Les Paul Locking Tuners

SFW

SFW

New member
What locking tuners are you using on you Gibson Les Paul? I’m ready to get a set for my 2005 Standard.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
My 2010 Standard (2008 model) has locking grovers. Takes no time to change strings. I can't say it helps intonation, because I don't have a problem with that generally, but it sure makes string changes a breeze.
 
JMP/HBE said:
Les Pauls don't need LT IMO.
Click to expand...

I bend a lot and bend deep. Anything that helps me tune less live is great. Also, I am thinking about putting a Floyd on my Les Paul Lite. I don't want to put a locking nut on the guitar.
 
Securb said:
I bend a lot and bend deep. Anything that helps me tune less live is great. Also, I am thinking about putting a Floyd on my Les Paul Lite. I don't want to put a locking nut on the guitar.
Click to expand...

Blaspheme.
I play .011 to .056 bend like a MoFo and still have no need for LT's.
I had a Les Paul Standard w/ locking Grovers and found them annoying as hell and i had to modify the low E tuner just to accommodate my string gauge.
Like G force tuners Gibson has players brainwashed they can't tune a guitar.
I even have .011 to .056 on a Custom Strat w/a trem and still don't need locking tuners.
And i got into aspat w/a local guitar tech where he told me i only need 1/2 a wind on a locking tuner.
I prefer at least 3 winds locking or not for tuning stability with .011 to .056 D'Addarios.
If you line up the holes on your tuning posts [non-locking] in the 9 oclock to 3 oclock [guitar straight up and down] and bend the string at a 90 degree angle and bend the loose end at another 90 opposite then you wind the string on the post and stretch the string once up to pitch and LUBE YOUR NUTTS that string isn't going anywhere.
Save you money.
A OFR w/o a locking nut isn't a proper Floyd, it will never stay in tune regardless.
 
Last edited:
Mincer said:
Was never about tuning for me...it is about fast string changes.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I could see the faster string change thing.


I don't think locking tuners help with your tuning at all. Tuning issues that I've run into never end up coming down to the tuners that are on the guitar. Even super cheap tuners tend to hold the string pretty well. Nut issues (and occasionally the bridge) are usually the culprit - once the nut/bridge get setup perfectly problems with tuning just go away.
 
Even with the nut cut and slotted perfectly and no issues with the bridge, I've come across tuners that simply don't have a high enough ratio to be able to be really reliable when it comes to tuning. The stock tuners on my Classic Vibe are 14:1. Not bad, but not great either. The Gotoh Klusons on both my Strat builds are 15:1. Crazy enough, that one additional turn makes a difference and I can tell. The Grover Roto-Grips arriving today for the Classic Vibe are 18:1. The ratio will have more impact over locking vs non-locking, and naturally the quality of the tuners themselves. But, I do like locking tuners for the ease of restringing. If I like these Grovers well enough, I'll be getting another set for one of my Strat builds with Gotoh's. The old Frankenstrat will be staying as-is no matter what.
 
Last edited:
GuitarStv said:
Yeah, I could see the faster string change thing.


I don't think locking tuners help with your tuning at all. Tuning issues that I've run into never end up coming down to the tuners that are on the guitar. Even super cheap tuners tend to hold the string pretty well. Nut issues (and occasionally the bridge) are usually the culprit - once the nut/bridge get setup perfectly problems with tuning just go away.
Click to expand...

Uhh. Yes, nut and bridge are important, but how can you say that about cheap tuners?! Cheap tuners (all else being equal) can definitely affect tuning stability.

But anyway, like Mincer, I like locking tuners for ease of string changes more than anything else. But I only buy good ones which coincidentally also hold the strings better.
 
GuitarDoc said:
Uhh. Yes, nut and bridge are important, but how can you say that about cheap tuners?! Cheap tuners (all else being equal) can definitely affect tuning stability.

But anyway, like Mincer, I like locking tuners for ease of string changes more than anything else. But I only buy good ones which coincidentally also hold the strings better.
Click to expand...

I've got a Godin (about 400$ twenty years ago) an epiphone (about 500$ brand new twenty five years ago) and a Squier J-bass (about 300$ brand new ten years ago). Tuners on all of them are cheap and work great. I've had several older guitars from the 60s (Yamaki Acoustic, Stella Acoustic, Kent Tenor guitar) too . . . they all have cheap tuners, but they all stay in tune just fine. The main problem with the cheap tuners on the older guitars is that (especially the open gear ones) they get sticky/hard to turn when they rust. No issues holding the string in place or slipping though, and nothing that really impacts tuning. If your nut and bridge are in good shape, and you've stretched the strings after putting on new ones super crappy tuners hold great for me.

Maybe I've just been lucky though?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top