Baker Panormo Style Tuners

Baker Style Vintage Tuners

The Baker Style tuners are reproductions of tuners manufactured by Baker and used on Louis Panormo guitars during the 19th century.  These tuners were some of the first used when guitars transitioned from wooden pegs to metal tuning machines.  In addition to making tuners  Baker was also a gunsmith with some of his guns being sold to the English royalty.  It is for this reason that many of these tuners have a ‘VR’  (Victoria Regina) stamp.

Rodgers Tuners L201 NS Oval Ebony Polish
Engraved Design L201 fitted with oval Macassar Ebony buttons.

Side-plates

Traditionally the baker tuners were made of brass which is the usual material that we use.  However, sterling silver or nickel (German) silver can also be used.  The set to the left uses polished nickel silver with macassar ebony buttons.

Gearing

Although many (if not all) original Baker tuners used ‘reversed gearing’, virtually all the sets we make now have modern standard gears.  However, if you are replacing a set from an original instrument, you may prefer the set made with the same gear orientation.  Reverse gears are where the gearing is cut in the opposite direction and built with the gear (worm wheel) above the button shaft (worm).  The button will maintain the same direction of rotation to tighten or loosen the strings.

Buttons

Most early Baker tuners were fitted with what we call ‘Kidney’ shape buttons.  We do not work with real ivory for obvious reasons but have a very nice alternative synthetic ivory which keeps the same aesthetic appearance as the early tuners.  Obviously for new instruments, many luthiers like the aesthetics of the side -plates but prefer to use other shapes and materials for the buttons.

L684 132mm Brass Kidney Ivory
Design L684 with synthetic ivory kidney pattern buttons
L132 Reverse Gears Kresse Gutiar
Design L132 mounted on a Bernhard kresse guitar

String Rollers

If replacing an original tuner, please read the section on custom rollers here.

 

Dimension Drawing For Burg 35x115mm

Burg 35x115 Dimensions
Burg 35x115 Dimensions

Oval Pattern Recon Jet Quartz

Examples of various sets with Recon Jet Quartz.  The Quartz give the buttons a subtle glitter as they are rotated.

L690 Br Jet Quartz
L690 Br Jet Quartz
L691 Br Jet Quartz
L691 Br Jet Quartz