Should I replace my grover tuners with locking tuners?

ThePrettyDamned

Locking tuners weigh more - if you're sensitive to tonal change in your guitar, you might find it responds a bit differently for having more weight on the headstock.

You could trial this by clipping on some coins or something. 

thegummy

ThePrettyDamned said:

Locking tuners weigh more - if you're sensitive to tonal change in your guitar, you might find it responds a bit differently for having more weight on the headstock.

You could trial this by clipping on some coins or something. 

A drop of snake oil at the base of each tuner should sort that out.

hollywoodrox

I love my gotoh sg381’s 

theimageofall

I was asking myself the same question, then bought myself a set of cheap ones by Vanson to try the system out on one of my cheaper guitars. Haven’t looked back since. Even the low cost Vanson ones hold tuning well for me and make string changes so much easier.

I’m now working my way through the rest of my guitars and installing locking tuners into them. I’ve got a set of Kluson MLG33’s ones on the way from Thomann for my Gibson Les Paul that use a different technique (coin to tighten the string post), so we’ll see how I get on with that system as well. 

ThePrettyDamned

thegummy said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Locking tuners weigh more - if you're sensitive to tonal change in your guitar, you might find it responds a bit differently for having more weight on the headstock.

You could trial this by clipping on some coins or something. 

A drop of snake oil at the base of each tuner should sort that out.

Give it a try, you might be surprised. You might find some of the sweet spots where notes sustain longer move or disappear, or are created (which is the goal apparently). 

https://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/product/fender-fatfinger-chrome-sustain-enhancer-guitar/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl4v4BRDaARIsAFjATPkifQ4yzBg_6TthXRm6SqrCoLnI4z-Hr008vLhzvU0mgmLSOnWxbmMaAiQ2EALw_wcB

And no, I don't recommend one it's a silly invention, but it did lead me to believe that the mass of the headstock can affect the way an instrument responds. 

crunchman

ThePrettyDamned said:

thegummy said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Locking tuners weigh more - if you're sensitive to tonal change in your guitar, you might find it responds a bit differently for having more weight on the headstock.

You could trial this by clipping on some coins or something. 

A drop of snake oil at the base of each tuner should sort that out.

Give it a try, you might be surprised. You might find some of the sweet spots where notes sustain longer move or disappear, or are created (which is the goal apparently). 

https://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/product/fender-fatfinger-chrome-sustain-enhancer-guitar/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl4v4BRDaARIsAFjATPkifQ4yzBg_6TthXRm6SqrCoLnI4z-Hr008vLhzvU0mgmLSOnWxbmMaAiQ2EALw_wcB

And no, I don't recommend one it's a silly invention, but it did lead me to believe that the mass of the headstock can affect the way an instrument responds. 

Paul Reed Smith says that the mass of the headstock affects things.  That's why they changed the design of their locking tuners - to make them lighter.

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

Give it a try, you might be surprised. You might find some of the sweet spots where notes sustain longer move or disappear, or are created (which is the goal apparently). 

https://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/product/fender-fatfinger-chrome-sustain-enhancer-guitar/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl4v4BRDaARIsAFjATPkifQ4yzBg_6TthXRm6SqrCoLnI4z-Hr008vLhzvU0mgmLSOnWxbmMaAiQ2EALw_wcB

And no, I don't recommend one it's a silly invention, but it did lead me to believe that the mass of the headstock can affect the way an instrument responds. 

The mass of the headstock affects the resonance of the neck, which is probably the most important factor in the sound of a solid electric guitar after the pickups.

It's not always a very dramatic effect, but it can sometimes be.

roberty

Just as quick to do a locking wind

LastMantra

You can adjust how tight they are with the screw down the middle of the shaft. I'd try that before going any further. I've never had locking tuners but never had any problems with my non locking ones. I've got grovers on my the Paul (about 40yo) and think they're very good.

Seziertisch

Locking tuners make string changes quicker, but I haven't found them to have any advantage in terms of tuning stability compared to non-locking.

