Locking Tuners - Which Do You Prefer

[snowdog]

Schallers are good

 

[Rex Rocker]

Detuning. Yes, they break. Right where the string enters the post and it locks, it usually ends up facing away from the nut and bridge once it's locked and tuned up. It creates a pretty sharp angle in the string here, and that's where it breaks if I detune, and then tune up again. Not always, but not infrequently either.

It's been the same with PW locking tuners, locking Grovers, and locking Gotohs as far I remember.

Have you tried Hipshot? I've never had a string break.

Not even when loosening a retightening the string?

I have not tried the Hipshots. I still think the Grovers, Gotohs, and PW's are great if you don't rely on loosening the strings to adjust anything. The Gotoh 510's in particular have been really really great. But that one guitar with locking Grovers is getting a set of non-locking tuners soon.

Another problem I see with locking tuners is that some brands don't make the hole the string locks through very wide, so you usually have to go through the trouble of drilling them out if you're using thick strings. The Gotoh 510's have been fine with up to a 62 (never tried anything heavier), but the Grover locking rotomatics can't handle anything more than a 56. I think it's the same case with Sperzel?

I'm not anti-locking tuners at all, though. Like I said, the Gotoh 510's in particular have been super solid, hold tuning great, look really well-made, and feel super smooth with the high gear ratio.

 

[FourT6and2]

Not even when loosening a retightening the string?

Never. But to be fair, I don't do that a lot. I mean... I detune sometimes. Maybe Drop D or sometimes a half step down. But I never have the need to detune the strings to where they're flopping around for some reason.

 

[NinjaRaf]

Been using planet waves auto trims on all of my guitars for about a decade now.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Not even when loosening a retightening the string?

Never. But to be fair, I don't do that a lot. I mean... I detune sometimes. Maybe Drop D or sometimes a half step down. But I never have the need to detune the strings to where they're flopping around for some reason.

Oh, yeah, when going from Standard to Drop tuning I have no problems at all. Going a whole step down all throughout is not a problem either. It's just this one guitar that I have to loosen the strings all the way to raise or lower the bridge. Honestly, that's more of a problem with the bridge design itself, but I don't think it's the only type of bridge that's like this.

 

[Exo-metal]

Never had a problem with my LSR tuners but I have to say the same about my Sperzals.