The "luthier" recommended grovers because he diagnosed that the tuners were your problem?
Even cheap assed tuners rarely slip. I would demand he replace the old tuners and refund my money.
He is obviously not very knowledgeable...
I agree with jimistone: go back to this 'luthier' of yours and demand a refund, otherwise he has just robbed you.
Machine heads are almost never the cause of tuning stability. Unless the things are totally worn out (I have never managed to do that on a guitar in 50 years of playing, and many hundreds of string changes), the post is impossible to turn from string tension, thus losing pitch.
On this topic, there are plenty of guitars, both Fender and Gibson with the original tuners. Still fine.
One tip; always tune up to the desired pitch, never down. There can be a bit of slop between the worm gear and the shaft gear. Tuning up to your desired pitch locks the two together.
If you note is sharp, tune it flatter than needed, then bring it up to the correct pitch...
That's mostly nut issues
By the same token, if your car won't run because the ignition coil is bad ($100 repair), and the mechanic puts in a new engine ($3000 repair) and you car still dosen't run because of the bad coil misdiagnosis by the "mechanic"...
He provided a service along with the parts!
(that you didn't need).
Were you robbed?
I, along with most judges, would say so.
He said the dude said it needed new tuners, installed grovers, and it still won't stay in tune.Grovers are good tuners. To equate installing a set of good tuners on a a guitar as being s a robber is a bit of a stretch, but I see your point.
Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. Thing to do is to talk to him, not start an internet lynch mob.
People that know nothing of the situation are so fucking quick to rush to judgment and rile people up.
Damn! You're all riled up.
I agree that new tuners aren't the first approach to tackling tuning issues.
However, there's two options.
A) Keep the Grovers and adress the real underlying cause.
B) Install the original tuners and adress the underlying causes
In this case, a set of conversion bushings might be needed. But the good part is Grovers don't require drilling new holes.
In the case of vintage. Style klusons conversion bushings are needed.
In the case of the 'kluson' look a likes that screw and bolt on, there's no enlarging of the holes required.
Oh.....option C
Tar and feather the dude, then lynch him!
Moral of the story is know before you go.
Don't take your guitars to inexperienced repairmen. And NEVER let the 'tech' at a big chain music store touch your guitar.
I find it telling that the OP has not returned or responded to any of this.