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Post subject: do locking tuners just suck or....
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:40 am
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are locking tuners just a pain in the rear, or are they helpful when playing certain types of music 8)


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:44 am
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The locking tuners on the american deluxe work just fine.

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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:17 pm
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This is only my opinion BUT: Manual Locking Tuners (IE: the ones YOU have to twist tight and take a chunk out of your fingers in the process) DO suck.... however, AUTO-Locking tuners, such as Grovers or the ones on a PRS are GREAT! I not only put the Auto-Lock Grovers on my Strat, I took OFF the manual types that came on my Parker NiteFly and replaced them with a set of the Auto-Lock Grovers as well. From MY experience, the manual types tend to get loose and there goes your string! Other-wise you need a set of pliers to tighten AND loosen them without taking skin off your hands. Maybe using an old glove will help. Point is, why hassle with all that when Auto-Locks Eliminate the fuss and are Sooooo much better? Believe me, changing strings AND keeping tune (after settling) will prove they are well worth the money. There is little to NO extra stretching of the string(s) that happens to ones that have to be wound around a post.


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:59 pm
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I have locking tuners on my strat plus deluxe and to be honest I don't really think that they make that much of a difference. It's more than anything a pain in the $@! to always unscrew/unlock them when I need to tune up. A good guitar will stay in tune whether or not they have locking tuners. Although I do think that grover tuners may be the wors tuners on high end guitars.


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:11 pm
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I have locking tuners, and so far no problem. I don't know about the unlocking the tuners, every time you have to tune them. So far.......I only unlock the tuners when I change strings. They stay in tune after that. I've yet to have to "unlock" the tuners, every time I tune them. I only do that when I change strings.

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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:14 pm
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Syeklops wrote:
I have locking tuners, and so far no problem. I don't know about the unlocking the tuners, every time you have to tune them. So far.......I only unlock the tuners when I change strings. They stay in tune after that. I've yet to have to "unlock" the tuners, every time I tune them. I only do that when I change strings.


Same here. I've never had to unlock the tuners except to change strings. If you have to unlock them somethings wrong.

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Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:24 pm
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cryingstrat wrote:
Syeklops wrote:
I have locking tuners, and so far no problem. I don't know about the unlocking the tuners, every time you have to tune them. So far.......I only unlock the tuners when I change strings. They stay in tune after that. I've yet to have to "unlock" the tuners, every time I tune them. I only do that when I change strings.


Same here. I've never had to unlock the tuners except to change strings. If you have to unlock them somethings wrong.


One other question, while I'm thinking of it.......When I change strings......I notice that for the 1st and 2nd strings (the thing ones), I have to tighten them down more than the others, or they'll slip. Is that just because they're so skinny? Once I tighten them down........no problems, after that, until I change strings again. So I just make sure the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings, I give them an extra "ooomph......".

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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:26 pm
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Syeklops wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
Syeklops wrote:
I have locking tuners, and so far no problem. I don't know about the unlocking the tuners, every time you have to tune them. So far.......I only unlock the tuners when I change strings. They stay in tune after that. I've yet to have to "unlock" the tuners, every time I tune them. I only do that when I change strings.


Same here. I've never had to unlock the tuners except to change strings. If you have to unlock them somethings wrong.


One other question, while I'm thinking of it.......When I change strings......I notice that for the 1st and 2nd strings (the thing ones), I have to tighten them down more than the others, or they'll slip. Is that just because they're so skinny? Once I tighten them down........no problems, after that, until I change strings again. So I just make sure the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings, I give them an extra "ooomph......".


Yup, that's it.

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"is that a real poncho...i mean
Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:41 pm
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cryingstrat wrote:
Syeklops wrote:
cryingstrat wrote:
Syeklops wrote:
I have locking tuners, and so far no problem. I don't know about the unlocking the tuners, every time you have to tune them. So far.......I only unlock the tuners when I change strings. They stay in tune after that. I've yet to have to "unlock" the tuners, every time I tune them. I only do that when I change strings.


Same here. I've never had to unlock the tuners except to change strings. If you have to unlock them somethings wrong.


