Buttons

Tuner Button Options

Button Shapes

Oval and Cloche pattern buttons are the standard shape buttons usually used on tuners.  These have the largest variety of materials and colours and offer a great many possibilities.  We are often adding more materials to the selection available.

Additionally we have a range of small oval buttons.  These are often used on ukuleles and some steel string guitars.  They are also useful for use with 12 string instruments with close distances between mechanisms.  These buttons are 20mm oval as opposed to standard 23mm buttons.

Other shapes available include, Kidney pattern and Butterfly pattern Buttons.

Oval Pattern Button
Oval Pattern
Cloche Pattern button
Cloche Pattern
Kidney Pattern Button
Kidney Pattern
Small Oval Pattern Button
Small Oval Pattern
Butterfly Pattern Button
Butterfly Pattern

Button Materials

Real mother-of-pearl buttons

Mother-of-pearl can be either light or dark in colour.  The natural composite translucent texture of the material creates stunningly beautiful shine and patterning.  Instrument necks are often inlayed with mother-of-pearl, so these buttons help to nicely complement the overall aesthetics. 
The weight for 6 mother-of-pearl buttons is 26 grams (0.92oz).

Real black horn buttons

The horn is a natural bovine material. Horn can have various degrees of white graining from ‘all black’ to highly featured. 
Horn is also one of the lightest weight buttons at 14 grams (0.5oz) for 6 buttons.

Recon Stone buttons

Recon is reconstituted Real Stone. This beautiful material has the same natural feel and quality as Real Mother-of-pearl.  It has a lovely gloss finish which should never deteriorate.
Being a mineral, there will never be any cross-border documentation required. None of our buttons are CITES listed but recon buttons makes it even easier.
With so many different colour options available from ‘Jet Black’ to ‘Coral Red’, these buttons offer a huge range of possibilities.
The weight of 6 recon buttons ranges from 17 grams (0.6oz) to 21 grams (0.74oz).  That is lighter than real mother-of-pearl.

Inlays & material

Recon material can be supplied on request for nuts, bridges and inlays.  Or items can be produced for you.

Wooden buttons

Wooden buttons can be made in the oval, cloche and kidney pattern shapes.  None of the woods are CITES listed.  If you reside in Canada and wish a CITES listed wood, please contact me. The standard selection of woods available are:

  • Ebony, Gabon or Gaboon ( Diospyros crassiflora )
  • Macassar Ebony ( Diospyros celebica )
  • Snakewood ( Piratinera guianensis )
  • Satinwood ( Chloroxylon swietenia )
  • Boxwood ( Calycophyllum multiflorum )
  • Purpleheart ( Peltogyne sp. )
  • Koa (for small oval buttons) ( Acacia Koa)

Customers may also supply their own wood for buttons and if this is your preference, please contact me or add the details to your order when purchasing your set.

Imitation Ivory buttons

We have two types of synthetic ivory material. Both types are cream colour with graining. The ‘Rodgers Imitation Ivory’ buttons use a more expensive material which can used for oval, cloche and kidney shape buttons.  The standard imitation ivory is also a lovely material and is available for oval, cloche, butterfly and small oval buttons.

Button Shaft Options

Next to the buttons are the brass sleeves.  There are 3 shapes available for these parts.

Standard Sleeve

Standard Sleeve

Modern Sleeve

Modern Sleeve

Straight Sleeve

Straight Sleeve

Standard Sleeve
Standard Pips

Straight Sleeve
Low Profile Pips

End Pips

Low Profile End Pips

– Standard End Pips

– Low Profile End Pips

Sending wood for custom buttons

pdf of drawing for printing.

Drawing is for reference.
If wood cannot be cut to size, then please send plenty of spare material.

Oval Pattern Real Light Mother-of-pearl

Examples of various sets with Light MOP buttons.
L696 Brass Light MoP
L696 Brass Light MoP
Rodgers Tuners L180 NS Light MOP
Rodgers Tuners L180 NS Light MOP
L100 NS LMOP
L100 Nickel Silver Light MOP

Oval Pattern Real Dark Mother-of-pearl

Examples of various sets with Dark Mother-of-pearl buttons.
L179 Dark MOP
SS34 Brass Dark Mop
SS34 Brass Dark Mop
L688 NS DMOP
L688 NS DMOP

Oval Pattern Real Black Horn

Examples of various sets with Black Horn buttons.
There are 3 horn options, ‘all black ‘, ‘some grain ‘ and ‘lots of grain ‘. You can select any of these when ordering a set.
Please note, the ‘all black’ horn can sometimes have slight texturing due to it being a natural material.

