Not into locking tuners

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Not into locking tuners

Well, I do pull the strings tight through the lock because I thought part of the whole locking tuners discourse is no string winds, no friction, more stability.

That was my understanding, as well. On my one locking tuner guitar, I pull them pretty tight so there is as little string touching the tuner as possible. Even on my non-locking guitars, I have as little string as possible on the tuners. Everything seems to stay in tune better that way.

[dystrust]

Re: Not into locking tuners

Well, I do pull the strings tight through the lock because I thought part of the whole locking tuners discourse is no string winds, no friction, more stability.

That was my understanding, as well. On my one locking tuner guitar, I pull them pretty tight so there is as little string touching the tuner as possible. Even on my non-locking guitars, I have as little string as possible on the tuners. Everything seems to stay in tune better that way.

The whole point of locking tuners is to have less than one wrap on the post so as to avoid friction and slipping of the wraps. I can't remember if it was the Sperzels, but one of my sets included instructions to string them that way and I've been doing so on all of my locking tuners since.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Not into locking tuners

I know that locking tuners are designed so that you don't have to wind the strings...just pull them tight, lock them, and tune to pitch. And they work great that way. But if you do that and need to work on or change a pup it's next to impossible to feed the strings back in and reuse them. And since I never really have tuning stability problems with any guitars with "old" tuners wrapped a half dozen winds, I do that with lockers for the convenience of rewinding the strings after working on the guitar.

[Old Guy]

Re: Not into locking tuners

If a guitar doesn't come with them, it's the first thing I mod. I hate non-locking tuners. Winding strings gives me the Willies.

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Not into locking tuners

Took the strings off my new Ibanez 8 string to oil the board and clean up the windings. Seriously rethinking my stance on locking tuners.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Not into locking tuners

I use lockers for guitars for live performance.

-but honestly, as much as string winding around the posts is a functionally problematic practice for intonation stability -it does impart extremely slightly more string energy into the post than a pinch lock .... It's likely never an audible difference, but sustain could be affected by the transmission loop through the nut, tuners, bridge and body being more efficient.

but I actually love the look of windings done properly too.

[Chistopher]

Re: Not into locking tuners

I've started to become a fan of Wilkinson's "EZ-LOK" design. They aren't an extremely revolutionary design that I'll be throwing out all my Sperzels for, but they are cheap (only $30), fairly smooth, and being able to use the top or low hole as the first one the string enters is a great way to adjust break angle for finicky vibrato bridges.

I wouldn't put them on a higher end guitar, but they are great for cheaper guitars that I want to keep mechanically simple.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Not into locking tuners

being able to use the top or low hole as the first one the string enters is a great way to adjust break angle for finicky vibrato bridges.

That's an old Schaller trick from at least the '80s. My first guitar had the double holes.

If you like that, you really need to try Gotoh's H.A.P. feature. H.A.P. = Height Adjustable Posts. Equal string break across 6-in-line nuts, with no string trees. Obviously more expensive than what you are talking about, but very cool nonetheless. It's also pretty much a stealth feature; doesn't look out of place or modern on vintage-style tuners, or require enlarging tuner holes on old guitars.

[beaubrummels]

Re: Not into locking tuners

Have Grover mini lockers on my Brian May guitar. Amazing stability. The nut and bridge are excellent, so I can throw the vibrato all over the place and it returns to zero and stays in tune just as well or better than any Floyd or Kahler system I had in the 80’s. It’s my only experience with lockers so far. But it’s got me thinking I should upgrade all my gigging instruments

[Mincer]

Re: Not into locking tuners

Anyone have an idea what the lightest locking ones would be?

[ItsaBass]

Re: Not into locking tuners

Anyone have an idea what the lightest locking ones would be?

I would guess, based on experience, that the Gotoh Kluson-style Mag-Locks would be the lightest. They have the old-style stamped form, and are small in size, while most other lockers are cast. These also happen to be the best looking IMO, and to be available with the extra groovy height adjustable posts that I mentioned above. All around, they are the best tuners made IMO.

Sperzel used to have that reputation of being light, but they really aren't that light by today's standards.

[ehdwuld]

Re: Not into locking tuners

These top lockers are the lightest I have





GOTOH SD90 I think
Top locking with the slot on top

[ItsaBass]

Re: Not into locking tuners

^^^ That is one version of the ones I mentioned to Mincer.

The other cool thing about them is that they can be ordered with a variety of knobs.

I recently got a Mustang/Duo-Sonic/Musicmaster style set for a Tele build: height adjustable, locking, with white plastic butterbean knobs (I thought it would look cool to have the student model white-button tuners on this particular Tele). Took about 6 or 8 weeks for Gotoh to build them and ship them to the U.S.A. dealer I used, but the price was no worse than normal in-stock versions.

[ehdwuld]

Re: Not into locking tuners

I remember we chatted about them when I got them
As I was into drop in replacements at the time

nd these were a drop in match for the original ones

[ehdwuld]

Re: Not into locking tuners

On my Gibson I have this si glen pin style original tuners



And my plan is to put on a set of this style Grovers