One other question, while I'm thinking of it.......When I change strings......I notice that for the 1st and 2nd strings (the thing ones), I have to tighten them down more than the others, or they'll slip. Is that just because they're so skinny? Once I tighten them down........no problems, after that, until I change strings again. So I just make sure the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings, I give them an extra "ooomph......".


Yup, that's it.


Great......good to know. I thought maybe I was the only one. The first time I put in the 1st, and 2nd strings, it slipped right out of the post. I was being careful and trying not to crank the locking tuners down too hard. After that, I crank them down and they stayed in place.

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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:53 pm
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I get the feeling that Locking Tuners (machine heads or Keys & Gears) are getting mixed up with the Floyd-Rose Locking SYSTEM .... Especially IF you need to UN-lock to tune. Seems like the old "Tremolo-Vibrato-Whammy" multiple terminology and specific reference problem. We need to get things clarified here since there are 4 types of tuning 'systems'.

1) Standard basic gears. (w/ various ratios & open or sealed)

2) Standard basic gears with added lock-down after strings are tuned, Plus tweek tuners.

3) Manual Locking tuners. (The coin-edge twist type)

4) Auto-Locking tuners (introduced on top-end PRS)

This Q&A involved # 3 (& 4).... If you have # 2, you have a zebra hitched to a sulky.

BTW: With Auto-Locks there is NO crank-down and NO wondering "Did I tighten it enough or too much?" No worries & No hassles. Just slip it through, hold to begin tuning; after it grabs, clip if off and finish tuning. You're done. That's my 2 cents.... LOL


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:07 pm
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Guitarman1117 wrote:
I get the feeling that Locking Tuners (machine heads or Keys & Gears) are getting mixed up with the Floyd-Rose Locking SYSTEM .... Especially IF you need to UN-lock to tune. Seems like the old "Tremolo-Vibrato-Whammy" multiple terminology and specific reference problem. We need to get things clarified here since there are 4 types of tuning 'systems'.

1) Standard basic gears. (w/ various ratios & open or sealed)

2) Standard basic gears with added lock-down after strings are tuned, Plus tweek tuners.

3) Manual Locking tuners. (The coin-edge twist type)

4) Auto-Locking tuners (introduced on top-end PRS)

This Q&A involved # 3 (& 4).... If you have # 2, you have a zebra hitched to a sulky.

BTW: With Auto-Locks there is NO crank-down and NO wondering "Did I tighten it enough or too much?" No worries & No hassles. Just slip it through, hold to begin tuning; after it grabs, clip if off and finish tuning. You're done. That's my 2 cents.... LOL


The locking tuners I'm talking about, are the ones that come with the American Deluxe Stratocaster.

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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:10 pm
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When used properly they are great for staying in tune during extensive vibrato use

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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:13 pm
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Syeklops: All the top-end Fenders with "locking" tuners are really MANUAL twist-downs. Personally, I'd rather have standard tuners than hassle with twist-downs. In my book, they are a poor excuse for a locking system if you have to wrestle with getting them tight or ending up needing to use a pipe wrench to loosen them and not take a chunk out of your fingers. For practically the same money or very little more, AUTO-locks are the cat's pajamas. Similar reason why I prefer a pop-in tremolo arm...... no "find the thread catch" and spin around in circles a half-dozen times.... pop-in, pop out...... easy. No fuss, no bother.

Why they keep making nonadjustable bridges (PRS Hardtails) or 3-piece partially adjustable ones (Old Tele) when a six-section bridge should be standard, is several notches beyond NUTS! Do they still make & sell B&W TVs? Do they still make & sell leaded gas-petrol? Are actual Phone Booths still made & used? Where? If they do....... who buys this stuff & WHY?

