I have a 25 year old Santa Cruz dreadnought and the old Waverly tuners on it are not smooth. I was researching what tuners to put on it based on quality, performance, footprint, looks, and originality. The Waverlys are owned and controlled by StewMac (Stewart-MacDonald Mfg), and their pricing is high at $195 for what I need vs $70-90 elsewhere for competitive quality. To be honest, I don't see how little machines like this are as cheap as they are. I could picture them being a lot more expensive for what they are.
In talking to StewMac, they apparently are making the same tuners they made 25 years ago, so the fit would be good and I wouldn't be exposing a shadow that might have developed under the existing tuners. GOTOH got high marks for quality, but some were recommending the OEM tuners, which I was inclined to do for an extra $100. Most said the Waverlys were of excellent quality, and a local builder of high-end guitars said he uses them for a reason. He also mentioned they have a lifetime warranty and will usually replace them if asked. I didn't think the warranty would apply to me since I didn't buy the guitar or tuners new, but very politely asked StewMac if they could help me. To my astonishment, they said to give them a description of my issue (which was unevenness in turning the knobs) and they would process a free replacement. So, I received the free tuners, bushings, and screws yesterday. They will look much better on the guitar, too.
