Can I swap out the modern tuner headstock bushings on a modern Les Paul

adamm82

to the vintage style ones?

or will the original bushings leave an outline on the headstock?

I'd like to have my les paul junior look a bit more like and old one. I will replace the truss rod cover too. 

Funkfingers

Which exact Kluson-alikes do you have? 

The modern ones with snot green keystone buttons have a threaded hex nut and washer arrangement. The drilled hole to accept this is too wide to accept vintage style push-in bushings.

As you already suspect, any over tightening of the hex nut will leave an indentation in the headstock face that a push-in bushing will not cover.

Arguably, a Junior or Special should have the small white tuner buttons. If you want to get really faux authentic, you need the three-on-a strip type. 

adamm82

it's got the white button ones but it's just a few years old. I'll probably leave it as it is. just change the truss rod cover and the wiring.

still not convinced with the newish gibson headstock when I hold it up to my other Les paul and my SG I had it looks a little odd. my 2016 studio had the same thing. they look chunkier.

Funkfingers

adamm82 said:

it's got the white button ones but it's just a few years old. I'll probably leave it as it is. just change the truss rod cover and the wiring.

A vintage Junior TRC should be single-ply black plastic. There isn't much wiring to alter. If you are very unlucky, Gibson may have used 300k pots.

adamm82 said:

still not convinced with the newish gibson headstock. when I hold it up to my other Les paul and my SG I had, it looks a little odd. my 2016 studio had the same thing. they look chunkier.

Thicker or of a different outline? On some Gibsons, the headstock thickness tapers off towards the end.

DaveMon

You can get a set of Kluson tuners with the 10mm bushing to fit the larger modern diameter holes.

Set of Gibson branded Kluson tuners which will directly fit 10mm holes: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gibson-Gear-PMMH-010-Electric-Machine/dp/B0002H0GUA