Following on from my previous post, here’s reasons why locking guitar tuners are the answer to improved tuning stability.
String Windings
A correctly strung guitar can still suffer with strings slipping around the post when there is movement of the string (tremolos, bending, etc). Locking tuners completely remove the need for windings around the post, as the string is locked in place at the top of the tuners’ post. NOTE: This does not mean your guitar will forever stay in-tune. All strings stretch over time.
Staggered Posts
Shorter posts in a set of locking tuners are designed to increase the break-angle of a string over the nut on flat headstock guitars. They do however offer a further benefit; the (possible) removal of the string tree, a part that is often the cause of many tuning problems. It’s no guarantee that you can remove the string tree, as some flat headstocks have more depth after the nut than others. However, a shorter post will alleviate some of the stress on the string as it passes under the string tree.
Re-stringing
Let’s face it, the main reason to fit locking tuners is that they make re-stringing a guitar so much easier. Pull the string through the post; lock in place; tune to pitch; stretch and retune; cut any excess string; job done.
