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Bent tuning peg on vintage guitar

Hello,
I have an all original vintage guitar and the low E tuning peg is bent. When you turn the peg it won't turn in a complete circle because it hit the metal of the tuning peg casing (I guess thats what its called?).

Can you fix it or do i really have to replace it? Though it won't turn a 360, I do hear the string tightening and loosing when I turn it....so it still works.
Thanks!
Samantha

Samantha,
It would seem logical that if the tuner metal can bend, you should be able to bend it back. Unfortunately, almost every time, the shaft will break instead of bending back. You don't say what kind of guitar it is or what brand of tuners it has. The good news is that in the last few years many vintage reproduction tuners have become available. You can replace just the bent tuner or replace all of them. It is even possible to use actual vintage tuners or parts. Tuners tend to break one at a time. Luthiers tend to save the five still good tuners and any reusable parts from the broken one. However, it is usually cheaper to replace with new rather than pay shop time for your luthier to sort through his tuner bins.

The gear ratio of your tuners is somewhere between 6/1 and 18/1. The tuner will have to turn 360 degrees, many times to get the string in tune. Straightening your tuner is not impossible. You can take it completely apart and heat and bend the crooked part. Straightening is much more likely to work if you buy and have a replacement part standing by.

Steve Mason