Rodgers Tuners L302 Brass horn
Rodgers Tuners L302 Brass horn
Rodgers Tuners L255 Brass horn
Rodgers Tuners L255 Brass horn
Oval Horn
Oval Horn
Oval Horn
Oval Horn
Oval Horn
Oval Horn

Oval Pattern Synthetic Ivory

Oval Synthetic Ivory
Oval Synthetic Ivory

Oval Pattern Real Bone Buttons

Examples of various sets with real bone buttons.
Bone buttons are fairly white in colour often with darker flecks.
They can be antiqued in tea making them quite yellow as illustrated in the image to the right.

L516 Brass Real Bone
L516 Brass Real Bone
Bone buttons
Bone buttons

Oval Pattern Recon Cream

Examples of various sets with Recon Cream buttons.

Oval Pattern Recon Sandstone

Examples of various sets with Recon Sandstone buttons.

Oval Sandstone
Oval Sandstone
Rodgers Tuners L360 Uke NS Sandstone
Rodgers Tuners L360 Uke NS Sandstone
Rodgers Tuners L111 NS Sandstone
Rodgers Tuners L111 NS Sandstone
Rodgers Tuners L360 Uke NS Sandstone
Rodgers Tuners L360 Uke NS Sandstone

Oval Pattern Recon Dark Grey Quartz

Examples of various sets with Oval Pattern Recon Dark Grey Quartz buttons. Although not easily photographed, these buttons have a lovely sparkle to them.
Oval Dark Grey Quartz
Oval Dark Grey Quartz

Oval Pattern Recon Coral

Examples of various sets with Recon Coral buttons.

Rodgers Tuners L465 Brass Coral
L465 Brass Coral
Rodgers Tuners L465 Brass Coral
L465 Brass Coral

Oval Pattern Recon Violet Turquois

Examples of various sets with Recon Violet Turquois​ buttons.

Oval Pattern Black Ebony

Examples of various sets with Black Ebony buttons.
Rodgers Tuners SS672 Brass oval Ebony
Rodgers Tuners SS672 Brass oval Ebony
Rodgers Tuners L289 Brass Ebony
Rodgers Tuners L289 Brass Ebony
Rodgers Tuners SS672 Brass oval Ebony
Rodgers Tuners SS672 Brass oval Ebony
Rodger Single SS24 Br Oval Ebony Straight Sleeves
Rodger Single SS24 Br Oval Ebony Straight Sleeves

Oval Pattern Real Macassar Ebony

Examples of various sets with Macassar Ebony buttons.
L681 Brass Macassar
L681 Brass Macassar
Rodgers L092 Br Oval Macassar Ebony Cr
Rodgers L092 Br Oval Macassar Ebony Cr
Macassar Ebony
Macassar Ebony

Oval Pattern Rodgers Synthetic Ivory

Examples of various sets with Rodgers Synthetic Ivory buttons.
Baker L694 Oval Synthetic Ivory
Baker L694 Oval Synthetic Ivory
Synthetic Ivory
Synthetic Ivory

Oval Pattern Recon Jet Black

Examples of various sets with Recon Jet Black buttons.
Rodgers Tuners L670 Brass Blackened Jet
Rodgers Tuners L670 Brass Blackened Jet
L709 Jet Blackened - Rodgers Tuning Machines
L709 Blackened with Jet black buttons
L690 Sterling Silver
L690 Sterling Silver
Rodgers Tuners L669 Brass Blackened Jet
Rodgers Tuners L669 Brass Blackened Jet

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

Oval Pattern Recon Marble

Examples of various sets with Recon Marble buttons.
Rodgers Tuners L243 NS Marble 8 string
Rodgers Tuners L243 NS Marble 8 string
Rodgers Tuners L243 NS Marble 8 string
Rodgers Tuners L243 NS Marble 8 string

Oval Pattern Recon White Stone

Examples of various sets with Recon White Stone buttons.
Hauser L112 Br Recon White Stone
Hauser L112 Br Recon White Stone
Rodgers Tuners L111 Blackened Brass white stone
L111 Blackened Brass white stone