Just found out about locking tuners...

[GuitaristZ]

MAN...this has to be one of the inventions of the CENTURY!!!

No more hassles when restringing! When I get my next hamm guitar, Im DEFINATELY putting these on...DEFINATELY...

http://www.edromanguitars.com/newsite/parts/tuners/sperzel.htm

probably some of the best 50 or so $ I will ever spend....



http://www.edromanguitars.com/newsite/parts/tuners/images/sperzel/sperzelinstall.jpg

[Rumble_b]

Nothing new there. You should check out the ones from planet waves, they cut the string too. My buddy has them one one of his Godins. They're pretty cool.

[iaresee]

I'm going to hijack this thread and say: be very, very careful with Ed Roman's site. He's got lots of very way out there opinions on things guitar (and beyond). Take it all with a grain of salt. Understand he lives to sell the products he carries.

[GuitaristZ]

Thanks for the advice about ed roman lol...I am pretty new to his site :)

I am still gunna get these locking tuners though...Ill check out planet waves too. Do they wear out after a while, or do they last indefinately? Also, from what I understand, If I was using locking tuners I could change pickups over and over again and not have to put new strings on each time right? I could just let the strings go loose in the tuners, and then etc etc...then turn the pegs up and bring the guitar back into pitch? I bet these things work really well with whammy bars lol....

[david henman]

I bet these things work really well with whammy bars lol....


...i think that's why they were invented.

-dh

[RIFF WRATH]

thanks for the info, I had heard of them but didn't really know their full usefullness.
cheers
RIFF

[Robboman]

Thanks for the advice about ed roman lol...I am pretty new to his site :)

...If I was using locking tuners I could change pickups over and over again and not have to put new strings on each time right? I could just let the strings go loose in the tuners, and then etc etc...then turn the pegs up and bring the guitar back into pitch?

Sure. You'd have to NOT cut the excess string off the end while you're doing this.

I have Sperzels on two of my Strats, they're great! Just pull that string thru as tight as you can by hand, lock it down then it only takes a few twists to bring it up to pitch. None of that "leave several wraps around the post" stuff to slow you down. I'm even thinking of replacing the Kluson style Gohtohs on my Suhr with a staggered set of Sperzels.

[iaresee]

I am still gunna get these locking tuners though...Ill check out planet waves too. Do they wear out after a while, or do they last indefinately? Also, from what I understand, If I was using locking tuners I could change pickups over and over again and not have to put new strings on each time right? I could just let the strings go loose in the tuners, and then etc etc...then turn the pegs up and bring the guitar back into pitch? I bet these things work really well with whammy bars lol....
Locking tuners are great. I'm a big fan of the old PRS wing-style locking tuners. The Planet Waves ones look nice though. I think the self-trimming feature is cool. The edge will wear out over time but it's probably good for a few hundred string changes at least.

Locking tuners don't let you change pickups without changing strings. You're still going to have to take your strings off and the strings still bend around the post and weaken even with locking tuners. So detuning radically and tuning back to pitch weakens the strings in the same spots regardless of what type of tuners you have.

[fretboard]

I'd also tread extremely lightly when dealing with or taking advice on anything in the Ed Roman world. If ever there was a dude who's reputation proceeded him... Met him once in his shop - it's a huge place and figured how bad could he be? I'd would rather chew back a warm cup of my own snot than listen to him preach his guitar beliefs and the virtues of everything he sells.

Slim-o, first degree.

I've got locking tuners on both my PRS - the winged "old" tuners do an excellent job, but their Phase II locking tuners I find to be so much easier and quicker to deal with when time is of the essence. That may also be biased because the winged tuners are on an axe with a bar, while the Phase II's are on a non-trem.

[sesroh]

i don't believe in locking tuners. i keep it real

[Milkman]

I think locking tuners work as well as conventional ones, but I'm not convinced they work a lot better.

I think if you install strings correctly (more than one way to do it correctly) the tuners aren't generally the problem in terms of tuning stability.

The nut, bridge and sometimes string trees are more often the source of problems.

I had a nice set of Schaller locking tuners on my Tele but replaced them with a standard set of Schaller tuners to relieve a bit of headstock weight. I experienced no change in tuning stability as a result of the swap.

[sesroh]

i just think that if you're too lazy to tune and maintain your guitar, what's the point of playing it? it's half the fun of being a guitar player

[GuitaristZ]

but it makes string changes a lot easier on stage! especially the planet waves one. Imagine...your on stage and you break a string. With normal strat tuners, you very well have to have somebody put tension on the strings when you wind it or else it wont have very good stability, etc. I could go on and on haha and plus its easier to break strings I think on normal ones. Im getting the locking tuners anyways. All I would have to do then to change strings is, insert string through hardtail bridge, insert string through tuning head and tighten. easy peasy.

[Milkman]

but it makes string changes a lot easier on stage! especially the planet waves one. Imagine...your on stage and you break a string. With normal strat tuners, you very well have to have somebody put tension on the strings when you wind it or else it wont have very good stability, etc. I could go on and on haha and plus its easier to break strings I think on normal ones. Im getting the locking tuners anyways. All I would have to do then to change strings is, insert string through hardtail bridge, insert string through tuning head and tighten. easy peasy.


Change a string on stage?


Why would you need to do that?


I don't break strings anyway, because I change them after two weeks or two gigs, whichever comes first, but on the rare occasion that I do, I just pick up another guitar.

Nothing wrong with locking tuners, but ease of string changes isn't a problem with conventional tuners.

Really the only reason I can see to use locking tuners is if you use a conventional (non-locking) trem. In that case you also have to pay close attention to the nut and bridge if you want to stay in tune.

[GuitaristZ]

but also factor in that, on locking tuner, you do not have the same amount of windings around the posts. This helps keep the guitar in tune better right?

[Milkman]

but also factor in that, on locking tuner, you do not have the same amount of windings around the posts. This helps keep the guitar in tune better right?


Well I'm sorry to seem argumentative but no, you shouldn't have to use more windings on conventional tuners. I use a special little method I learned from a mandolin player. Mine end up around the post one complete turn or less.

As I said, I replaced a very nice set of Schaller locking tuners with a conventional set and experienced no loss of tuning stability at all.

If you know how to put strings on properly, and do so often, locking tuners won't really improve your tuning stability at all, unless you're using a non-locking trem. You're much more likely to have tuning problems as a result of a poorly cut or dirty nut.

[Rumble_b]

I'm with milkman on this one. Locking tuners seem pretty cool but I never have tuning problems. I have a few wraps around the post(maybe more than a lot of people) but it works. It kinda locks on itself and it always holds tune.

[SCREEM]

lock the string to the post, you only need 1 wrap on it.... http://everythingsg.com/forum/index.php?topic=2078.0

I like locking tuners or traditional, even total crap ones will work if setup right ...check that post count 666 baby!

[GuitaristZ]

whoa man...only 1 inch of slack!?!!? I read somewhere that I should give it a lot more than that haha...maybe that is why. I never knew about that neat looping thing where you pull the loose end under and then on top...Im going to have to try that sometime! thanks!

[Milkman]

lock the string to the post, you only need 1 wrap on it.... http://everythingsg.com/forum/index.php?topic=2078.0

I like locking tuners or traditional, even total crap ones will work if setup right ...check that post count 666 baby!


This is exactly how I put my strings on and have done it this way for many years. It really works well.

[Luke98]

My low e string was put on badly and I don't even have half a post of wrap around :p.
The other strings all have small amounts too. I'm ganna try the method posted from now on tho.

[sesroh]

I also just love the look of vintage fender tuners. klusons or Fs. they look great and they always stay in tune