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my brother would like to start making(cutting and engraving) own machine heads for flamenco and classical guitars which is obviously not easy, but does anyone have here any tips on where to purchase the parts that aren't handmade? Also if you have any other tips or links on making machine heads they are very welcome. For example the cutting method(s) for the plates, materials, etc.
Perhaps try a base level Rubner with the plain unengraved plate and reshape and engrave the baseplate as required. http://luthierssupplies.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=24_25_26&products_id=278 Even a seemingly simple job like making baseplates and installing the worm shaft bearings will not be easy to get accurate without specialised tooling
A few of us had the opportunity to have a preconcert talk and after-concert dinner with Jorg Graf last weekend, at a Baltimore concert by the Assads. He went into lengthy and minute detail about how the tuners are built, what was cut by CNC and where hand fitting and engraving came into play, and what parts he farmed out either because he wasn't precise enough (worms and gears) or just wasn't into it (knobs). After that, I'd have to say it's not something I'd try to pull off without a good set of metalworking capabilities.
(Jorg is a really interesting guy - it sounds like building tuners is about his 10th career.)
i would imagine it would be tough to start from scratch and get the necessary parts, equipment and foothold into the market. the latter i think would be the toughest part given how many suppliers of tuners are out there. one can spend a lot of money to make one or two sets. the key is being able to recoup costs by selling a lot of sets and this becomes the significant problem; how does one push aside established companies especially in the range of affordable tuners? it is this situation that may keep established tuner makers quiet on sourcing supplies.
i would send e-mails to established tuner makers and see if one or two will supply information. who knows, maybe one or two will share information.
i would imagine it would be tough to start from scratch and get the necessary parts, equipment and foothold into the market. the latter i think would be the toughest part given how many suppliers of tuners are out there. one can spend a lot of money to make one or two sets. the key is being able to recoup costs by selling a lot of sets and this becomes the significant problem; how does one push aside established companies especially in the range of affordable tuners? it is this situation that may keep established tuner makers quiet on sourcing supplies.
i would send e-mails to established tuner makers and see if one or two will supply information. who knows, maybe one or two will share information.
J. Graf had the opinion that there was no competition in the high end market, in the sense of people being in each other's way. He, Rodgers, anyone else can sell them faster than they can make them and could often be charging a lot more for them. Where you don't want to be is competing with Gotoh, Sloane, etc. Graf's base price is up around $600/set, and he says he doesn't sell any of those - the orders are for ones in the $1200-1400 range.
You probably can't make any money competing in the $100-$300 range - that's a place for larger scale manufacturing. Graf says the thing that sets his base price is he insists on being paid more per hour than his plumber. (Of course, there is also the issue that his gears and stuff are expensive to start with, and are all the same on every set.)
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