Junior Jr III Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Three of my most recent guitar purchases have Grover tuners. Two electrics and an acoustic. I get a great feel from them. Real fine tune adjustments no slippage. These were original parts, not add ons and the guitars are great but not expensive. Two Epi LP's and a Guild D4. So I'm wondering, if I were to buy a more expensive, presumably better guitar, what tuners would it have? What are considered to be the best tuning heads money can buy? At the moment, even my Squier's stock tuning heads are solid as can be which makes me wonder about the cost / value aspect of upgrades. Is it just the thrill of the brand name stamped on the back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 I think most are swapping tuners for looks, rather than function. Tuners these days, even "cheap" ones, are all pretty good, and a LOT better than they used to be. There seems to be a trend also, of "restoring" older guitars to the origonal type tuners, because they are better, and also, many seem to think the upgraded tuners are ugly and don't look the way they are supposed to look. It's still true that some tuners are better than others, but the NEED to swap tuners isn't really a need so much. And of corse, some just want to anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve112 Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Three of my most recent guitar purchases have Grover tuners. Two electrics and an acoustic. I get a great feel from them. Real fine tune adjustments no slippage. These were original parts, not add ons and the guitars are great but not expensive. Two Epi LP's and a Guild D4. So I'm wondering, if I were to buy a more expensive, presumably better guitar, what tuners would it have? What are considered to be the best tuning heads money can buy? At the moment, even my Squier's stock tuning heads are solid as can be which makes me wonder about the cost / value aspect of upgrades. Is it just the thrill of the brand name stamped on the back? The "Grover Deluxe" tuners that came stock on my Epi ES339 are identical to many recent Gibson Les Paul tuners that are simply marked "Gibson Deluxe". They perform very well, no slippage and smooth operation. There is no mechanical reason to change them other than personal preference or looks. Modern tuners of any decent quality are very reliable these days as I suppose manufacturers realized that players absolutely hate guitars that will not hold stable tuning and will take their money elsewhere. Some folks do cite better performance with higher cost tuners, though I can't really vouch for that. (all of my guitars in the last several years, Epiphone as well as Fender have had uniformly good tuners)! If a tuner works, with my limited guitar funding, I will not change tuners unless I'm convinced that it's necessary for my guitar to keep playing well. But hey, that's just me, if someone wants to pimp out their headstock with the top of the line tuners....go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabar Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Grover, Schaller, Kluson and Gotoh all make very high quality tuners. I think it's more a matter of personal preference as to design and feel. For pure function, any of the above should be just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior Jr III Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 Grover, Schaller, Kluson and Gotoh all make very high quality tuners. I think it's more a matter of personal preference as to design and feel. For pure function, any of the above should be just fine. That's good to know. Probably the name on the back is influencing me! Placebo! What made me think about this; my neighbor just bought a Silvertone for his daughter to learn on and asked me to help with tuning problems. The tuners are a bit jumpy and I hear a ping from the string now and then. But I think the main problem is that it's got a tremelo unit and the moving bridge is causing some issues. I'm going to block the trem and see if that helps. Sorry, I've moved into another subject for another thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Pinging isn't the tuners, that's the nut. The slots are probably too thin or need some pencil lead rubbed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobF_ Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 I replace tuning machines not for looks, but to get locking versions. More for quicker string changes than for tuning stability Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffenstein Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 I replace tuning machines not for looks, but to get locking versions. More for quicker string changes than for tuning stability Ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior Jr III Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Pinging isn't the tuners, that's the nut. The slots are probably too thin or need some pencil lead rubbed in. I've thought about that too. Just got some extra strings so I'll try some stuff when I restring it. Block the trem, maybe file and lube the nut and adjust the intonation. I think she got a good deal for $50, including a small amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Sperzel. I have them on my Parkers, and they are the most stable, reliable tuners I've ever had. They are locking tuners, without the bridge and nut paraphernalia. The string goes through the hole, you tighten the wheel on the back of the tuner, and tune up. The string wraps around the post less than one complete turn and therefore doesn't do and slipping and re positioning on the post. Plus they are super easy when it comes time to re-string. http://www.sperzel.com/ I'm thinking about retrofitting some of my other guitars with them. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior Jr III Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Sperzel. Plus they are super easy when it comes time to re-string. http://www.sperzel.com/ I'm thinking about retrofitting some of my other guitars with them. Insights and incites by Notes I've never much looked into locking tuners before, which is odd because I stink at changing strings, but seeing all the wacky colors available I am very tempted. One more thing to customize! Thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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