Locking tuners for SGs

[CoreyT]

My new '61 SG Reissue does not stay in tune, I have to tune it a few times a day when I pull it out to practice on weekends.

It has those plastic Kluson tuners on it.

 

I do not know much about locking tuners, but I suspect they grab the string with you put them on, so you do not have to do the fancy wraps around the pole?

And also they are maybe tighter so the strings do not slip and go out of tune?

 

This is my first guitar since I sold my Les Paul back in '86, and I do not remember seeing or reading about locking tuners back then.

 

Are there direct replacement lockers for the SG so you do not have to redrill?

My dad and I took off the plastic tuners that came on my '73 Les Paul deluxe back then and we put on the Schallers, but he had to redrill the head to put them on, and I really do not want to redrill the new SG.

 

Thanks,

[StijnV]

You can maybe start thinking about Grover or Waverly locking tuners, but direct replacements are always difficult to find, as it is always possible that some extra drilling/filling is needed.

[CoreyT]

Thanks, I did a little more digging, and found these Klusons that might be a direct fit.

http://toneproskluson.com/models.html

 

Scroll down aways to these:

TPKB3L Series Locking Tuners

 

I will have to look into them some more...

[CoreyT]

I called up the salesguy at Guitar Center who I ordered (I did not want any demo ones after reading horror stories :D )my new '61 from and asked about the Kluson ones, and he suggested the Planet Waves Auto-Trim ones as they are a direct fit for the SGs, and they also cut off the excess string for you.

 

 

Guitar Centers link

 

Planet Waves link

 

My salesguy is also a tech for the band Queensryche, and I think a few other bands too.

I am going to try and get in there this weekend since he is working Saturday, and have him look my guitar over.

Might be something else that is causing it to go out of tune so often.

 

I saw that Evertune thing mentioned in the Hendrix issue of Guitar Player, but I am not about to have my SG cut up :D

https://www.evertune.com/

 

That is cool though how it will always keep your guitar in tune.

[DiamondJig]

I have a few sets of the Planet Waves locking tuners with the auto cut and they work great. The ones you have pictured are not the one you want, you do not want ones with an angled screw holder, you need ones with a the hold right below the body so you don't have to drill a screw hole. I have many gibsons with the original tuners and they work fine, just need to put the string on right and put a little pencil lead in the nut groves. A new set of strings will take a while to settle in. A cold guitar will change as it warms up as you play it and then change again as it cools down, wood is a living thing.

[CoreyT]

Thanks, do you have a part number for the correct chrome ones?

Does the screw hole on the back of the Planet Waves one line up correctly where the stock Klusons ones are, or are you saying you do not need to use a screw at all?

[DiamondJig]

here is a link http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,_solid_peghead_tuners/Planet_Waves_Auto-Trim_Locking_Guitar_Machines,_3L_3R.html

 

they drop right in and the screw hole lines right up.

[CoreyT]

Thanks, hopefully Guitar Center has this part number in stock when I go there for the guy to look my SG over.

[CoreyT]

I looked at those again, and I think Planet Waves only offers two models, the 3 + 3, and the 6 inline.

I bet the pics in the two links I provided just show a distorted picture with the screw ear at an angle?

[vexorgtr]

I rarely have tuning problems with my Gibsons... Although the long neck of the SG makes it more likely to waver a bit. The Evertune bridge is interesting, I want to see the technology. I'm totally schooled on the Tronical systems that Gibson has.

[EVOL!]

I put Sperzel locking tuners on my SG Special after I put on the Bigsby. I like them a lot and they are very smooth. You will have to drill a tiny hole for the pin (they don't screw on the back of the headstock). Check out the link here .

 

[CoreyT]

Boy do I feel like a dummy.

My new SG has not been staying in tune for very long, so I suspected the 2nd sales guy who was there when I picked up my SG a month back may have not put enough wraps around the posts.

 

But the original sales guy I bought it from was there today, and he showed me that the strings were not stretched.

He hooked up a cool tuner

Peterson Stomp Classic Strobotuner Pedal Tuner

which I bought (out of stock, will be sent to my home early next week) and showed me how he stretched the A string, and afterwards its pitch went clear down to a G :D

 

We never stretched strings as a kid/young adult back in my day, but I guess you are suppose to stretch the heck out of them after you put them on.

This guy is the guitar tech for the local band called Queensryche, so he knows what he is doing.

 

The new tuner pedal can go inline with my other pedals on my board too.

