I'm thinking of changing my mim to locking tuners. I was wondering several questions. Staggered or not? What brand? Any mods required? Was there a dramatic improvement in tuning stability?

Thanks

For which guitar? If it's something recent and just a Standard (American or MIM), the Fender locking tuners will work without any mods.

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=361333

(they also come in chrome)

I installed the chrome versions on my '09 American Standard and while I'm not sure I gained tuning stability (was fine with the stock tuners), it sure makes string changes easier.

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Then again, what do I know ... I've only been playin' for 6 months ... !

Hi Mdred 85. In order:

1. Staggered? Sure, why not?
2. Schallers, Sperzels or Gotoh 510s for modern style, or Gotoh do some vintage-looking ones if that's your preference.
3. Check the peghole diameter, preferably before purchase. Yours will be either 11/32" or 13/32", the latter more commonly known as 10mm these days. Try and get tuners to fit your existing holes. On which, check this recent vital thread:

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... hp?t=35306

4. Dramatic? No. A very small improvement? Sometimes.

Good luck - C

Staggered pole help eliminate the need for string tees, but honestly, I've found tuning issues not to be with the tuners but the strings. If they're not stretched properly or strung up properly, they'll slip when you play the guitar even if you're not using the tremolo....

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Just to be absolutely clear on that point, 11/32" pegholes are thought of as "vintage" and are found on guitars at all levels of the catalog with vintage type features.

13/32" pegholes, more commonly refered to as 10mm holes by many machine head suppliers, are for "modern" tuners (such as locking Schallers and Sperzels). If the guitar is a modern spec one it will have 10mm holes.

But always check which you have! (See the link in my previous post, above.) It is SO MUCH easier to buy tuners that fit the holes you have rather then try to enlarge the holes or reduce them with bushings. Unless you have the right tools for the job, that is...

Lockers, staggered poles - all of that stuff is available for either size peghole. Shop around.

Cheers - C

Thanks for the responses everyone. Ceri my neck is coded year 2000.

Hi again Mdred85: 2000 huh? However, that doesn't tell us anything about the tuner holes. If your guitar is some sort of reissue/vintage model then it likely has 11/32" pegholes. If it is some sort of Standard or other contemporary type model then it probably has 10mm holes.

All you need to do is take a string off, unscrew the tuner and measure across the hole with a decent quality ruler. That'll tell you what your holes are and we can take it from there.

Howzat?

Cheers - C

If your guitar has those standard Fender sealed tuners then there are two small tips that seat the tuners into the back of the headstock. The tuner pegheads then go through the headstock and are tightened down with the threaded ferral. Fender "Schaller" locking tuners will retrofit right in there. Make sure of the diameter but I'm pretty sure the standard size will fit the MIM Strat's. Those locking tuners may also be made by PING now.

What Ceri says here is absolutely true and follow his specs there. If you have "vintage style" tuners, then they have a small screw that tightens those down to the back of the peghead. These resemble the vintage Kluson type tuners and you can tell those because of the ribbed surface area on the back of the flat gear covers. You'll know because when you take them off you are either going to have a screw hole centered between the tuners or you will have two small peg mount holes between.

The benefit to the locking tuners is that it takes the guess work out of properly wrapping the string to the post in order to keep it from slipping. The other benefit is that is makes string changing a breeze. Tone wise, I don't think anyone would be changing to lockers because of any tone improvement. Whammy bar freaks will like the locking tuners for their stability in securing the string to the post and not moving. So for that reason tuning stability would improve with "stability" being the operative word. A locking tuner won't improve the tuneability of a poorly cut nut.

+1 Schaller

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Sorry Ceri. The guitar doesn't appear to be a reissue of any kind

Erm - why sorry?

Cheers - C

Make that another +1

I got the Schaller locking tuners on mine recently (Highway 1), and they really do what they're supposed to - keep the guitar in tune beautifully.

String change will be a breeze. Go for it.