Just my opinion, but sometimes sticking with 'vintage' ideas is like riding a horse to work in the winter........ instead of a warm car, bus or train. I am also flabbergasted than ANYone would pay big bucks for a 'relic' guitar that looks like it won the purple heart during WW3. No matter who builds it, custom shop or Picasso.... it's STILL a FAKE..... a counterfeit. They look like sad pieces of abused junk. Who would pay MORE for a NEW piano with dozens of cigarette burns and missing bits of ebony or ivory off the keys? ANY decent pianist would laugh at the very idea. Why take a perfectly brand new guitar and wreck its beauty? If anything, a 'distressed' guitar is really a blem or factory B stock and it should cost a LOT less, not more. It reminds me of politicians who veto YOUR pay raise but pass a bill to up their own pay..... it's all Bass-Ackwards. :shock:


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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:17 pm
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Guitarman1117 wrote:
Syeklops: All the top-end Fenders with "locking" tuners are really MANUAL twist-downs. Personally, I'd rather have standard tuners than hassle with twist-downs. In my book, they are a poor excuse for a locking system if you have to wrestle with getting them tight or ending up needing to use a pipe wrench to loosen them and not take a chunk out of your fingers. For practically the same money or very little more, AUTO-locks are the cat's pajamas. Similar reason why I prefer a pop-in tremolo arm...... no "find the thread catch" and spin around in circles a half-dozen times.... pop-in, pop out...... easy. No fuss, no bother.

Why they keep making nonadjustable bridges (PRS Hardtails) or 3-piece partially adjustable ones (Old Tele) when a six-section bridge should be standard, is several notches beyond NUTS! Do they still make & sell B&W TVs? Do they still make & sell leaded gas-petrol? Are actual Phone Booths still made & used? Where? If they do....... who buys this stuff & WHY?

Just my opinion, but sometimes sticking with 'vintage' ideas is like riding a horse to work in the winter........ instead of a warm car, bus or train. I am also flabbergasted than ANYone would pay big bucks for a 'relic' guitar that looks like it won the purple heart during WW3. No matter who builds it, custom shop or Picasso.... it's STILL a FAKE..... a counterfeit. They look like sad pieces of abused junk. Who would pay MORE for a NEW piano with dozens of cigarette burns and missing bits of ebony or ivory off the keys? ANY decent pianist would laugh at the very idea. Why take a perfectly brand new guitar and wreck its beauty? If anything, a 'distressed' guitar is really a blem or factory B stock and it should cost a LOT less, not more. It reminds me of politicians who veto YOUR pay raise but pass a bill to up their own pay..... it's all Bass-Ackwards. :shock:

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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:18 pm
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Guitarman1117 wrote:
Syeklops: All the top-end Fenders with "locking" tuners are really MANUAL twist-downs. Personally, I'd rather have standard tuners than hassle with twist-downs. In my book, they are a poor excuse for a locking system if you have to wrestle with getting them tight or ending up needing to use a pipe wrench to loosen them and not take a chunk out of your fingers. For practically the same money or very little more, AUTO-locks are the cat's pajamas. Similar reason why I prefer a pop-in tremolo arm...... no "find the thread catch" and spin around in circles a half-dozen times.... pop-in, pop out...... easy. No fuss, no bother.

Why they keep making nonadjustable bridges (PRS Hardtails) or 3-piece partially adjustable ones (Old Tele) when a six-section bridge should be standard, is several notches beyond NUTS! Do they still make & sell B&W TVs? Do they still make & sell leaded gas-petrol? Are actual Phone Booths still made & used? Where? If they do....... who buys this stuff & WHY?

Just my opinion, but sometimes sticking with 'vintage' ideas is like riding a horse to work in the winter........ instead of a warm car, bus or train. I am also flabbergasted than ANYone would pay big bucks for a 'relic' guitar that looks like it won the purple heart during WW3. No matter who builds it, custom shop or Picasso.... it's STILL a FAKE..... a counterfeit. They look like sad pieces of abused junk. Who would pay MORE for a NEW piano with dozens of cigarette burns and missing bits of ebony or ivory off the keys? ANY decent pianist would laugh at the very idea. Why take a perfectly brand new guitar and wreck its beauty? If anything, a 'distressed' guitar is really a blem or factory B stock and it should cost a LOT less, not more. It reminds me of politicians who veto YOUR pay raise but pass a bill to up their own pay..... it's all Bass-Ackwards. :shock:


I've only had my American Deluxe (locking tuners) since Febuary. So far I haven't had any problems.

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