'Luthier's Love' locking tuners review.

OilCityPickups

DiscoStu said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

If you want one I'll buy it and post it to you if you like.

That's far and beyond the call of duty.

The offer's there ... you can paypal me if you decide to do it.

ICBM

Gotoh make locking vintage-style tuners with an 8mm bore size.

http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/guitar-bass-parts/tuning-keys/guitar/locking-6-in-line-keys/gotoh-locking-tuning-keys-vintage-style-6-in-line-2-p-2992.html

monquixote

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Never had an ASAT on the bench so I don't know if they are an 8 or 10mm ... looking at pics on line they look suspiciously like 10mm ones ... in which case a set of any 10mm shaft locking tuners will do the job.

Interesting. 

It might be worth a punt. 

I assume US strats are 10mm?

If so I could stick them on my strat should they not fit. 

OilCityPickups

Modern style Strats are 10mm ... if they don't have the hexagonal lock nuts and have slotted shafts they are 8mm.

DiscoStu

My Tele neck (non Fender) has 9mm holes and it's a bugger finding tuners. 10mm makes it so much easier.

OilCityPickups

Needs a good reaming

ICBM

monquixote said:

I assume US strats are 10mm?

If so I could stick them on my strat should they not fit. 

Yes, but they're also a unique type of tuner which uses two metal dowels and not a screw to locate them - they're made by Schaller, and a locking version is available (used on the Deluxe series). If you fit any other type you'll need to drill screw holes and it will make a mess of the neck.

OilCityPickups

I do believe the disused locating holes will be covered by the body of the new tuner ... so won't be visible. Schaller locking tuners are £109 ... as opposed to £25 ... a steep price to pay for two disused peg holes in my opinion.

ICBM

I meant drilling the screw holes will make a mess of the neck, if you ever want to put it back to stock - eg if you're going to sell the guitar... and might reduce the value by more than the price of the tuners. No big deal if you're never going to of course.

I just don't like to modify stuff like that when there is a 'correct' way of doing it. It might seem trivial on a bog-standard USA Fender, but I bet a lot of people who modified guitars that weren't valuable at the time in the past now regret it.

They're only £70, anyway...

http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/p/914410/fender-american-deluxe-strat-schaller-6-in-line-shiny-polished-chrome-locking-tuners/

Or maybe £50.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/fender-F-chrome-locking-machine-heads-tuners-/261243767173?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3cd3578985

monquixote

I was just thinking if I buy them for the ASAT and they don't fit I could put them on the Fender. If that's not the case I'm not too worried about putting them on the Fender. 

OilCityPickups

I somehow don't think many standard American Strats will ever be subject to the authenticity nazis ... were it a custom shop job ... or an old one ... then that's a different matter.
To me instruments are to be played and their function is to make music ... adopting the stamp collector mentality isn't in my nature  

RocknRollDave

Hmmm very interested in these as I think they would suite my PRS SE EG. I've upgraded the electrics, now just need to swap the tuners as the stock ones are OK but not perfect.

Dave_Mc

Thanks for the review. I'll keep those in mind.

ICBM

TheGuitarWeasel said:

I somehow don't think many standard American Strats will ever be subject to the authenticity nazis ... were it a custom shop job ... or an old one ... then that's a different matter.
To me instruments are to be played and their function is to make music ... adopting the stamp collector mentality isn't in my nature  

I agree, but I still don't like to modify something unnecessarily and irreversibly when the correct part to do the job properly is available! Even when slightly more expensive than a cheap bodge solution.

To be honest it's the workmanship issue that bothers me more than the originality - replacing the neat two-dowel Fender tuners with screwed tuners is a bodge no matter how you look at it, both because it's less good than using the dowels and involves drilling extra holes outside the footprint of the tuner.

Replacement tuners of almost every conceivable footprint to match old ones are available now, so they will always be my first choice when changing any. About the only exception are Sperzels, and even then the extra hole is within the footprint of most other tuners, so less of an issue.

I also wouldn't be surprised if modern USA Fenders one day become valuable - for example if production moves entirely to Mexico or something - look at what's happened to the 70s horrors we both hate! And fully agree that modifying can improve... but at the cost of 'value'.

John_A

Ive got a few sets of these on different guitars and they really are good.  I bought some that 'looked the same' off ebay but were a few quid less and they were rubbish!

dchwhite

Thanks for the tuner recommendation, as well as the reamer info. I've pondered those axesrus lockers for ages... Now next time I need tuners, I know what to do

Sporky

I've used the Axetec version a few times and they're very good. They look to be the same thing from the photos.

OilCityPickups

Sporky said:

I've used the Axetec version a few times and they're very good. They look to be the same thing from the photos.

Yeah, I'm guessing they're all from the same importers Axetec are good as well ... so it's just the best price that tips the scales either way.