Going to install the Voodoo 2 Plus power supply to the Pedal Train 2 board here shortly.

Picked up the board yesterday, but I had another power supply, a T-Rex Chameleon that is nice, but would require to much fab work.

The Voodoo 2 one slips right in with brackets to the Pedal Train board.

 

 

I also bought those Planet Wave locking tuners, and we looked at them and they are a direct fit for the SG including the screwholes on the back.

I will wait until my current strings die, then I will install these myself.

[jojo68]

It's the nut not the tuners

[krock]

You can maybe start thinking about Grover or Waverly locking tuners, but direct replacements are always difficult to find, as it is always possible that some extra drilling/filling is needed.

 

Ive got grovers stock on my michael kelly and Ive noticed that the G goes flat a lot. Not sure if its just mine that it happens on or if its a general problem with them

[freddyfingers]

I m new here, but the problem mentioned is one that I have heard many times before. I am glad you figured out it was the strings before you went and did the surgery on the tuners. I have had a number of Gretsch's with bigsby, and no locking tuners, and if the strings are put on correctly, or tightly, they stay in tune. Although I have locking tuners on my gretsch hotrod, I don't think they are a requirement. They do help speed up string changes on a Bigsby though.

[CoreyT]

The new tuners I bought will be going on at the next string change, they look to screw right into the existing hole.

The new tuners only have one screw hole though, while the Kluson ones have two, so I am going to just take one off at first and see if the new tuners will cover the second hole or not.

 

But I already have my eyes on this setup, that is if it will work with my SG.

Check out the vids in the link, pretty impressive, and simpler than the Robot design and less weight overall.

http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/87254-tronical-tune/

[CoreyT]

PS, Freddy, I ran across this link from a member here, a lot of SG info there, and some very cool wallpaper too.

http://www.everythingsg.com/

[ESPguy]

Yeah, its the nut, not the tuners. The string grooves on the nut are tight and hold the string snug when tuning down, this is why the guitar goes out of tune immediately at the first bend or even fretting a chord. Always tune up (sharp).

I have a '61 reissue and with 10s it plays perfectly and stays in tune. With 9's the strings were getting wedged in the nut grooves, and it was a bit trickier. Take the guitar to a luthier, and get the nut filed, or do it yourself.

[CoreyT]

Thanks, I will have them look at the nut next time I swing by there.

But since my sales guy stretched my strings a few weeks back, it is staying in tune much better.

 

I always do tune up too instead of tuning back down.

[CoreyT]

Just got back from the shop where I bought my PRS Santana from.

I dropped off my SG last week to get a full setup on it, as Guitar Center does not do this unless you pay.

Well, I had to pay this shop too, but I like their service much better than Guitar Center, and I would rather support a small family owned shop.

 

They setup the SG for me, installed the same tuners I have on the Santana, the Planet Wave Autotrims, and a set of 9-42 Ernie Ball Cobalt strings.

These strings are great, have had them on the Santana since I bought it.

http://www.planetwaves.com/pwProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=4115&productid=512&productname=Auto_Trim_Tuning_Machines_3_3

 

Gibson has two holes on the back of the headstock for the stock tuners, and the Autotrims only require one hole, so they had to plug the top hole, and also re-drill a bottom hole.

My salesman at Guitar Center swore up and down these were a drop in fit with no drilling required, but we all know how that goes.

They had to drill new holes in the Santana too.

 

Next PRS guitar I buy I will get the Grover locking tuners, as they are a drop in with no modification required after reading up on them over on the PRS forum I am on also.

I can live without the auto string cutting feature of the Autotrims.

 

Sure changed the look of the SG by going away from the plastic Kluson tuners that were on there, but I like the looks of these too.

 

Any guitar I own will be equipped with locking tuners, makes string changing all the more easier.

 

The camera left a few artifacts as in it looks like a scratch above the truss rod cover in the second picture, but there is no scratch there.

Also in the third picture it looks like a scratch between the words "Made In", but there is no scratch there either.

Time to start looking for a better camera :D

 

 

 

[DiamondJig]

Looks like a nice job. I did not have to drill any new holes on mine. The bottom holes lined up, as for the top holes I just put one of the original screws in to fill it in.

[CoreyT]

Thanks!

I had printed out a page from mylespaul.com using the same tuners to give to the tech, and the poster stated they fit his perfectly, but he had to put a little soap on the screw, as the angle was a tad off, but they worked.

 

I guess the tech at the shop thought it was a little to far off on mine, so he felt better making a new hole.