Fender Tuning Keys

Fender Tuning Keys

This page will cover the subtle variances in what is already known, revise dated beliefs, and throw in some stupid trivia about these parts. The information pertains to Fender brand guitars. Other brands bought tuners in different quantities and used them up over different periods of time. So the changes and transitions will naturally be a little different.

Above, a very early Kluson tuner, father to the Kluson Deluxe.

Above: The lower end Kluson "Ideal" model differs only in that it is not enclosed.

Kluson Era-

This period has been well covered by over the past two decades. Here are some trivial little items many may not know, or simply have never been documented. First off a little history. The Kluson company actually spun off from the machine shop at Harmony in the Chicago area during the 1930's. They continued to manufacture tuners and hardware for Harmony, but branched out to supply parts in aftermarket and OEM to companies across the country. They made bridges, tailpieces, knobs, strap buttons, you name it for all the big names in the industry. Harmony, Gibson, Kay, they all feature Kluson components way beyond tuning keys.

Fender first used Klusons on their line of steel guitars. It has been said that it was this relationship that spurred the design of the Kluson "Safe-T" post design which utilized a slot and a hole drilled into the tuner capstan for the player to slide the string end into.

Kluson was an obvious choice for Leo to make his new solid body guitar tuning keys, but Leo's design called for a configuration nobody else needed. Leo was forced into modifying Klusons existing product to suit. So Leo bought the sealed Kluson Deluxe tuners in individual styles with 2 mounting tabs.

On March 14, 1950 Leo paid Race and Olmstead to make him a tool to trim the tabs off. One is left for the end tuners, both are trimmed for the "centers". Because of the natural variances due to the tolerances of the day, the employee that installed the gears would file the trimmed areas until the tuners fit. Because of this the older the Fender guitar, the more difficult it can be to "swap" tuners on. Often you will have to arrange them, or in worse case scenarios, file them, to fit your particular guitar.

Above: You can see the remnants of the original tab on the right hand edge. These corners helped anchor the key from moving around. It along with the fact each tuner has patent information on the back, disproves the theory that Fender trimmed down strip tuners.

On the thumbnail above: This is actual leftover Fender OEM stock in the original shipping boxes. Fender removed them from the boxes and clipped the tabs.

In Detail

First, I want to point out that Kluson tuners were made by the hundreds a day. The Deluxe models were an economy tuner of the era used on guitars of all price points. I have seen huge transitions between changes and some very odd configurations.

1950-1952 "Patent Applied For"- The first version found on Fender solid bodies was the "Single line" version that has "Pat APPLD" on the lower edge of the casing. These lack a hole in the casing opposite the tuner button for the worm gear to exit. In this era Leo used bushings made by Kluson. They appear very similar to the usual late 50's and 60's Gibson milled ferrules, but are not as flat. The top crown is rounded. You see these on many higher end guitars using the Kluson Deluxe into the mid 50's.

The slot in the tuner shaft during the 50's tends to be wide. Usually it clears the side of the hole in the center.

But often the slot or the hole is placed a little off center and the drill bit hits the side of the slot.

The words "Kluson Deluxe" are stamped in a single line across the back, hence the nickname. Note how the "O" in Kluson is the oil hole.

Here we see the closed shell design

Changes: Each featuring a transition Period

In House made ferrules

Leo ended up making his tuner bushings in house approximately one year into making sold body guitars. He had a full machine shop on grounds making strap buttons, body ferrules, and in the end it was cheaper for him to make them in house. Because of this only Fenders have this style and can't be found on other brands.

"No Line"

The first change we see is all words are dropped from the tuner casing. These are known as "no Lines" for some reason as the Kluson brand stamp is dropped. These are easily differentiated from reissues because there is still a strip down the center wider than the rest of the lines. Reissues have a consistent line pattern from side to side

Casing Standardization

Previously, Kluson was making a unique back for each right and left side tuners. They opted to make one style that universally fit.

Patent Granted

"Kluson Deluxe" Branding returns

Split in shaft is modified

The split narrows in 1960 with a bit of a transition into 1961. From here on the bit used to drill the string well always cuts into the walls of the split.

