My tuners have stopped working - grrr !

[TontoZed]

I own a Taylor 714-CE (bought from new).  I think it is 2004 from the serial number

The gold plate tuners (all 3 on bass side) have become progressively tight over the years and are now so stiff to be unusable.  One tuner on the treble side is stiff as well so 4 out of 6 are useless.

I have loosened the tuner buttons, so know that it is an internal gearing issue.

I took one tuner off applied a few drops of oil to mechanism and rotated it around with electric screwdriver tuner peg attachment, but there was minimal improvement.

QUESTIONS:

1.  is this a known fault ?

2.  is there a way to get them moving smoothly again ?

I contacted Taylor customer support by e-mail in USA and Europe.  The Europe guy said guitar was out of warranty and they could sell me a new set of tuners.  No reply from USA.  So much for customer service....

If I can't the existing tuners working, I am thinking of getting a set of open-back Waverlys that (so far) work well on a Martin gtr.  Are they an easy retro fit ?  Any experience out there of this type of upgrade.

I have been playing guitar for 42 years in this is the first time I have encountered this type of tuner fault.
 
I was hoping Taylor would offer to replace these free of charge given that it was an expensive guitar (hey - I am an optimist!).
 
I have much older Gibsons and Fenders that are working fine.

Appreciate any suggestions or thoughts.

TontoZed
 

[Edward]

Hi there TZ,  welcome to the board! 

Well that is a weird one ...I can honestly tell you in these many years I've played and owned multiple Taylors, I have never had nor ever heard of a Taylor tuning machine go bad, let alone having three of them!! 

I don't know what your European service rep is saying about being "out of warranty" as Taylor US warrants the guitar to its orig owner for life, but even better provides stellar customer service that has earned them an unparalleled reputation for pleasing its customer base. I'd advise that you call the factory in California and explain the situation. I am confident they will help you resolve this malady

Edward

[TontoZed]

Hi Edward,
Thanks for the reply.  That's very encouraging re USA customer service.  I'll hang in there and let you know how things turn out.
cheers
TZ

[TontoZed]

I went back to Taylor customer care, explained tuner problem again and asked if they could be replaced under warranty.  They said they were not covered by the (European warranty terms).  I then asked if tuners would have been covered under USA warranty (which is different text from USA version).  They said they were not covered under USA terms either.

So moving on; has any one any experience with replacing tuners on a Taylor ?  I was think of switching to open-back Waverlys, so any feedback on this type of mod would be appreciated.

[DennisG]

Sorry to hear the warranty doesn't cover your tuner issue.  That's really too bad.

I've got open-back Waverlys on a custom guitar and, to be honest, I don't love them.  I've never been able to adjust them to the point where turning them feels smooth.

What I DO love are the Gotoh 510s that are on my Goodall.  That's what I'd use for replacement tuners.

[TaylorGirl]

I agree with Dennis. The Gotoh 510's are excellent. Work/look great!

[TontoZed]

Thank you DennisG and TaylorGirl. 

I will check out the Gotoh 510s.

[Rockitman]

I had the same problem, and a highly respected luthier explained to me that many tuners use nylon or plastic parts (typically spacers or sleeves) within the sealed tuner.  Over time, the nylon or plastic can swell or shrink in size, causing either tightness or slippage when turning the tuners.  Not sure how accurate that is, but made sense to me at the time.