Installing New Tuners On Slotted Peghead Dobro

[Gary S. Lynch]

I thought it might be helpful to share some information for anyone interested in replacing tuners on a dobro with a “slotted” peghead design.

To start, a disclaimer: the purpose of this post is to share information not to provide instructional directions on replacing the tuners pictured.
This worked for me but try this at your own risk to your guitar…

The dobro in the photos is an OMI dobro that I purchased new in 1973.
The replacement tuners shown are StewMac “ Golden Age Restoration” turners for Slotted Pegheads with Bell end. (See photo).
I recently installed a HipShot Double shot and roller nut, and the old tuners weren’t “locking” the strings as tightly as I needed.

Step one: I loosened the second string and placed a shim under the hand rest to apply pressure on the saddle. This kept the same tension as the strings did on the saddle. I also did this for the fifth string. (See photo)

Step two: I removed the treble side tuners. The Stew Mac tuner pegs specs were 6.00mm or .236 inches in diameter. In order for them to fit, I used a drill bit to ream the old peghead holes by hand. The old holes were slightly smaller but just enough to need enlarging.
I also used blue painters tape over the hole to avoid chipping the finish. ((See photo).

The new tuner pegheads lined up with the old holes, but I found the new tuners overall length slightly shorter. 3 of the 4 mounting screws fit the old holes and I had to drill the 4th mounting hole. Personally, I was fine with this minor adjustment in order to get much better tuning stability. (see photo).

Overall, these tuners are very tight, 15:1 gear ratio specs that really improved the tuning stability while using the HipShot. I found the roller nut was also a must for keeping the tuning stability when switching between Open D and G tunings.
Hope you found this helpful!