Locking tuners recommendations! Too many options

FriskyDingo

Hopefully right place to post this. I need your guys advice for some locking tuners, they have to be;

-6 in line

-chrome

-brand name (Grover, schaller, sperzel, etc)

-And similar to the tuners below; I.e. how they’re screwed on to the head stock

Ive looked at so many options my eyes and brain hurt. I have some money spare so no need to go cheap. Thanks

Roland

What advice are you looking for?
Supplier - The first places I look for hardware are Axesrus and Axetec. Other suppliers ... etc
Branding - Don’t. As far as I can see both Axesrus and Axetec commission their own locking tuners of comparable quality and lower price.
Locking - At first I liked the idea of locking tuners. Once I’d tried them I realised that, as long as you load a string correctly then you don’t need them. So they are only adding weight to the headstock.

I’m sure that other people will disagree.

FriskyDingo

I like the simplicity to locking tuners. The weight is negligible and the body weighs enough to stop the neck dive bombing

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

My Strat-a-like guitar has Sperzel staggered locking tuners. They work great, never had any problems and wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

However, they're the only locking tuners I've ever used so got nothing to compare them too so I'm sure there are plenty of other good ones out there!

FriskyDingo

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

My Strat-a-like guitar has Sperzel staggered locking tuners. They work great, never had any problems and wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

However, they're the only locking tuners I've ever used so got nothing to compare them too so I'm sure there are plenty of other good ones out there!

That's what I'm looking for. Nice one

Groke

The tuners Reverend use are superb. Don't know what make they are but they have the same screw placement as yours so should be a drop in replacement if you can find some.

FriskyDingo

Cheers @Groke will now look them up

drpbier

Im having Graphtech Ratio lockers on my modded Tele. Jon from Feline is going to fit them and said theyre his favourite, which i consider a very high commendation...

sweepy

Reverend use Pin-Lock and they have been excellent so far

Humbucked

Gotoh or Sperzel, you won't go wrong.

neilg

I've got Graphtech Ratio's on three of my guitars, really pleased with them, though I haven't tried any other brands.  They come with various mounting plates so you don't have to drill new screw holes.

grungebob

I much prefer the old style fender tuners, the ones you cut the string down and stick it down the shaft, never slipped on me. 

Jonathanthomas83

I like Gotoh Magnum Lock.

tekbow

Gotoh.

They make the premier mechanical hardware around IMO, for Tuners and Floyds thy can't be beat. Their tuners are slop free (not something i can say for Schaller), and their double locking trem overtook Schaller/OFR a long time ago.

Although I'm hearing good things about Hipshot and am keen to try them out, especially in light of their Universal Mount Plate.

Their Contour Trem is also something I'm suprised hasn't been widely implemented before (Vigier do it with their floyd variant)

FriskyDingo

So goto over schaller? They are generally cheaper so that's a plus. I have hips hot on my chapman and they do well. The exposed mechanics I don't as aesthetically pleasing but no one looks at the tuners.
Graph tech ratios are good option I'm upgrading the rest of my guitar with their stuff (nut saddles etc) 

tekbow

Yeah, I'd say gotoh over Schaller. AFAIK they're not family owned anymore and when that happened, quality suffered somewhat. But even before that gotoh was more refined in design.

See Suhr's comments in this thread from Seymour Duncan. Whether Schaller have improved since then, I don't know.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?198519-Gotoh-Locking-vs-FRO

10thumbs

tekbow said:

Gotoh.

They make the premier mechanical hardware around IMO, for Tuners and Floyds thy can't be beat. Their tuners are slop free (not something i can say for Schaller), and their double locking trem overtook Schaller/OFR a long time ago.

Although I'm hearing good things about Hipshot and am keen to try them out, especially in light of their Universal Mount Plate.

Their Contour Trem is also something I'm suprised hasn't been widely implemented before (Vigier do it with their floyd variant)

I'm really impressed with Grovers locking rotomatics , I have a set on an old fave PRS SE , I don't know how they work , ( something to do with a camwheel inside the post) but as you turn the button, the hole closes and clamps the string , a couple more twists and you are up to pitch , a quality feel to them and rock solid as well.

I also have a set of Hipshots on a Tele , they too are excellent , the universal mounting plates are a simple but clever idea , a bit fiddly to fit , but work perfectly, ... so also highly recommended.

FriskyDingo

Sweet. We'll now all I have to do is sell my Fender Tele usa and I can afford the upgrades. Shameless plug

TINMAN82

I’ve got gotoh magnum lock on a partscaster. Tuning stability is excellent. Staggered height posts so I do t use a string tree.

Alvin

I have , Schaller , Sperzel , Gotoh & Planet Waves.  The idea for me is that they are quicker to change string on and save me fannying about locking strings on standard tuners .  But i don't think they are any quicker really as i spend way to long changing strings and getting them on "just right" . 

 I don't have them on all guitars some of them came with them .  Most of them only have a narrow area for winding the strings on , i don't know why they do that (maybe so you can't do to many turns) . Just checked , the Planet Waves are like normal post's but the way they work the string seems to start a way up already because of the self cutting angle.  

  If the posts were  just  normal ones so you can decide how many wraps you want yourself i think they would be much better , a couple of wraps seems better to me than 1 or 1/2 of a wrap .

   If it's a floyd guitar then they are a waste of time (apart from possible string change time) but on a standard guitar they help if you are not great at changing strings .   The tuners themselves are just normal tuners and work just the same but with the addition of "pinning"the string .

   I have never been sure about them being called "locking" tuners as that is why i think people think they can be a substitute for a locking nut .

 

   So out the ones i have i would say Gotoh and then Sperzel .     

   Both the Schaller and Planet Waves don't seem as solid (slop free) to me  .

  Hipshot i have no experience of, i think they are more available in the uk now and i would certainly try them if i needed another set .

Rabs

Another vote for Gotoh..