Gotoh 5th-String Banjo Tuner (Bonus ALS Fret Polishing Kit) SPBJ5-AIN Model Tuner by Gotoh Japan Nickel with Pearloid Button - Fret Polishing Kit by Australian Luthier Supplies

I recently purchased a mid 70’s 5-string archtop banjo with a friction 5th string tuner that was a pain to keep in tune as it would constantly slip. This is a common problem with older banjos. I decided to upgrade the tuner to a geared tuner to correct this problem. The old tuner pulled right out by hand with a little effort however the hole was too small to accommodate the new “Gotoh” geared tuner purchased on Amazon. All new geared tuners will be larger.I purchased a 5th string reamer tool by StewMac (also on Amazon) which is specially designed to open up the hole easily by hand on Banjos. I slowly rotated the reamer stopping to check the depth by inserting the new tuner. Once I was able to insert about 3/4th of the new tuner I stopped to file a spline notch in the hole. The newer tuners have a raised spline to lock it in. The tuner string nut should be positioned slightly toward the top of the neck and not 90 degrees to the neck. I pushed the new tuner in hard enough with this alignment to mark where this spline notch needed to be. I then removed the new tuner and using a very small hobby/jewelers flat file filed a notch for the spline. At this point I removed the knob on the tuner and inserted the tuner in the hole aligning the spline with the filed notch. Using a small socket which just fit on the tuner hardware ,and a rubber mallet I tapped the tuner in the remaining 1/4 so the it was just flush with the neck at the bottom of the tuner. This is where the neck expands for the 5th string. This worked perfectly. Be careful not to make the hole too deep or you will impact the neck rod. Plus as mentioned you should have about 1/4 or a bit less of the tuner to tap in for a secure fit. All that only took me about 10 minutes and I really took my time.The tool worked as advertised cutting easily and the correct taper. The tool is somewhat expensive but probably saved me a few bucks in the long run on travel time to a music shop and the days waiting for the work to be completed. Plus there is some satisfaction doing the work yourself. This will probably be just a one time use tool for me so I may sell it on Amazon or Ebay to get some $ back. I am very happy with the reamer and would highly recommend it if you want to upgrade an older banjo to a geared 5th string tuner.The Gotoh tuner is working perfectly and I'm very happy with it. Well worth the effort to fit it. The tuner also comes with a free fret cleaning kit consisting of fret template guides and "0000" steel wool.. Hope this helps! Pick-On! Cheers! Jerry

Excellent tuner. A good 5’th string tuner is essential! No reason to spend more. This is a great chouce