Otherwise, as mentioned above, if there is a weight difference between the old and new tuners it will potentially have a noticeable impact on the resonance of the neck, and this may or may not be an "improvement" to your ears or it might just be different as opposed to better or worse. 

And yes, Graphtech saddles do change the tone a bit, again, this might fall into the categories of "different", "better" or "worse". 

skullfunkerry

ICBM said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Give it a try, you might be surprised. You might find some of the sweet spots where notes sustain longer move or disappear, or are created (which is the goal apparently). 

https://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/product/fender-fatfinger-chrome-sustain-enhancer-guitar/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl4v4BRDaARIsAFjATPkifQ4yzBg_6TthXRm6SqrCoLnI4z-Hr008vLhzvU0mgmLSOnWxbmMaAiQ2EALw_wcB

And no, I don't recommend one it's a silly invention, but it did lead me to believe that the mass of the headstock can affect the way an instrument responds. 

The mass of the headstock affects the resonance of the neck, which is probably the most important factor in the sound of a solid electric guitar after the pickups.

It's not always a very dramatic effect, but it can sometimes be.

I should have tried that with the Reaper I had to return because of the dead spot...

Roland

octatonic said:

I don't bother with locking tuners on non-trem guitars personally.

roberty said:

Just as quick to do a locking wind

I agree with these two. If the guitar won’t stay in tune then locking tuners aren’t the answer. If you’re stringing up using the Martin method then locking tuners are no quicker. If you’re not doing it that way then you should be.

Blueingreen

I'm pretty sensitive about guitar weight but have never found the extra weight of locking tuners to make a noticeable difference.  Just be careful to get reasonably light ones.

As for the proposition that non-locking tuners are just as quick to restring, not remotely my experience.  I currently have 4 guitars with locking tuners, 3 with non-locking.  I use the locking wind method. the non-locking guitars are considerably more faff to change strings on.

maltingsaudio

Lockers on all my electrics  guitars and mostly Sperzels. The Gotohs lockers  referred to earlier are a pain and we’re quickly junked and never got on with the PRS winged ones

Yearofthegoat

Any recommendations for replacement tuners on a MIJ (M-series '92-'93) non-Silver Series Squier Strat? They're the oval ones with a chevron shape on the back:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wt77y99ty7eify2/IMG_1404_1.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t3nn6j13xsb05au/IMG_1405_1.jpg?dl=0

It doesn't seem to want to hold tuning too well. I've decked the trem, checked and graphited the nut and the saddles, plus some vaseline under the tree (there's only one) but even then doesn't seem to want to stay in tune very long.

Strings aren't at all new, and I find stretching them sends them flat, so then I tune them up and then of course they go a bit sharp. Ideally I'd like to be able to un-deck the trem, but first things first I guess.

Mr Erlewine recommends Gotoh Magnum-Lock-Trad 6 SG381s on one of his YT vids.

ICBM

Yearofthegoat said:

Strings aren't at all new, and I find stretching them sends them flat, so then I tune them up and then of course they go a bit sharp.

They're sticking in the nut.

If you've put some graphite in it already, the most likely cause is that the grooves are too tight or shaped wrongly.

Yearofthegoat

Cheers ICBM, I did wonder, hence the pencil shavings.

Strings are EB Super Slinkys 9-42, no mods to the nut (although it is 28 years old now of course) - might try some more graphite and less of a down-angle perhaps.

(Sorry to the OP for the OT)

hollywoodrox

theimageofall said:

I was asking myself the same question, then bought myself a set of cheap ones by Vanson to try the system out on one of my cheaper guitars. Haven’t looked back since. Even the low cost Vanson ones hold tuning well for me and make string changes so much easier.

I’m now working my way through the rest of my guitars and installing locking tuners into them. I’ve got a set of Kluson MLG33’s ones on the way from Thomann for my Gibson Les Paul that use a different technique (coin to tighten the string post), so we’ll see how I get on with that system as well. 

I’ve heard good things about them, had some on a tele once ,seemed pretty damn good

Sassafras

I've only got them on one guitar, can't say they've changed my life.