Below is an ongoing list of luthiers that have purchased tuning machines from me and have kindly submitted their comments. I have also inlcuded a link to their Websites.
"These tuners are as smooth and precise as rivals costing 4 times as much.
I am so impressed with these machine heads and Zeb's service is first rate."
"Zeb, thank you very much for the three Der Jung tuning machines. I’m pleased and impressed.
I’ve been using mostly Rubners and individual Schertler machines on my instruments.
The Der Jung’s surface designs are stamped (and enameled) rather than engraved, but they
still look great and the tuning action both up and down is smooth and certain. Very good quality
machines, especially considering your $35 price! Thank you!"
"They look and feel great! Very solid gear meshing with no slop or backlash. Nicely finished in every detail.
At least comparable to anything I’ve seen at 4 times the price."
Recently I purchased some sets of Der Jung Classical Guitar tuners from Zebulon Turrentine. One of these was to replace a perfectly good set of standard tuners for a client on a lovely Rosewood and Cedar classical made by Chinese luthier Hǔ Shān. To match the standard lyre head design of the originals I selected a set of Der Jung 200. These tuners have an 18:1 gear ratio and S4 rollers. The S4 rollers are a standard 10mm diameter but sport a roller bearing at the end. This combined with the 18:1 turning ratio make for a very accurate and smooth turning mechanism. The entry holes in the guitar peghead need to be reamed slightly over 10mm to accept the roller bearing but once fitted, the results are well worth the extra effort of swapping them over. Even though it may seem like a small detail, it is worth noting that the screws provided to fit the tuners are extra long in the shank and have decent-sized heads to accept a good Phillips driver. Details do count...
They are good-looking, well made and are a delight to use, helping the guitar stay in tune longer and making tuning a breeze. The client was super pleased.
I randomly stumbled upon ClassicalGuitarTuners.com one day while searching for a set of replacement tuners for a customer. This customer was just looking for something adequate and economical. I didn’t have anything in stock from my regular vendors that was appropriate. I ordered a set of the Der jung 405 tuners simply because the style, dimensions and price were all in order. When they arrived, I was surprised with the quality of them. The customer as well as myself, were both very pleased with the end result. Total win win. I ordered a few more sets to have stock for future repairs and plan on ordering more as needed. Very impressive product!
These 105's can't be fitted as they have nearly a quarter turn of slop between the gear and the worm. I have now ordered a set of 103 and 405 from Zeb who is a wonderful guy to deal with. I hope I won't be disappointed this time. The tuners look great and I see such good reviews but this particular 105 model probably needs to go back to the maker.
Customer Reviews
These are reviews kindly submitted by customers with attached photos. If you would like to submit a review then contact me and I will send a link to a form you can submit. All reviews are welcome no matter whether they are negative or positive.
Charles Yirka
I replaced tuners in an old Aria mr100 and a new Cordoba SP12 with these. Cordoba was almost locking up! Very happy with bearing/roller type. Not expensive!
Gustaü & PdD
I can't believe how amazing these tuners are. I have guitars with Landstorfer, Sloane, and high end Gotoh tuners. And I honestly like these Der Jung 103 more, they are that good, and they are one fifth the price!! I just purchased another set. I highly recommend these tuners, totally love them.
Chester Campbell
One day, I noticed that the tuning machines on my Cordoba C10 guitar were having problems. The metal plates got bent out of shape and seemed to be getting worse. Eventually the sprocket on the bass side broke and no longer tuned up to concert pitch.
So I was searching online for a replacement when I found Zeb's website selling guitar tuners. I emailed Zeb asking for help and received a reply the same day. I had some fairly technical concerns and was impressed by how well Zeb understood my needs and made me feel welcome. He provided me with a webpage link for compatible tuning machines. It was specifically the model I was looking for, and what's more, they were reasonably priced. I placed the order on a Friday afternoon. Zeb shipped super fast and it arrived the following Tuesday!
The tuners for both bass and treble sides were neatly packaged in a box and arrived complete with screws. It was a perfect drop-fit for the Cordoba C10 headstock. Installation was easy because I didn't have to drill new holes. The tuners work perfectly! Now I can enjoy playing my guitar again. I am so happy that the new tuners look great and work well. And my Cordoba C10 is happy too. Thank you so much for your kind and efficient service, Zeb!
Marcelo Coogan
I enjoy tuning my guitar now. They work great and very affordable.
David Dung Quoc Ta
"I give 5 stars for functionality, however all 4 - holding back 1 as I kind of wish they have some carving design on the plates
(now that they are mounted :), and that the mounting screws are too long (8 mm from the cap). Normal headstock thickness
is about 5 or 6 mm. Thus, an additional effort to trim them is required, better be installed by a tech with the right cutting tool,
down to 4 mm something. Overall I still like them as they still look good and work well, the aluminum shaft and teflon bearing
features are something to look for."
David-Gazzaniga
"I have an old Harmony classical guitar from the mid 60’s that has been sitting untouched for probably 35 years. I wanted to fix it up
for my daughter to learn how to play, so I cleaned the guitar up, fixed a crack on the front of the body and reconditioned the very dry
fret board. The guitar had a few bent tuning keys and the tuning machines were all loose and felt crappy. I looked online and found
some, not too expensive, tuning machines. When I clicked on the link it led me to Zeb’s website. I found some tuning machines that
I was interested in, but had a few questions. I decided to call Zeb and see if he could answer my questions. I was a little hesitant to
bother a luthier with questions about inexpensive tuning machines, but I called anyway. Zeb didn’t answer, and I didn’t leave a message.
