What is everyone's opinion. Do they work, or would you rather have a newer style? I haven't spent much time with them. I don't mind the way the turn or feel, I just want to know if they typically keep the guitar in tune. I suppose they wouldn't purposely use junky stuff, but I didn't know if they are lower quality than the beefier looking new ones.

I use vintage-style Klusons on all of my custom builds -- never a problem with them.

If you are a serious dive-bomber though and use your trem aggressively you might want to consider the locking Sperzels.

HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Never have any problem with mine. I find they perform equally as well as the locking tuners on my Deluxe, or the staggered tuners on my Customshop.

Then again, I get good performance out of any tuners, even cheapo far east diecast things. It's all in the way you wind the string onto em.
I can throw both my 57hotrod and baja tele in the car, gig em, put em back in the car. Leave em there a week, take em out gig em again with nothing more than a minor tweak on one or two strings. I don't go easy on the trem either.

Minimal, well stacked winds around the post. Don't let the strings get caught up on themselves. Don't tune down, if you go too high in pitch, pull the string. If you somehow go way too high, then wind down whilst pulling the string and then tune back up.

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No no and no

I don't use my trem. Ever. Maybe someday I would, but I don't. Yeah, minimal winds on the string. Got it. I used to always wind too much, then I got smart. hehehehhe

What's the application ??

Vintage strat...Vintage tuners, modern strat, take your pick, locking,staggered.

I recently replaced the vintage tuners on my CS 56-NOS, the D and B were skipping and tuning, problem with the gearing.
Replaced with the Gotoh's vintage which are a direct fit and the same that Fender uses.
Problem solved, happy camper..

Here's a thought, if going for modern, look into the Gotoh mini contour 18-1 ratio, I have the 21-1 ratio on both of my acoustic Larrivee's.
they are not inexpensive but are excellent.. look them up @ LMI

I love the slotted tuners, where you put the string down the hole.

No sharp ends to catch anything. That was the best design ever.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I think the vintage tuners are great. All four of my Fenders have them. No tuning problems, except on my 67/68 Tele. I understand the tuners used during those years were questionable.

Thank you guys. This is good info. Keep em coming!

I haven't discovered the trick to an easy string change yet with these things. My last one took me over an hour! But I will say, once the strings are on there, my guitar stays in tune like a champ. I picked it up after not playing for a week and the G string was only a tad off. Everything else was perfect still.

Hamms
With locking tuners, just pull the string tight through the hole. Lock the tuner and wind the peghead. Snip the end of the string off afterwards.

With vintage tuners, pull the string past the tuner, from the tuner measure two finger widths along what will be excess string. Snip the string there. Push the end of it in the hole, fold the string over so it goes down into the slot. Tune up.

Neither way should take you a hour mate.

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No no and no

I wish they were still standard issue.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

I prefer the old split post Klusons to anything else out there. I have my own way of tuning with them and never,ever have tuning problems and I really crank the vibrato arm mercilessly.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Niki,

Again you have saved me another headache. For the record I am a pro with the locking tuners!

I was trying to figure out the right string length to cut on the vintage tuners because I was trying to wrap around the post first. Your method has been duly noted.

2 finger spaces past the tuner, easy to remember and you always have the measuring device to hand so to speak.

Happy to help mate.

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No no and no

I use the same technique as nikininja, except I like a little more string on the post than that. I measure about two string posts past the one I'm winding on and cut it there. Sometimes a little longer if I want more break angle on a particular string. If you do it right, you should end up with a nice neat wind with no overlapping turns.