Are Locking Tuners Better?

Jun 29

There is one question you need to ask yourself about locking tuners. Are Locking Tuners Better? It’s not a simple answer, and the whole topic can cause some confusion. I was initially confused by the term ‘Locking’ and how it applies to locking tuners. While discussing locking vs non-locking, I am going to use Fender branded tuners as the example, since this is my personal experience and I have used them a number of times on my personal electric guitar collection.

What am I talking about?

First let’s talk quickly about what I am referring to when I say ‘guitar tuners’. I am talking about the tuning machine heads that sits on a guitar headstock. I’m not referring to the electronic devices that are used to check the tuning of a guitar. The word tuner has become a short form word both types of devices. So I just wanted to make that clear, we are talking about the mechanical tuning machines.

Most American made Fender style guitars will come equipped with their standard American Professional Staggered Tuning Machines Set. They are most commonly found in a chrome finish. Here are the offical specs the Fender mentions on their website:

“Set of six tuners designed to fit most modern-style Fender® electric guitars with dual-pin mounting configuration. Tall post tuners are used for low E and A strings and shorter post tuners used for D, G, B and high E strings. Staggered tuners increase the break angle over the nut and improve tuning stability.”

You can find these tuners online at these shops:

SWEETWATER

Amazon

Thomann

Now Back to Locking Tuners

So my confusion began with the term ‘Locking’ being used with Fender tuners. I assumed this meant that the string would be locked while being tuned, and would never need adjustment. This is not my experience at all. So you can imagine my confusion when I had to tune my ‘locking’ tuner guitar for the first time after setting it up. Fender locking tuners require as much adjusting as regular Fender Tuners. I really thought they would be locked in the same way that you lock strings with a Floyd Rose locking Tremolo system. So keep this in mind, locking tuners will probably not increase your tuning stability. However some people say it does help increase tuning stability if your guitar has a tremolo system. Your mileage may vary.

So why even bother using locking tuners?

I’ve talked a bit about what not to expect from locking tuners. However there are still a few reasons to consider when deciding if you want to start using lockings tuners. Let’s take a look at a couple reasons that I like to use locking tuners on some of my guitars.

You can find these tuners online at these shops:

Sweetwater

Amazon

Thomann

1. Changing Strings

The main reason that I use locking tuners is that it makes changing strings much simpler and quicker. Rather than having to wind your strings around a post, you slide them through the locking mechanism, tighten the lock, and cut the string. It’s really convenient and will save you time in the long run. Take a look at the video I’ve created on my Youtube channel. I show the whole process of removing the stock tuners from a Player Series Telecaster, and then installing a new set of Fender locking tuners.

2. Quality/Performance Upgrade

Locking tuners can also be a quality and performance upgrade to existing stock tuners. Of course that depends on the make and model of your guitar. Lower priced guitars typically use lower quality tuners, made of cheaper materials. You can really feel a difference in how the gear will turn. Simply put, cheap tuners feel cheap. They don’t turn smoothly and have trouble holding their position. They can jump, skip, and feel jerky. You will know whay I am talking about when you feel them in your hand. This will in turn cause tuning stability problems. So a locking tuner set could potentially be an upgrade in material quality, stability, and overall feel. If you’re interested, take a look at another video I made for my YouTube channel. It’s a less serious take on using locking tuners. Also I believe at the time, I assumed ‘Locking’ meant I would never need to tune my guitar once they were installed. I’m happy I’ve learned the truth about the word locking.

So obviously I haven’t tried every brand of locking tuner, and quality may vary between different brands. If you’d like to know more about the specific Fender models that exist, take a look on their official website Fender.com