Locking Nut or...?

[BriGuy1968]

One of my projects is already routed for a Floyd Rose style trem, so that’s what I plan to put on it. However I’m not a big trem user and I‘m not crazy about the fine tuners or locking nut. The fine tuners, of course, are along for the ride no matter what, but I’m thinking that I might be able to get away with a roller nut and locking tuners instead of the locking nut. I just don’t have the experience with a Floyd to be certain.

What say you?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

A roller nut works just fine for a Floyd equipped guitar. I got one of the reissue NFT Floyd Roses with a LSR roller nut nut and it stays intune just fine with serious whammy bar use. Locking tuners will probably help if your current tuners aren't up to par.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

It doesn’t have any tuners yet, but I’m a fan of the locking ones anyway. Just trying to look ahead a bit.

 

[Godin15]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Locking tuners is the way to go.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Locking tuners
I put that chit on everything

Just set up a friends guitar, put locking tuners on

The first upgrade to any guitar

Roller nuts and bridges are magic

I have a.locking nut on my RG4 that I have

The whole point if the fine tuners, is so you don't have to keep taking those durned clamps off
While the strings settle in

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Another vote for a roller nut and locking tuners. I have 2 guitars equipped with a Floyd and a Floyd replica (a poor one). The poor one is blocked completely and I don't play the other much at all. It's just a pain to unlock the nut, tune it, lock the nut, tune it again (micro adjustments), etc. It stays in tune just fine, but I'd rather have the roller nut and locking tuners.

Maybe someday if I ever update that guitar I'll do the roller nut and new tuners. It's an 80's oddity so I've left it alone except for pickup changes.

Good luck with the new project and post pics when done.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Locking Nut or...?

Locking tuners
I put that chit on everything

Just set up a friends guitar, put locking tuners on

The first upgrade to any guitar

Roller nuts and bridges are magic

I have a.locking nut on my RG4 that I have

The whole point if the fine tuners, is so you don't have to keep taking those durned clamps off
While the strings settle in

Right?

My trusty old Westone (in my avatar) has had the Floyd blocked right from when I did the upgrades after the fire because I remember how much of a PIA it was to get out an Allen wrench every time I needed to adjust a string further than the fine tuners wanted to move (particularly right after a change).

EDIT: Lol... does this sound familiar Jeff_H? It has locking tuners as well, but it’s a crap trem on there. It’s just fine blocked, which was my original intent... couldn’t find a reasonably priced hard tail bridge to cover the rout. But I kinda wanted to give the Floyd another try on this project... it’s been a long, long time and I have a ton more knowledge and ability than I had twenty years ago!

As for locking tuners on everything, I agree 100%. They make string changes a breeze and their stability is like a rock. I only have two guitars that still need the upgrade... my RG because it has pewter hardware and I haven’t yet found a reasonably priced set in that color, and my Perfect 10 Bich because I just haven’t pulled the trigger yet on needing to buy two sets for one guitar! Both of them are pretty solid anyway too, so I haven’t felt like it’s been a priority.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Good luck with the new project and post pics when done.

Here’s a sneak-peek from when I was mocking up the neck and pickups earlier today... [emoji6]

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Locking tuners are my vote. Roller nut if you wish.
I like the metallic gold.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Thanks... the gold is a work in progress and still needs a bazillion coats of clear, but I think it’s gonna come out pretty cool.

I figured that the tuners would probably be okay by themselves, but that the roller nut would be an added bonus. Also, the roller nut I’m looking at will cover the wide nut shelf (for a locking nut) that’s already there on the neck.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Would thes be the ones you are looking for
I don't know how to link from the aliexpress app

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Would thes be the ones you are looking for
I don't know how to link from the aliexpress app

Sweet!

I hadn’t thought about AliExpress... I just placed my first order ever through them yesterday (knobs for my other project). I didn’t even consider looking for pewter (smoky) tuners... thanks man!

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Love the gold color and the fretboard inlay. That is going to be sweet when you're all done. I forgot that the guitar in your avatar almost burned up in the fire. It's cool to know it's still rocking. THAT's rock and roll!

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

No one has issues using only a roller nut, and then slacking the strings using the Floyd? They wouldn't even be held in place, it would seem. Or do we just not slack the strings? I'd go with a locking nut. Locking tuners have a purpose to minimize or eliminate string wraps, they don't lock tuning in themselves.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Locking tuners have a purpose to minimize or eliminate string wraps, they don't lock tuning in themselves.

Excuse me?

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

No one has issues using only a roller nut, and then slacking the strings using the Floyd? They wouldn't even be held in place, it would seem. Or do we just not slack the strings? I'd go with a locking nut. Locking tuners have a purpose to minimize or eliminate string wraps, they don't lock tuning in themselves.

Well, I doubt that I’d ever have reason to completely slack the strings, but I have to disagree with you about locking tuners NOT locking the tuning. A lock is a lock. Admittedly the locking nut locks down on a larger portion of the string than a tuner does, but locking tuners actually ARE designed for locking the tuning and I’ve found that they do a great job of keeping things stable.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Excuse me?

The string is stabilized in the tuner, but the tuner itself still doesn't *lock* the tuning. If it did, then the tuner knob itself would be where the lock was and you'd be unable to turn it when locked. Say there's slop in the tuners; that won't be removed by the fact that the tuner is locking.

I prefer to use locking tuners when it is desirable to either eliminate string wraps for tuning stability on non-locking trem guitars, or else where it's desirable to lessen break angle for feel by reducing wraps.

 

[dave74]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Once you have the OFR routing I can't think of any good reason to not have the typical double-locking system with locking nut.
The fine-tuners make general day-to-day tuning such a breeze, but then again I "grew up" with a standard floyd (although it was a Jackson-floyd lol).


Locking tuners don't matter much to me. I prefer string changes with non-locking tuners, but the locks do help with some maintenance task.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

Locking nut. And locking studs on the trem side. Everything locked. Roller nuts, locking tuners are the next best bet.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Locking Nut or...?

I prefer to use locking tuners when it is desirable to either eliminate string wraps for tuning stability on non-locking trem guitars, or else where it's desirable to lessen break angle for feel by reducing wraps.

But wrapping the string can allow you either increase or decrease break angle. I wrap the low strings up the post and the low string down the post for all my in-line 6 guitars.

As for the previous comments about roller nuts, why would it fall out of place if the strings were slacked? You still glue it in like a normal nut.

Another thing to consider BriGuy, if you go for the roller nut it's also a good idea to get roller string trees. There should be as little friction as possible between the tuners and the bridge.