edder
New member
yay.... my first review... oh if you don't like to read cutesy reviews scroll right down.
Where, how much and why?
Got them at Davis for SGD65, 3 per side as a replacement for the super CRAP Kluson kind tuners on my old Ibanez Talman. The original tuners couldn't stay in tune each time I dip the trem bar. Looked around for a reasonable priced locking tuners and found this. Gsonique bro also recommended it to me. There was some discussion on this on the forum before too. So why not?
FAQ
What are these? What are locking tuners?
They clamp your strings tight at your tuners making them stay in place and not shift around when you use your trem bar. It is an alternative to people who prefers to use regular tremolo rather than the double locking floyd rose.
Can a non tremolo guitar use it?
Why not? If you do a lot of string bending and play hard, it'll help in tuning stability.
Is it easy to install? Can I do it myself?
If your guitar comes with sealed tuners like those from Gotoh, Schaller etc, it may just be a drop in fit.
If your guitar uses those ULTRA crappy vintage Kluson kind of tuners like those from old strats, teles, sg, lespaul etc... you'll need to enlarge the hole on the headstock.
Anything else I need to clear? OK? All good?
Review
Should I start from where I park my bike at the MSCP and head straight to the sex shop at Peninsula, got my weekly supplies and then cross the road to get an old chang kee curry puff that taste like crap now but I'm still eating them and then being not satisfied pop down to Komala's downstairs for a Dosai set and ended up in the toilet a while later....
Better not.
The tuners comes in a nice little box. Sealed and shrinkwrap. I love tearing up boxes. Do you?
Tuners are arranged nicely 3 in a row, bunch of screws and bunch of washers and nuts. Nice little card to show you how to use the tuners. Don't throw it away. Good to read the f#$kin manual. You know when people say RTFM? Yes... that is what they mean. RTFM before you come online and ask why your latest effects pedal no sound. Ok... I digress... but why not, its a pain isn't it to answer the same damn question for the past 10 years?
Installation
Removed all the tuners from my Talman and tried to fit in the Planet Waves. Oh no... the original holes too small. Damn.
Took out my trusty Hitachi hand drill that I've been using to drill my pedals, aerate my beer prior to fermentation, do that Van Halen/Paul Gilbert wheee wheee wheee stunt when I'm in the mood... ok you get what I mean... its good to own a drill. Oh what did I do with the drill... ok ok... enlarge the holes on the headstock. Not a pretty sight with my slightly blunt drill bits but it worked fine.
Put in the new tuners. And my my.... The screw position on the new tuners matches exactly where the old Kluson ones. Planet waves uses one screw and the Kluson's two. So there was a screw hole expose but who cares. The original screw hole was too big. So I inserted in some little bits of cable into it to fill it up. Normally I'd use some toothpicks and super glue but I was lazy. Then I screwed on at the back and tighten the nuts at the front. Hey you.... stop thinking dirty!
Actual usage
String up the guitar as usual with my favouritest set of DRs titefit 10's. Best strings that lasts a nong nong time. Bright as well. Love it.
To string up, you'll have to insert the strings thro the hole with a stainless steel notch indicator. Pull the string taut and then lock with the thumb wheel at the bottom of the tuner. Locked and taut!
As you tune up the tension, the other end of the strings will automatically get sheared off. INGENIUS! NED STEINBERGER FOR PRESIDENT! It works REALLY well. For the first time, I actually looked forward to change strings.
Wound strings takes a little bit more effort to shear the strings off but just a little bit more.
Tune up and wank on the whammy quite a bit wishing I had my pink spandex pants on. Stayed in tune. Is good.
Final word
The tuners is not as smooth as other quality tuners as there is a bit more resistance to turning. Either it may still be new or maybe thats just what it is. Didn't check if there's a screw at the tuning knob. Sometimes by just loosening that screw a bit there'll be less friction.
The auto cutting as mentioned is GENIUS. Even if you don't need a set of locking tuners, you'll need the auto cutter. GENIUS.
Now the question is how long will the tuner last? Esp with a cutting device, over time it'll become blunt. How long with that shearing edges stay sharp?
I can imagine if it is not sharp anymore and there are leftover strings coming out from the other side, your tuners may jam.
But this is the WORSE CASE CONDITION.
For me, I'd change strings like half year once. I don't play much and I've got too many guitars to alternate around. I clean my strings with fast fret after use. So it wouldn't make a difference to me.
But if the shearing edges are properly case hardened, I'm pretty sure it'll last a long time.
And we can look at it this way, if it were to last say 3 years. SGD65 for 3 years of auto string cutting, tuning stability with a peace of mind and super fast string changing.... I'd pay this money.