Double Line

In 1963 Kluson decided to stop hiding their name around the corner of the casing. They retooled and by early 1964 they were making these new tuners with the text running in two parallel lines in a larger font. The change hits Fender stock mid year.

Split Shaft Changes again

In the mid 60's, Kluson slimmed the split down once again and the hole really dug into the sides of the split. They now began countersinking the top to dress this look away. They also began offering tuners already cut to fit Fender guitars for music stores to sell as replacements.

Klusons final years

Many believe Kluson went out of business in the early 70's, but the fact is they were around until 1981. They still supplied Fender with Stratocaster knobs until the end. Later Klusons are very common today. They are sometimes chrome plated, have a deeper stamping of the inside patent numbers, and of course have the countersunk string well in the top. These were sold by numerous guitar stores, Mighty Mite, Schecter, Charvel, Carvin, and came equipped on earliest Fender Bullet and Peavey T-30 guitars. If you have seen a set of NOS Klusons (for some reason they are usually gold), they are from this end era.

Ever notice "Rare" Gold Double Line Klusons seem a bit plentiful? Mighty Mite sold them for years!

In the 90's WD Music bought the rights to the name Kluson and have outsourced the manufacture to Ping and recently to Schaller for the "TonePros" brand. Kluson, once the largest OEM source for guitar parts has themselves become an outsourced item.

Fender "F" tuners

Forrest White recalled the idea for Fender to begin making their own tuning keys happened in early 1965 when Kluson could not keep up with the supply Fender needed to keep up with the already backordered Mustang guitar. Fender was already making everything else, and CBS now owned the company. It was a simple and cost effective solution to their problem. Mr. White designed the rear casing and its offset "Zig Zag" screw pattern. he really tried to make a quality gear, importing a gear hobber from Germany, which was far superior to the simple screw making machinery used by Kluson.

I believe his memory as we see the first F tuners appear on the student line of guitars in the fall of 1965. They then begin to appear on the regular line in December on the Jaguar. Fender was also changing the headstock manufacturing methods as a big manufacturing flaw these had was heads splitting along the tuners when the bushing went in, and after the guitars left the factory. This created some variations in the very earliest F tuners.

The tuners used for the first several months have a Kluson length shaft 1 inch long

After Fender began thickening the heads, they had to increase the length of the tuner shaft. These vary a bit and tend to range between 1 1/8"-1 1/4" in length.

Typically these are chrome plated on metal button versions and nickel plated on plastic buttons.

Outsourcing tuners, again

As great an attempt as Forrest made, the F tuner made in house left a lot to be desired. This view has changed because the good ones survived and the bad ones were nearly immediately changed. Fender noted this and began looking to other sources for "upscale" guitars. The first brand they used was Grover.

These Grovers were used most often on Fenders attempted high end guitar line, the Coronado. Some examples also have been found stock on Jazzmaster and Stratocaster guitars. These are a rather rare option only appearing a short time. The fact they didn't actually fit the headstocks is probably why Fender didn't keep using them. It is most likely only one batch was ever purchased and the stock was used up on promotional Coronados and acoustics with an occasional other model by request or experiment.

1972 Telecaster Deluxe

CBS Fender was looking to expand their market, so they began building Telecasters that had many of the mods commonly seen in professional musicians hands. They approached Schaller to make them a sealed tuner similar in appearance to their F tuner. This gear was introduced in 1972 on the new Telecaster Deluxe.

F tuner Generation 2

The Tele Deluxe tuner was such a hit that Fender asked Schaller if they could produce a better standard F tuner complete with Safe-T post design. Schaller came through with the newly redesigned F tuner late in 1975. The new version is identifiable by the closed casing opposite the key and slightly larger tuner shaft that requires a larger bushing. They did not make nickel plated or white button versions, so low end Musicmaster family guitars switch to chrome. These tuners are reproduced today by Schaller for Fender. Schaller has always offered their own version over the years with an oval button and "S" on the back. Internally they are a sealed style tuner mounted with a stamped cover to provide the original in house made gear.