Hipshot tuners?

[GuitarStv]

Maybe we differ on the definition of "crank down". I use a 10mm wrench to tighten the nuts until snug, and they don't want to jump over the little nubs on the plate.

If I only tighten them until snug, in a couple string changes they'll work loose and jump over the plate when tuning (usually the string tension alone with .11s on a Fender scale neck tuned to E standard seems to pull them crooked). They need to be cranked down very tight for me to work - hard enough to make me worry they're going to cut into the maple. Once I do that, then they work fine. I tried a bunch of lighter settings and kept ending up with the shifting issue so thought that's the way the were. Maybe there's a manufacturing defect with the plate I got or something if that's not normal, but I didn't like it - hence my comments.

 

[ehdwuld]

now now gentlemen

lets agree that there was an issue at Steves house that has been resolved

 

[GuitarDoc]

The nuts SHOULD be snug. You shouldn't leave the nuts so loose that the tuners can come loose in the headstock after only a few string changes. There is nothing wrong or bad about snugging down the nuts ("cranking down" as you refer to it), within reason, of course. It's not going to damage anything unless you crank down so hard that it depresses the wood or chips the finish off.

In over 60 years and countless string changes on over 70 guitars I've never had a tuner come loose nor any damage caused by snugging/"cranking" down the nuts.