It was late in the day and I figured I would try again the next day. About 5 minutes later I got a phone call and it was from Zeb. I explained
to Zeb what I was doing and asked my questions and I told him that I felt kind of bad bothering a luthier with novice questions about
inexpensive tuning machines. Let me tell you that Zeb is a true gentleman. He explained to me that it was not a bother at all and proceeded
to cheerfully and enthusiastically answer all of my questions. We talked a little and decided on the Der Jung 103. I ordered them and a
few days later they arrived. I excitedly opened the package and found that the tuning machines arrived nicely packaged and protected
from any shipping damage. There was even a nice hand written thank you on the receipt. The DJ 103 tuning machines are very nice quality.
I think that they are exceptional quality for the money. Everything felt tight and turned smoothly and they looked nice to. To put it plainly
they are about 1000 times better than what came off of the guitar. The tuning machines did not quite fit on my guitar. It is not the fault of
the DJ 103s. The barrel holes on my headstock were slightly off. I expected the screw holes to be off, but not the barrel holes. I knew what
I had to do to make them fit, but since I have never worked on guitars before, was a little unsure of my self. I decided to call Zeb again and
explain what the problem was. Again Zeb happily made himself available to me. I explained what my plan was to make them fit and Zeb
reassured me that I was going about it correctly. Happy and confident from talking with Zeb, I proceeded with modifying the guitar.
I had to open up the outer barrel holes just slightly for the bearing to fit through. I then had to move the lower barrel hole about 0.5mm
further down on the headstock. After getting the tuning machines fitted I then proceeded to the screw holes. The top hole lined up
perfectly. The second hole was off by a country mile. That was good because all I had to do was drill a new pilot hole for the screw.
The bottom 2 holes were just barely off, so I drilled them out and glued dowels in. After the glue dried, I flushed them up and drilled
new pilot holes. After that it was just a matter of screwing in the tuning machines and restringing the guitar. So in summery,
For the money I give the DJ 103’s 5 out 5 stars. I am perfectly happy with them and they do what they are supposed to well.
As for Zeb I give him 10 out of 5 stars. It was a true pleasure doing business with him. He delivered exceptional customer service
that I would expect for a multi thousands of dollar guitar, not $65 tuning machines. Zeb’s attitude and customer service far exceeded
my expectations, and truly made me feel like I have a new freind in Tennessee. In this day and age someone like Zeb is a rarity, and
is greatly appreciated. Thank you Zeb."
Michael Patin
"A 5 for style and function. I was replacing a set of Der Jung tuners (which is one reason I went with these), but for some reason,
although the template showed the holes measuring the same, I still had to pilot new holes to mount them, so I knocked a point off.
They do have an unusually classy look to them though, and the S4 rollers are smooth and stable. Very happy. See the pic."
Scott Zurkuhlen
I replaced the factory tuners on my Yamaha CG-151 with Der Jung. The old tuners were of functional quality but the high E string was
particularly sticky at time. The replacement process was very easy, though they were a bit of a tight fit - but no modification to the guitar
was required. Very happy with their quality: looks better and tuning is very smooth.
Robert Row
Thanks for these tuners! They look good and work great.
Brian Luis Cid
I installed the tuners and used your kit. The kit made things easy and convenient. I posted on Foro Flamenco.
Dan McDonald
Hi, this is Dan McDonald. I just want to let you know the Der Jung 103's that you sent me are absolutely perfect. The guitar is great with them. And the kit...I wouldn't have been able to do it without the kit. The kit was absolutely brilliant. So again, thank you. Yeah, happy camper here. So appreciate it. Take care.
Mark Lewellen
Just wanted to say thank you for the speedy delivery of the Der Jung 103 tuners. I installed these on a flamenco negra guitar that had shipped with a really cheap and gaudy set of tuning machines. Not only were they ugly but they didn't stay in tune. This is a really nice and beautifully sounding guitar made in Spain but the tuners had to go!I was really amazed at the quality of the Der Jung set. These appear to be made extremely well and have amazingly smooth and accurate tolerances. I have used Schaller, Waverly, Sloan, Gotoh and a host of others but I have to say this set definitely compares to those. These stay in tune wonderfully and they actually made a slight improvement in the tone. I did have to do a little work to get these to fit the guitar but once they were in it transformed this little guitar into an awesome instrument that looks good, stays in tune and sounds incredible!
Robert Dussek
I was changing strings on my old Yamaha student guitar and thought "I've hated these tuners for a long time; I should replace them." Searching the usual websites, I only found cheap replacements that looked no better than the factory ones. I found Zeb's site and ordered the 405s. Shipment was fast, 5 calendar days for standard shipping. The 405s are snug but not tight and very smooth. Also, I like the subdued look compared to the garish bright gold and fake mother of pearl buttons of the factory tuners. I emailed Zeb and told him that I wished I had another guitar that needed tuners. Thanks, Zeb.
