Fender Instructions for Vintage Slotted Tuners

Vintage Fender guitars had a slot cut into the tuning pegs. You would place the tip of your guitar string into a hole drilled into the bottom of the slot and then turn the peg to tighten the string. You can purchase vintage reproductions at a high cost or you can convert your Fender tuners to slotted tuners on your own.

Things You'll Need

• Coping saw
• Small triangle file
• 600-grit sand paper (optional)
• Drill
• Drill bit

Instructions

1. Center a jeweler's saw or a coping saw on the top of the tuning peg and carefully saw a slot through the top of the peg. Make sure the slot is straight down and centered on the top of the peg.

2. Clean up the rough edges with a small, fine-tooth triangle saw. Take care not to chip or scratch the surrounding chrome or nickel plating. You can opt to use 600-grit or higher sand paper in lieu of the file.

3. Place a .050-inch drill bit into your hand drill. If you do not want to use a 0.50-inch drill bit, the drill bit must be slightly larger than the diameter of the largest string you use on your guitar. Place the drill bit through the slot so the tip of the bit presses against the bottom of the slot channel. Center the bit up in the bottom of the slot channel and drill a hole deep enough for the tip of your string to secure into. Usually, this is approximately a quarter-inch deep.

4. Repeat the process with the other five tuning pegs.