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Posts: 2964
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
servicing machine heads
Hey, One of my machine heads (B string) has recently become very stiff. after changing my strings yesterday I noticed that with the string off it was as smooth/loose as the others and only stiffened up again once the string was more or less in tune. I added a tiny drop of oil to the thread on the screw. but still seems stiff. could there be a prob with the mechanics inside the plastic part. And if so what can be done?? (I'm no luthier so I hope Ive used the right words for the right parts.)
A couple of questions...Are these low end machine heads? How long have you owned the guitar? Did the stiffness come about suddenly or over a period of time?
Normally it's easiest to replace low end machines if they have a problem. On better quality machines what normally causes sudden stiffness (binding) is a cracked roller. Inspect the plastic on the roller giving you trouble and see if there isn't a crack in it. If there is you'll need to remove the machines and try to find a replacement roller. Some music stores have them and most luthiers. Be aware that they come in at least 2 different diameters and the end which connects to the gear has several configurations (square, splined, hexagonal, etc.) and the screws are not all the same size.
Of course a cracked roller is not the only possible cause of binding. It could be simple wear, loose screw or even be related to the wood in the headstock (not likely) or something else. Measure the distance center to center on the top of the posts (part holding the button and worm gear). If your machines are standard it should be 35 mm. You can order new machines online at places like stewmac.com for about any amount you want to spend. It requires a small screwdriver and no skill to replace them. If they are still binding after replacement take the guitar to a luthier. There are some tricks to making machines work smoothly like wrapping teflon tape around the ends of the roller where it contacts the wood of the headstock. You might try this if can't find a luthier.
hi john, thanks for your tips but, as if by magic, the afore mentioned machine head seems to be fixed. I think it just needed a little oil. thanks anyways.
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