Installing Waverly Tuners

I’ve been using Waverly tuners for quite a while, and the way that I install them has changed over the years.  There are now a few jigs and specialty bits that make installation easier.  The Waverly’s use a friction bushing, which is one of the trickier parts of the install.  If the fit is not just right then there is the risk of the bushings coming loose in the future, or even worse acting as a wedge and splitting the headstock overlay.  This method of installation overcomes these potential pitfalls, and I will focus on this part of the install.

To drill the initial holes before finishing I use a ¼” brad point bit on the center of the tuner location, then followed by Stew Mac Peghead Bushing Reamer (#2062).

The first step after the headstock finish is buffed out,  is to clean out the filler and finish from the tuner holes.  It is important to leave this finish in the holes as it prevents water entering the wood during a wet rubout.  If water were to get in the wood it would swell the finish in an unsightly manner.  

To clean out the finish/filler  I use a new exacto blade and carefully dislodge the finish/filler blob.  The adhesion is forgiving in this area and the finish/filler usually pops right off as shown in the  pictures below.

Figure 1.  The excess filler and finish in the tuner hole which needs to be cleaned out.

Figure 2.  The excess filler/finish is cleaned out using an exacto blade.

Figure 3.  Carefully pop off the filler finish.  It should dislodge cleanly from the edge.

The next step is to clean out any remaining finish lower down in the tuner hole.  I first use a fine toothed countersink to soften any sharp finish ledge.  Just a very small chamfer as you don’t want  to exceed the footprint of the bushings. 

Figure 4.  Using a fine tooth countersink to put a small chamfer on the edge of the tuner hole.

Then I use an 11/32” straight reamer, making sure the reamer enters the headstock perpendicular to its face.  At this point the bushings should drop into the holes with almost zero play.  When I measure the bushings with a dial caliper I get 0.343” and 11/32” is 0.34375, so in theory less than .001” of play.

Figure 5.  Using an 11/32” straight reamer to clean out the tuner hole.

Figure 6.  After a few turns of the 11/32” reamer the bushing will drop into the holes with almost no play.

And here is where I really go off-script.  I use  a small makeup applicator brush to apply 5  min epoxy down into the tuner hole, below the face of the headstock (about ⅛” below the surface).  The intent is to only glue in the bottom half of the bushing.  Only a little epoxy is needed and there should be absolutely no  squeeze out on the surface.  

Figure 7.    The 5 minute epoxy and makeup applicator brushes.

Link to buy applicator brushes. <- this is a TLG affiliate link

Figure 8.  Applying the 5 minute epoxy ⅛” below the face of the headstock.  The intent is to glue the bottom of the bushing and have zero squeeze out on the face.  Only a small amount of epoxy is needed.

Then I put in three bushing on one side and gently clamp them down with a small clamp over each bushing using padded cauls.

Figure 9.  Cauls and clamps used to put in the bushings.

Figures 10 and 11.  The padded caul is used on the bottom to protect the finish and  hard wooden caul sits on the bushings on the top.  The clamps are placed over each bushing.  Only slight pressure is applied.

At this point the bushings are installed and flush with the face.

Figure 12.  Shows the final install of the bushings.

If the bushings need to be removed in the future, I would add a little heat with a soldering iron to the bottom of the bushing where the glue is and then press or tap out the bushing from the back.  

The next step is to drill the holes for the tuner screws on the back of the headstock.  To do this I recommend getting the StewMac Waverly Tuner Drill Jig (#4858), it is a great tool for the job and ensures correct alignment.

Figures 13-17 shows the use of the screw installation jig.  Alignment of the jig depends on how you want your tuners to line up on the headstock.   In my case,  I want the tuners to be parallel to the centerline of the headstock.  I draw the centerline on a piece of low-tack tape attached to the back of the headstock.  Then align the top and bottom of the jig so it is parallel to the centerline.

I drilled through a small wooden dowel which acts as a depth stop for the bit.  I always back this up right to the drill chuck so it can’t slip down on the bit.

Figures 18-20.  Using the same countersink on the top I chamfer all the screw holes.  This helps prevent any chipping out of the back-overlay when the screws are cutting threads into the wood.  I also add paste wax to the holes with the small applicator brushes and this helps the screws go in clean and easy.

Next I polish out the back of the headstock with Novus #2 which will remove any tape residue and fine scratches from the process.  

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Figure 21.  Application of Novus #2.

Finally, I use a custom ground flat blade screwdriver which snugly fits the slot on the tuner screw. 

Figure 22.  Screw driver with ground tip to make it fit the screw slot.  This helps prevent slipping out of the slot.  Additionally, I keep one hand on the shank of the screwdriver at all times.

Figure 23.  Tuners all secured and ready to go.