How tight do tuner nuts need to be?

Something I’ve noticed on most new guitars I’ve bought is that the nuts on the front of the headstock that hold the tuners in place are often pretty loose. 
By loose I mean, probably just a pinch tighter than finger tight. 

Now before I bust out the spanner, how tight exactly should they be? 

Guitar I’m planning on checking is a Fender tele, when I next restring, so as far as I know that nut is the only thing holding them on, as there is no small screw on the back. 

I presume its best to do this with the string off of the relevant tuner? 

Cheers all! 
The only easy day, was yesterday...
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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71951
    edited September 2018
    A bit tighter than they usually are, but don’t really crank them down - there’s a risk of indenting the wood or even breaking the thread, which is on a fairly thin-walled tube made of cast alloy.

    They only have to hold the tuner body firmly against the headstock, not stop it turning - what stops it turning is two cast pins which fit into holes in the headstock, which you will see if you take one off.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

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  • Thank you buddy!
    The only easy day, was yesterday...
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  • FelineGuitarsFelineGuitars Frets: 11494
    tFB Trader
    It's often due to slight shrinkback in the wood and also the paint finish ....not uncommon

    Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
    Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.

    Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.

      Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com.  Facebook too!

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