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• One set of 6-in-line sealed Tombstone tuners ($15 at C. B. Gitty)
• Electric drill or drill press
• Masking tape
  
• 10mm drill bit (you can also use either 3/8" bit or 7/16" bit... this is discussed below)
• Phillips screwdriver
• 10mm deep-well socket or wrench
• One glorious flea market electric guitar from the 1960's

INTRO:

Last Monday, I purchased this single pickup 'no name' electric guitar for $85.  It's a beautiful offset design with a single pickup (very microphonic pickup...very explosive).  I love these axes because they have some of the greatest blues slide tones ever.  

Here's a video demo I made at the end of this project:

The guitar came straight out of the 1960's and was probably manufactured by the Teisco Guitar Company.  Although it was all original, it was showing its age.  The tuners either wouldn't budge or they were so loosy-goosey that they wouldn't keep the strings in tune.  I decided to upgrade the tuners to a $15 set of Tombstone tuners from Gitty because they're so smooth and the sealed gear design keeps them in tune for years.

I've documented the entire process for swapping out tuners, drilling new holes and installing the new ones. 

STEP 1: GENTLY REMOVE THE OLD TUNERS

NOTE:  As you can see above, the holes look rough.  When I pulled the plastic bushings out, they took some of the wood with them.  Ah...such is the reality of cheapo guitars.

STEP 2: PLACE MASKING TAPE OVER THE TUNER HOLES (BOTH FRONT AND BACK) TO PROTECT THE WOOD.   DRILL NEW HOLES USING A 10mm DRILL BIT. 

NOTE:  If you don't have a 10mm drill bit, you can get by with 3/8" or 7/16".  The 3/8" bit will give you a very tight hole and you may need a rubber mallet to insert the tuners.  A 7/16" bit will make the hole a little loose, allowing some wobble in the placement of the tuners.  

STEP 3:  INSTALL TUNERS IN THE BACK, TURN THE NECK OVER AND HAND-TIGHTEN SCREW BUSHINGS INTO PLACE.

NOTE:  Do not tighten the bushings with a socket yet.  We still need them to move a bit so we can align them properly.

STEP 4:  THIS IS THE TIP YOU'LL REMEMBER:  USE A STRAIGHT-EDGE TO ALIGN THE TUNERS. 

STEP 5:  KEEPING THE STRAIGHT EDGE IN PLACE (USE CLAMPS IF NEEDED), USE A SMALL DRILL BIT TO DRILL PILOT HOLES FOR THE TUNER SCREWS.  THEN INSTALL THE TUNER SCREWS

STEP 6:  TURN GUITAR OVER AND TIGHTEN BUSHINGS WITH A 10mm DEEP-WELL SOCKET (OR 10mm WRENCH)

NOTE:   As you can see here, I didn't have a deep-well socket.  This caused the socket to slip out when the bushing got tighter.  Deep-well sockets work better.

THE FINISHED LOOK:  ALL THE TUNERS ARE STRAIGHT!  String 'er up and crank the amp!