So I swapped out the standard tuners on my 2010 american std strat with the chrome fender locking tuners like those on the newer am deluxe series.

While removing the standard tuners, I noticed that Fender uses FOUR short posts starting from the high E and TWO long whereas the locking sets (as on the am deluxe model) use THREE short posts and THREE long. Also, both the am std and the am deluxe use only a single string tree on the E and B.

So that leaves me wondering... why did Fender choose to use FOUR short posts on the am std strat and THREE on the am del strat? Would the break angle for the std tuners on the D string be more of a concern with string wrapping than with only the quarter turn of the lock type? That's the only thing I could come up with.


Any input is welcome!

Well I've never found that staggered tuners do the job intended regarding string tension behind the nut.
That said my deluxe has string heights in pairs. Highest E&A the same height, the D&G, then B&E lowest of all.

Wonder how the EJ strats stagger is configured?

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@nikininja I've got a 1996 am plus strat that has the schaller locking tuners (with lsr roller) and they too are in the pairs.

So here's a pic from the Fender site of the new american deluxe tuner stagger of the locking tuners.



Here's a shot I found of an 08 std strat with the std non-locking tuners(not mine just found this on the web)



Just seems strange that they would go with 3 and 3 on the del and 4 and 2 on the standard(which has apparently been the way the std is equipped since the second string tree was removed some time ago)

I am glad you posted about 2 long and 4 short tuners . I was sure I had not got the correct items in my last ebay deal . I guessed it would be 3 long and 3 short , is this standard for 2000 up ? I don't care as long as it's in tune.

OK... so the reason I asked this question in the first place was not really so much because I care about a particular look of the tuners -- 3 short/3 tall or 4 short/2 tall. The real problem was that after I switched out the standard tuners with the 4 short/2 long stagger for the 3 short/3 long staggered locking tuners, I was getting a seriously weak D string with noticeable ringing overtones from behind the nut. Lightly pressing on the string behind the nut when picking confirmed the problem. My first thought was, "hmmmm... maybe that short stagger on the D really is necessary." It sounded flat out weak and wasn't something I could live with. I didn't want to buy another entire set of locking tuners to get just one short stagger tuner though. So I went searching and managed to find someone willing to sell me a single short stagger locking tuner. Problem solved. I swapped out the longer stagger tuner on the D string(that came with the set) with my new found short one(from an identical set that someone sold me) and the problem was gone. The improved break angle was exactly what I was getting with the standard tuners before I went the locking route. The strange part is that they use the 3 short/3 tall on the amer deluxe with only a single string tree. I wonder how Fender gets around the lesser break angle on the D string on those models. Weird. Anyway, MY problem is solved!




Bottom line... all I really want to do is play in tune with great tone. Period.

Your D string problem is due to the cut of the nut more than anything else. The angle of the slot has as much to do with the break angle as the down pressure behind the nut does.
The vintage reissue and Telecasters don't suffer the malaise on the D string. They all suffer a bad angle on the G whether they have staggered tuners or not. The only way to cure that is to have two string trees.

If you want a easy fix, put more winds on your D string. Make sure every wind is under the last. 3/4 winds should be enough to create enough down pressure to sort the problem.

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