Locking tuners...

Re: Locking tuners...

Anybody got any experience with LSR tuners? Maybe somebody with a Mustaine signature model Jackson KV?
 
Re: Locking tuners...

I have two different types of locking tuners currently: Sperzels and Gotoh.

The Gotoh are great tuners. They turn well and the higher gear ratio makes for some finer tuning.

The Sperzels are solid locking tuners, but I'm not 100% satisfied. The lower gear ratio makes it difficult to get it "just right" with a strobe tuner. They look great, they have more mass than the Gotoh and they hold their tuning well, so those are all pluses.

I guess it comes down to gear ratio for me. A lower gear ratio will have more dramatic string movement. The Sperzels are capable of tuning dead on with a strobe tuner, but it may take a few times back and forth to get the right amount of string movement.

Planet Waves looks like an excellent alternative. The string cutting feature looks like a joke to me (cutting a string takes no time at all), but the higher gear ratio makes it look like it's very accurate.

I'd love to hear reviews of this thing: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,_solid_peghead/Steinberger_Gearless_Tuners.html
 
Re: Locking tuners...

LBeast said:
Anybody got any experience with LSR tuners? Maybe somebody with a Mustaine signature model Jackson KV?

No experience, but...It seems I only ever end up seeing them on higher-end guitars. Could be marketing, but they look interesting...
 
Re: Locking tuners...

the_Chris said:
I have two different types of locking tuners currently: Sperzels and Gotoh.

The Gotoh are great tuners. They turn well and the higher gear ratio makes for some finer tuning.

The Sperzels are solid locking tuners, but I'm not 100% satisfied. The lower gear ratio makes it difficult to get it "just right" with a strobe tuner. They look great, they have more mass than the Gotoh and they hold their tuning well, so those are all pluses.

I guess it comes down to gear ratio for me. A lower gear ratio will have more dramatic string movement. The Sperzels are capable of tuning dead on with a strobe tuner, but it may take a few times back and forth to get the right amount of string movement.

Planet Waves looks like an excellent alternative. The string cutting feature looks like a joke to me (cutting a string takes no time at all), but the higher gear ratio makes it look like it's very accurate.

I'd love to hear reviews of this thing: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,_solid_peghead/Steinberger_Gearless_Tuners.html
The gear ratio is also why I'm not leaning towards the Sperzels. I prefer a higher ratio.

I've heard that the Steinbergers are amazing tuners in terms of accuracy and tweakability, but they look terrible and I'd hate to have them on my guitar. :laugh2:
 
Re: Locking tuners...

I have sperzels on my axe. A good alternative to Floyd Rose. Keeps the strings in tune MUCH better than machine heads, but obviously not perfect. I like them alot, easy to install and easy to use.
 
Re: Locking tuners...

I have Sperzels and Schallers. The only thing I don't like about the Sperzels is that they use a pin to hold the tuner in place. That makes it difficult to use the tuners to align the holes when drilling.
 
Re: Locking tuners...

I got Sperzels on my Highway 1 - in aluminum polished finish. They work great. The biggest plus is that it takes about 15 seconds to change a string!
Also keeps tune better while tremoloing - but still not perfect.

I also heard that the Shallers are the same.

Bear in mind - the Sperzels have only 1 mounting stud. It happens to be in the middle of the 2 mounting studs from my stock highway 1 tuners - so i had to drill 1 larger hole in the middle of the previous 2. If you're opposed to drilling - research the mounting studs on the shallers - i think they have matching ones for all versions.
 
Re: Locking tuners...

i have sperzels on my brian moore and they are flawless

whatever ibanez used on my 540s are also wonderful .. havent had a problem with them in the entire time i've used them (~almost 15 yrs)

the planet waves look cool and get great reviews ... the lsr's look like they'd be great too but might just be too revolutionary for the fairly conservative guitar crowd

good luck
t4d
 
Re: Locking tuners...

MattPete said:
The only thing I don't like about the Sperzels is that they use a pin to hold the tuner in place. That makes it difficult to use the tuners to align the holes when drilling.

When you buy Sperzels they have a template on the side of the carton that lets you position the tuners in the right place for drilling.

I put Sperzel Locking Tuners on my LP Custom I blacked out last year and while I love the way they look I too wish they had a higher gear ratio. It only seems to be a problem on the G string sometimes the B. But I have that problem on all my guitars. I have Sperzels on my one Custom and the stock Grover tuners on my other LP Custom. I also have Grover Imperials on both my BC RIches. I notice little if any difference between the three kinds, except that I like the way the imperials look.
 
Re: Locking tuners...

h8red442 said:
When you buy Sperzels they have a template on the side of the carton that lets you position the tuners in the right place for drilling.

I used their cardboard template, but the tuners came out all wonky. I had to dowel 2 of the holes and redrill for 2 of the tuners.

I prefer the way Schaller does it with the screw hole. Simply put the tuners in their hole, press a straightedge underneath them to line them up, using the tuners as a template for the screw holes. This makes it easier to install the tuners straight.

I like the Sperzels, but I think the pin is a poor design, and I see no advantages in manufacturing, engineering, asthetics, or otherwise, over using a screw.
 
Re: Locking tuners...

rspst14 said:
Krank, I know what you mean about the Grovers being a bit tall. I put a set on my Hamer and I noticed that the post holes were a tiny bit higher than they used to be with the stock Schallers. The difference is very small, and I don't notice any problems with having slightly less pressure over the nut.

I noticed the same thing about the extra height when I put the grovers on my les paul a couple of weeks ago, but so far so good. and I appreciate the higher gear ratio using the strobe tuner as compard to the sperzels in my strat.
 
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