Shorter pegs on the thinner strings.![]()
I could never see the point to those staggered tuners. All they did was make three of the tuning pegs a little longer than normal.
Don't they eliminate the need for string trees? That's what I thought.
Don't they eliminate the need for string trees? That's what I thought.
No, they do not. I fitted a set of Gotoh HAPM tuners to a Strat (HAPM have adjustable post height AND are locking), and i tweaked the posts to get the top string holes as low as they could possibly be ... any lower and the hole would have started to disappear making it impossible to get the string through).
I set the guitar up and checked it out ... definite tone loss on the top two stings. At least one tree is still required for the top 'e' and 'b' strings, unless you think there's something good about losing tone when fitting new tuners. It's obvious that on a Strat, there is not enough break angle over the nut for the e and b strings even when the tuner anchors the string as close to the headstock face as possible.
Eric Johnson possibly has the most sensitive ears on the planet. His signature Stratocaster: staggered tuners and no string trees.
Doesn't his sig strat have an thin and somewhat angled headstock?
Eric Johnson possibly has the most sensitive ears on the planet.
You can say that because you have compared his hearing capabilities with every other human beings hearing capabilities, using advanced measuring equipment ? I'm impressed.