969 and then wondered if Guild was still using nickel then. Do you know when Guild quit using nickel tailpieces?

Yes, by 1969 they would still use the nickel plated RotoMatics but if you really want to be 'historically corrects' then you need to use the ones with the 'Pat. Pend' engraving on the back.

As far as the nickel tailpieces are concerned it really depends on the model. They probably didn't run out of nickel ones for all the models at the same time, so they were used till they ran out. There is quite a long period of overlap during which they used both Nickel and Chrome plated tailpieces. That is also true for the other pieces of hardware and you will find many guitars from the '60s on which they used nickel and chrome plated parts at the same time

Hans
 

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hansmoust said:
Hello Mr. P.

I'm not saying it's impossible but I find it hard to believe that your '78 D-40 would have Grovers as original equipment. In 1978 the standard tuners for the D-40 were the Japanese made Gotoh tuners with enclosed housings.
Can you show me a clear picture of the back of your headstock?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust

Hans,
I did not mean to imply that mine has grovers, but I have never been able to define what these are. They are badly worn (from letting the adjustment screw on the knob to get too loose I think) and do a poor job of holding pitch. This is a picture of them. They are chrome plated, but were not "deburred" before the plating operation.


[img:307:450]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid200/p2202cca5c18141b176e9dcb3f1f81f38/f07dc08a.jpg[/img]
 

hansmoust

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Mr. P ~ said:
Hans,
I did not mean to imply that mine has grovers, but I have never been able to define what these are. They are badly worn (from letting the adjustment screw on the knob to get too loose I think) and do a poor job of holding pitch. This is a picture of them. They are chrome plated, but were not "deburred" before the plating operation.

Hello Mr. P.

I'm really sorry about that. My mistake! I did only read 'my '78 D-40 with Grovers' instead of 'change out the original "worn out" tuners on my '78 D-40 with Grovers'.
I can tell you that you have the original Gotoh made enclosed machines on your D-40.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
 

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
What do you mean "deburred"?

Deburring is a standard machine shop practice. When a part is machined from a block of metal, there is a sharp edge that develops at the intersection of a horizontal surface with a vertical surface (that is only one of many examples). That is refered to as a burr.

Likewise, when a part is die-cast like the knobs on these tuners were, burrs develop where the two halves of the die connect together (or however many pieces the dies are made of).

Burrs can be as sharp as a razor and can cut you to the bone!!

Standard practice is to use a file, deburring tool, sand paper, grinder, or even a milling machine to smooth the edges so the end user does not get cut.

The edges of the knobs are very rough, and are not deburred or "radiused" as design drawing usually lists the process.

The final word is the lack of deburring makes these parts look "Cheap", and that is not a good thing.

Hans, thanks once again for your Knowledge!!
 

West R Lee

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Great explanation P. BTW, I may be playing some of your RTJ courses this fall. We are tentatively planning a golf trip there in October. I have played Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham and loved it. Beautiful place.

West
 

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West R Lee said:
Great explanation P. BTW, I may be playing some of your RTJ courses this fall. We are tentatively planning a golf trip there in October. I have played Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham and loved it. Beautiful place.

West

If you make it up to the North part of the state send me a PM before you come an maybe we could get together an jaw a little, have a brew and Maybe pick something!!

Birmingham is only about 90 miles, so I could come down if you come that way.
 
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