Sperzel...do they still exist?

  • Thread starter Thread starter stlnvet
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stlnvet
stlnvet
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Just like the title says...
I tried requesting an order through their site and haven't gotten anything. So, then I emailed them and still haven't gotten anything. Do they still exist?
 
Yeah, I think they're still around. Don't know how active they are or how much they're selling nowadays, TBH. Lots of competition out there!

What I do think they have going for them is they're well-made (not that many other tuners aren't), and they're aluminum, not heavy pot metal. They also have a cool visual design and finish options.

I wish they'd update their gear ratio, though. 12 nowadays is outrageously low. Not even Klusons are that low.
 
stlnvet said:
Just like the title says...
I tried requesting an order through their site and haven't gotten anything. So, then I emailed them and still haven't gotten anything. Do they still exist?
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What are you looking for? I have a few sets Im going to list soon, 6 on a side / satin nickel color
 
I have some from my building days

wonder how they stay in business and wondered if they build for private labels, no idea.

what do you like more these days?
 
Corey James said:
what do you like more these days?
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Honestly, anything, LOL.

The saving grace for Sperzel, IMO, is their light. But that's pretty much it. I guess many people also care that they're actually made in the USA. They're well-made, I won't deny that. But they're not the only tuners that are well-made these days.

Gotoh, Grover, Schaller all outperform them in terms of ease of installation, accuracy, and 95% of the time, stability, in my experience.
 
Sprezel is local to me, and I have been to their shop. It has been probably 10 or so years, but all hand made in house by local craftsmen. At that time, the elderly wife was running things due to some issues with her husbands (founder) health. I just did a Google map search, and it appears that they are still in the same place.
 
I guess I'm in the minority here but they are my favorite. I thought they were better than the Gotoh ones I had on my ESP eclipse.
 
I think they'd be great and more competitive if they up'd the gear ratio. I think the fact that they use aluminum rather than pot metal is awesome, personally. I just don't get the decision to make the ratio so low.
 
stlnvet said:
Just like the title says...
I tried requesting an order through their site and haven't gotten anything. So, then I emailed them and still haven't gotten anything. Do they still exist?
Click to expand...
As stated, there are better options. I have a set of Sperzels on my main guitar. The Hipshots I have feel better with a higher ratio. I'd Def look at Gotoh, etc. I have ALWAYS regretted that I picked up the Sperzels.
 
I don’t mind lower ratio, it allows a little more precision. I’ve done builds with them and like them but that’s true for every brand I’ve used EXCEPT Kluson. Those are trash imo.
 
SpiderWars said:
I don’t mind lower ratio, it allows a little more precision. I’ve done builds with them and like them but that’s true for every brand I’ve used EXCEPT Kluson. Those are trash imo.
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Lower ratio does not allow for more precision, a higher ratio does.
 
About a year or so I asked them a question. Never got an answer... So I looked elsewhere.
 
SpiderWars said:
I don’t mind lower ratio, it allows a little more precision.
Click to expand...
It's the other way around.

Personally, that's what I've heard all people who like them comment of the ratio. "I don't mind it". "It's OK". "It's not that bad".
 
GuitarGuy08 said:
Lower ratio does not allow for more precision, a higher ratio does.
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That seems opposite but I’m probably thinking of it backwards.

I thought lower ratio, like 12:1 means 12 peg revolutions for one button revolution. So less string travel per button revolution…more precision. Higher ratio like 18:1 means more string travel per button revolution.

If 12:1 is 12 button revolutions per 1 peg revolution then I have it backwards.

That said, I really like the Gotoh mini 510s and I think they are 18:1. The Sperzels I have are all pretty old…but still work great.

I just remembered that the Schaller tuners on my old Heritage were trash…and I thought they were supposed to be an upgrade.
 
SpiderWars said:
I don’t mind lower ratio, it allows a little more precision. I’ve done builds with them and like them but that’s true for every brand I’ve used EXCEPT Kluson. Those are trash imo.
Click to expand...
Lower ratio does not allow for more precision, a higher ratio does.
SpiderWars said:
That seems opposite but I’m probably thinking of it backwards.

I thought lower ratio, like 12:1 means 12 peg revolutions for one button revolution. So less string travel per button revolution…more precision. Higher ratio like 18:1 means more string travel per button revolution.

If 12:1 is 12 button revolutions per 1 peg revolution then I have it backwards.

That said, I really like the Gotoh mini 510s and I think they are 18:1. The Sperzels I have are all pretty old…but still work great.

I just remembered that the Schaller tuners on my old Heritage were trash…and I thought they were supposed to be an upgrade.
Click to expand...
Correct - Higher ratio= more precise tuning.


More ratio equals more turns to get the string where it needs to be, meaning it is changing the pitch in smaller increments, allowing for greater precision.


If you have a circle and divide it by 12 or you divide it by 18, that is the imagery.

The more 'pieces' in the pie, the more accurate :)
 
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