Gotoh "Stealth" tuners?

[Dave Cohen]

Has anyone used the Gotoh "Stealth" tuners? Their small size and low mass are attractive to me for use on some five-course (10-string) mandothingies. Also that they have a flat or matte black finish. Other than the small size and low mass noted on the LMII website, I don't know anything about them. What specifically concerns me is whether or not they would be durable and robust enough for that application. Anyone have any experience and/or thoughts?

[Mario Proulx]

Love 'em! They're standard on my "Rolly Brown" signature model(RBL-00).

Extremely light weight, yet they are holding up nicely to mediums(.013-.056), albeit on a short 24" scale length. Very smooth and precise. And yes, they look great, too.

Compare the string tension of the mando-thingies with guitars, and you'll have your answer. Gotoh doesn't suggest their use with heavier than mediums on a guitar, and caution that some altered tunings may be too much, also.

[Dave Cohen]

Thanks Mario. I did some calculations once upon a time for a 6-string guitar vs an 8-string mandolin. Mediums, most common scale lengths. The mandolin came in at about 5% less than the guitar, but mandolas and mandocellos had greater total tensions. I'll hafta do the calculations again string-by-string.