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Highest quality replacement tuners?
- Thread starter astrozombie
- Start date
Re: Highest quality replacement tuners?
This may all be true. But properly strung, with a good tuning machine, strings stay tuned to pitch pretty well. Once stretched and played in some, I don't think tuning problems end up being due to slippage on the posts. If there is no binding at the nut or bridge, I think it's more about environmental changes that effect the wood/guitar and the strings continuing to stretch, even when stretched after a string change. I don't play out any more but if I change strings and play the same guitar often, the tuning becomes more stable over the course of a few days. I don't use locking tuners. I wrap over the post hole for one wrap and then under for the following wraps. Two wraps on the wound strings, maybe 3 on the 4th/D. Generally 3 on the plain strings. I'm not convinced that over/under wind actually does anything to "lock" the plain strings but I think it does with the wound strings. But I think that too many wraps are, at the least, unnecessary.
Even with rough posts you would have to deal with the sudden decrease in tension after a bend or trem use. More wraps would seem to make that worse. Locking machines would seem like the best solution for that, but as you mention, there is the potential for slippage. And it's not an uncommon complaint, especially for the e and unwound strings. Regardless, it's not perfect but I think you're chasing the boogie man. Tuning machines are just another imperfection of an imperfect instrument. More power to you if you can build a better mouse trap and make a few million bucks.
The physics/mechanics is basically the same.
It is a rope under tension similar to the string under tension, wound on a pipe like a string wound on the tuning post.
You can have a jute rope or Nylon rope or a steep rope.
A smooth steel rope or a steel string wound on a smooth iron pipe or polished tuning post does not have adequate friction to generate the resisting force. Lack of friction is a simple reason why a Nylon rope slipes while a jute rope stays. But a jute rope does not have the same strength as a Nylon rope and so will break sooner. A steel rope will take more load than a Nylon rope before breaking as steel is stronger than Nylon.
The tuning post can be made rough instead of polished chrome and that would make it just like a rough iron pipe.
One end of the rope or the guitar string has the weight or it is attached to the bridge, causing tension at this end.. The other end of the rope or string is wound around the pipe or post and this end is free as in the guitar and as shown in one of the images. What is holding this end or preventing this end from slipping is the friction. More turns exponentially increases friction, reducing the need to secure this end like a person holding the end in that image.
Lets take out the guitar wood effect on tuning. i.e change in room temperature and humidity can cause the wood to deform and change the tension and hence the tuning. What else can cause the string to unwrap? Well vibration in the string due to just playing or excessive use of the whammy bar can and that will loosen the string.
Now if the other end of the string is secured, then the winding or turning is not required, like in locking tuners. But how well it is secured depends on how well the tightening of the thumbwheel holds againts a thin string. It is hard to press against a very thin string and hold it in place and this is probably why the thin strings slip when using locking tuners. The thumbwheel does get lose due to vibration and all it needs is a little gap to cause the thin string to slip.
One may frequently have to tighten the thumbwheel to keep the strings locked? May be they could use a locking washer like you use with bolts/nuts. You know the one that is slit and twisted and becomes flat when you tighted the bolt.
This may all be true. But properly strung, with a good tuning machine, strings stay tuned to pitch pretty well. Once stretched and played in some, I don't think tuning problems end up being due to slippage on the posts. If there is no binding at the nut or bridge, I think it's more about environmental changes that effect the wood/guitar and the strings continuing to stretch, even when stretched after a string change. I don't play out any more but if I change strings and play the same guitar often, the tuning becomes more stable over the course of a few days. I don't use locking tuners. I wrap over the post hole for one wrap and then under for the following wraps. Two wraps on the wound strings, maybe 3 on the 4th/D. Generally 3 on the plain strings. I'm not convinced that over/under wind actually does anything to "lock" the plain strings but I think it does with the wound strings. But I think that too many wraps are, at the least, unnecessary.
Even with rough posts you would have to deal with the sudden decrease in tension after a bend or trem use. More wraps would seem to make that worse. Locking machines would seem like the best solution for that, but as you mention, there is the potential for slippage. And it's not an uncommon complaint, especially for the e and unwound strings. Regardless, it's not perfect but I think you're chasing the boogie man. Tuning machines are just another imperfection of an imperfect instrument. More power to you if you can build a better mouse trap and make a few million bucks.
Re: Highest quality replacement tuners?
Ain’t that the truth. When I was stationed in San Diego, I could get my setups nice and low and they’d pretty much stay there. Now, in Newport News, VA, which is pretty much a swamp, just about all of my necks give me grief due to the humidity chanfes with the seasons. I’ve got various truss rod wrenches floating around my house like loose change.
This may all be true. But properly strung, with a good tuning machine, strings stay tuned to pitch pretty well. Once stretched and played in some, I don't think tuning problems end up being due to slippage on the posts. If there is no binding at the nut or bridge, I think it's more about environmental changes that effect the wood/guitar and the strings continuing to stretch, even when stretched after a string change. I don't play out any more but if I change strings and play the same guitar often, the tuning becomes more stable over the course of a few days. I don't use locking tuners. I wrap over the post hole for one wrap and then under for the following wraps. Two wraps on the wound strings, maybe 3 on the 4th/D. Generally 3 on the plain strings. I'm not convinced that over/under wind actually does anything to "lock" the plain strings but I think it does with the wound strings. But I think that too many wraps are, at the least, unnecessary.
Even with rough posts you would have to deal with the sudden decrease in tension after a bend or trem use. More wraps would seem to make that worse. Locking machines would seem like the best solution for that, but as you mention, there is the potential for slippage. And it's not an uncommon complaint, especially for the e and unwound strings. Regardless, it's not perfect but I think you're chasing the boogie man. Tuning machines are just another imperfection of an imperfect instrument. More power to you if you can build a better mouse trap and make a few million bucks.
Ain’t that the truth. When I was stationed in San Diego, I could get my setups nice and low and they’d pretty much stay there. Now, in Newport News, VA, which is pretty much a swamp, just about all of my necks give me grief due to the humidity chanfes with the seasons. I’ve got various truss rod wrenches floating around my house like loose change.