Overally two thumbs up for the price and design.
Where, how much and why?
Got them at Davis for SGD65, 3 per side as a replacement for the super CRAP Kluson kind tuners on my old Ibanez Talman. The original tuners couldn't stay in tune each time I dip the trem bar. Looked around for a reasonable priced locking tuners and found this. Gsonique bro also recommended it to me. There was some discussion on this on the forum before too. So why not?
FAQ
What are these? What are locking tuners?
They clamp your strings tight at your tuners making them stay in place and not shift around when you use your trem bar. It is an alternative to people who prefers to use regular tremolo rather than the double locking floyd rose.
Can a non tremolo guitar use it?
Why not? If you do a lot of string bending and play hard, it'll help in tuning stability.
Is it easy to install? Can I do it myself?
If your guitar comes with sealed tuners like those from Gotoh, Schaller etc, it may just be a drop in fit.
If your guitar uses those ULTRA crappy vintage Kluson kind of tuners like those from old strats, teles, sg, lespaul etc... you'll need to enlarge the hole on the headstock.
Anything else I need to clear? OK? All good?
Review
Should I start from where I park my bike at the MSCP and head straight to the sex shop at Peninsula, got my weekly supplies and then cross the road to get an old chang kee curry puff that taste like crap now but I'm still eating them and then being not satisfied pop down to Komala's downstairs for a Dosai set and ended up in the toilet a while later....
Better not.
The tuners comes in a nice little box. Sealed and shrinkwrap. I love tearing up boxes. Do you?
Tuners are arranged nicely 3 in a row, bunch of screws and bunch of washers and nuts. Nice little card to show you how to use the tuners. Don't throw it away. Good to read the f#$kin manual. You know when people say RTFM? Yes... that is what they mean. RTFM before you come online and ask why your latest effects pedal no sound. Ok... I digress... but why not, its a pain isn't it to answer the same damn question for the past 10 years?
Installation
Removed all the tuners from my Talman and tried to fit in the Planet Waves. Oh no... the original holes too small. Damn.
Took out my trusty Hitachi hand drill that I've been using to drill my pedals, aerate my beer prior to fermentation, do that Van Halen/Paul Gilbert wheee wheee wheee stunt when I'm in the mood... ok you get what I mean... its good to own a drill. Oh what did I do with the drill... ok ok... enlarge the holes on the headstock. Not a pretty sight with my slightly blunt drill bits but it worked fine.
Put in the new tuners. And my my.... The screw position on the new tuners matches exactly where the old Kluson ones. Planet waves uses one screw and the Kluson's two. So there was a screw hole expose but who cares. The original screw hole was too big. So I inserted in some little bits of cable into it to fill it up. Normally I'd use some toothpicks and super glue but I was lazy. Then I screwed on at the back and tighten the nuts at the front. Hey you.... stop thinking dirty!
Actual usage
String up the guitar as usual with my favouritest set of DRs titefit 10's. Best strings that lasts a nong nong time. Bright as well. Love it.
To string up, you'll have to insert the strings thro the hole with a stainless steel notch indicator. Pull the string taut and then lock with the thumb wheel at the bottom of the tuner. Locked and taut!
As you tune up the tension, the other end of the strings will automatically get sheared off. INGENIUS! NED STEINBERGER FOR PRESIDENT! It works REALLY well. For the first time, I actually looked forward to change strings.
Wound strings takes a little bit more effort to shear the strings off but just a little bit more.
Tune up and wank on the whammy quite a bit wishing I had my pink spandex pants on. Stayed in tune. Is good.
Final word
The tuners is not as smooth as other quality tuners as there is a bit more resistance to turning. Either it may still be new or maybe thats just what it is. Didn't check if there's a screw at the tuning knob. Sometimes by just loosening that screw a bit there'll be less friction.
The auto cutting as mentioned is GENIUS. Even if you don't need a set of locking tuners, you'll need the auto cutter. GENIUS.
Now the question is how long will the tuner last? Esp with a cutting device, over time it'll become blunt. How long with that shearing edges stay sharp?
I can imagine if it is not sharp anymore and there are leftover strings coming out from the other side, your tuners may jam.
But this is the WORSE CASE CONDITION.
For me, I'd change strings like half year once. I don't play much and I've got too many guitars to alternate around. I clean my strings with fast fret after use. So it wouldn't make a difference to me.
But if the shearing edges are properly case hardened, I'm pretty sure it'll last a long time.
And we can look at it this way, if it were to last say 3 years. SGD65 for 3 years of auto string cutting, tuning stability with a peace of mind and super fast string changing.... I'd pay this money.
Overally two thumbs up for the price and design.
