Pictures of the tuners on the instruments

-- Updated 16 May 04 --

Many thanks to Rich Berger of Grover Musical Products, Inc. for help in identifying several of the non-labeled tuners, and to help with the dating of some of those & the labeled ones.  The following tuners appear in the 1935 Grover catalog, and were probably in earlier catalogs:  03, 09, 04, 11, 16, 17.  Thanks also to Larry Davis of Kluson , who informs me that the earliest catalog that Kluson has access to is 1965, as all their older materials have been lost over the years when the company changed hands and locations.   Also thanks to Alan Geierman for pointing out several errors on the page!

The majority of the tuners are Grovers, and it's quite possible that some of the unknown tuners could be older model Grovers.

All images © David Kolars, 2003.  Pictures by DK.

Click on a picture to open a pop-up window with the full size picture
Notice that tuners # 04, 11, 16 & 17 have the identical plate... they differ only in the amount of design that was put on them.
01 Unknown Tuners on May Bell Style 82 & College Pal narrow head, the solid head version of #13	02 Unknown Tuners on May Bell Style 84, the solid head version of #18	03 Unlabeled Grovers on Style 83 Nite Hawk #1 & Style 81 Songster #3	04 Unlabeled Grovers on Style 83 Nite Hawk #2 & the Chinery Cathedranola	05 Grovers on Style 81 Songster #1	06 Grovers on Style 81 Songster #2 & Style 400 Songster Lap Steel #1
07 Grover Tuners on Style 81 Songster #4	08 Grovers on Style 881 Songster #1	09 Grovers on Style 881 Songster #2	10 Grovers on Style 881 Songster #3	11 Unlabeled Grovers on the Koa Cathedranola	12 Unlabeled Grovers on May Bell Style No. 1 slotted head, & Style No. 5 slotted head, the slotted head version of #14
13 Unknown Tuners on Faux Reso with brass coverplate & the wide slotted head Style 0, the slotted head version of #01	14 Unlabeled Grovers on Faux Reso with chrome coverplate, College Pal curved head, May Bell Style 0 solid head, & Style 400 Songster Lap Steel #2, the solid head version of #12	15 Grovers on small body Pinnacle of Perfection, the slotted head version of #19	16 Unknown Tuners on May Bell Style 5 solid head	17 Unlabeled Grovers on May Bell Style 7 solid head, same as #04, only with black buttons	18 Unknown Tuners on May Bell Style 7 slotted head, the slotted head version of #02
19 Grovers on May Bell Lap Steel, the solid head version of #15	20 Unknown Tuners on May Bell Mandolin -- Gears & posts are pressure fitted, ends of posts peened over, no screws	21 Unknown Tuners on the Songster Mandolins	22 Unknown Friction Tuners on May Bell Tenor Guitar... Metal knobs, originally painted black	23 Unknown Friction Tuners on Slingerland Ukulele	24 Unknown Friction Tuners on May Bell Ukulele
25 Unknown 3-on-a-plate tuners on Nite Hawk #3, look like Klusons, probably replacements - note Phillips-head screws!	26 Unknown 3-on-a-plate tuners on the May Bell Jumbo No. 74	27 Grovers on a Slingerland New Marvel