*Reference key below, and you may also click on the drop down menu to view photos of the different styles.
Traditional rear-facing ukulele tuners are what they call "friction". This means that their ability to hold tune depends on the friction or tightness of the screw in the tuner. If you tighten the screw too much, it's hard to turn and tune, too loose and it turns easy, but also will slip out of tune. Also with the old-style friction key, there is no gear ratio, so small turns will make big changes in the pitch of your string. The UPT's are geared tuners. The pitch will be held by gears, and these gears have a 4 to 1 ratio so fine-tuning is much easier to dial in or adjust. These are built extremely lightweight and with top-notch components. We guarantee you will love these on your new ukulele.
UPT Tuner FAQ (from JAPARTS.CA)
Regarding string post length: There is an optional longer string post (UPTL) for headstocks with a thickness of 11.5 mm or more. There is no difference in price. Please measure your ukulele carefully before ordering.
Will these fit my ukulele? If you are replacing friction pegs you will almost certainly need to have the peg holes re-bored. We can do that on ukuleles ordered from our website The diameter should be 9.7-10mm or just a bit wider than 3/8". With regard to headstock thickness (see above) you'll need to measure your headstock.
Do I need to tighten the screws like friction pegs? Yes and no. Let's start with the no: You probably won't need to make any kind of adjustment. But on the off-chance that you do (you'll know - the post would un-wind from string tension) it's easy to tighten to the right amount of tension. This brings us to the yes: Technically, the planetary gear is engaged by the screw that holds the button in place. Unlike friction pegs, there is a very wide range of "works well".
Reference Key for Understanding the Model Names:
UPT/UPTL : Indicates whether the body of the tuner is short or long
UB( ) : Indicates what type of tuning button.
-UB4(x) - Bell Shaped Button (i.e. UB4N- natural)
-UB7 = Pearl Button
-UBN = Natural Button
-UBB = Black Button
-UB8 = Bronzish Button
Characters after the - : Indicates what type of body (Ex. -G = Gold Body, CW = Chrome Body)
Tuning a ukulele with UPT planetary tuners is a pleasant experience.
(JAPARTS.CA)
Click here for the UPT/UPTL Shcematic Diagram
Top customer reviews
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Almost ten years later and these tuners are still doing well! Highly recommended. 1 people found this helpfulI must say that these have been a wonderful addition to my Kamaka tenor. Almost ten years later and these tuners are still doing well! Highly recommended. I would like to see some photos of the available button choices online, however, as I'd like to purchase more for my other ukuleles, and I'd prefer to color-match them to the instrument finishes.
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Light weight tuners 4 ukuleles 0 people found this helpfulOrdered these to replace the stock tuners (heavy) on my KALA SSTU-TE. Easy to install, look & work great, solved the uneven balance of my new ukulele.
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John 0 people found this helpfulWow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn't show up. Grrrr well I'm not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say superb blog! decdfdecgkfdkcac
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Just buy 'em 1 people found this helpfulI'm a recent victim of ukulele acquisition syndrome. And as my collection has grown, I've discovered why these things make a difference. It comes down to those "almost there" minute adjustments. Y'know - when the tuner says you're just a tiny bit sharp or flat. I've got four instruments and four different sets of tuners: 1) A uke with the usual geared tuners with buttons that stick out the sides 2) A uke with Gotohs 3) A uke with stock friction tuners 4) A uke with upgraded, geared Pegheads The stick out the sides tuners and upgraded Pegheads have a little bit of play to them. The teeth in the gears must have little spaces, so it's possible to turn the button without the spindle and string moving. So when I try to get that final tuning, I have to overshoot by a lot, and then try to work my way back. The stock friction tuners move immediately when you turn the button. And that's great, but I often overshoot when I'm just a little off. It's a by-product of the "friction" part of the name. When I overcome the friction, I've overtwisted and then I need to go back the other way. The Gotohs are the best of both worlds. Like the friction tuners, they move immediately. And since they're geared, any over-rotation with your fingers doesn't move the spindle as much.
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Amazing and jewel-like 0 people found this helpfulI put a set of these on my 1920s Slingerland Maybell banjo uke. At the same time I converted to the "red" strings. It is like having a new instrument. The fitting was easy, but lengthy as I use a reamer to enlarge the holes. The head on the Slingerland is much smaller than on the average uke but these were just right. The easy and accuracy of these is amazing - not surprising as I use Gotoh planetaries on some of my banjos. The strings too are a great improvement on my older New Nylgut Aquilas. I ordered them from these folk as I likes their site and had a good conversation with them before buying. They worked with me when what I ordered was out of stock and I am thrilled with the service. Thank you.