Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

[RemCarr]

HELP!

Ok this is my first time re-stringing this baby, I got it from HippieTim in a trade some months agao (Thanks Tim You ROCK!) anyway, I went to restring it last night for the first time and ran into a snag. It seems the posts for the tuners on the G and the D are sunk too far into the headstock. I managed to get the D to string fine but cannot for the life of me get the G thru the hole in the post, its just too low and will go in one side but not come out the other. I tried switching the High E and The G tuners and that wont work either. I know that I am just missing something here,, I feel like a moron, so someone please if you have any idea what I need to do, let me know its driving me nuckin' futz!

Mike

[shreddermon]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem from your description. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

If what you mean is that the locking pin mechanism isn't retracting down into the post and, hence, the strings can't fit through the post, that's a fairly common occurance with Sperzels. It's no big deal, though...

a) Make sure the thumbwheel is turned all of the way to the "unlock" side.

b) Try to push the locking pin down with a toothpick or something else thin enough. Note, however, try not to use anything so hard that you might mar the finish of the tuner or the headstock, if you slip.

c) If that doesn't work, unscrew the tuner from the headstock. Wrap it in a rag, again to protect the finish. Smack it down on a hard surface a few times, and see if the locking pin jars loose. Not too hard! Don't break the tuner. (Make sure you're swinging with the post side up. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] )

Once you've got the locking pin back down in the "retracted" position, put a tiny drop of 3-in-1 oil in the post hole. VERY tiny, like a 1/4 drop. Screw the thumbwheel back and forth to make sure it works. When the pin comes back up, dry the oil off the top, so the string won't slip. Then remount on the headstock and problem solved.

If that's not your problem, then I'm still confused. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[RemCarr]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

Thats great advice but not my problem. What I am finding is that the string post, or the shaft if you will, does not stick up high enough thru the headstock. So when I go to thread the string thru the opening it will go in one side, but it hits on the other thus not allowing the string to be threaded thru the hole.

That make any sense?

Mike

[shreddermon]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

Yep. Now I understand. That's pretty bizarre.

Some Sperzel sets come with graduated post heights. For a 6-in line headstock: Low E and A tallest, D and G middle, high B and E shortest. Usually this is for non-tilted strat-like headstocks, and keeps the strings with a good angle to the nut without having to use a string tree.

Check the post heights - see if some of them are out of order. Obviously, the height order will be different with the KV2T's 3&3 headstock, vs. 6IL. (I'm not sure if the KV2T head is angled or not, either.)

But, in any event, they shouldn't be so short that the post hole isn't above the headstock face. That'd be really weird. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

Maybe check to see if the tuner is screwed all the way into the headstock, too? ...Strange.

[RemCarr]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

Yeah man I have reseated it several times, as far as I know these are standard issue with the KV2T, but for some reason it just isnt fitting properly...

I kind of figured that there would be graduated height from the High e to the G on one side and the Low E to the D on the other, but this was totally backwards, the High E had a longer post than the G, again tho I swaped them out and it still seems that the high E wont string theu the post bcuz it seats so low in the headstock...

I'm gonna go try again, maybe I will shoot a few pix for you to see...perhaps I should remove them all and re-arrange them, still seems weird on a new guitar, I really doubt that Tim would have moved the tuners like this which leads me to believe it came like this from the factory??

Strange indeed...

Thanks!
Mike

[RemCarr]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

I am having no damn luck...talk about making a man feel like a child...WTF!

heh, rant off now.

Mike

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

The longest posts should be closest to the nut and the shortest farthest away.

I have the same problem every time I restring my Hamer that's equipped with graduated locking posts. The high E & B (mine's 6-inline rather than 3x3) are a little tough to feed through as the openings in the pegs are partially below the nuts that secure the tuners to the headstock. The pins inside the lock mechanism do stick as well.

[RemCarr]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

the longest should e closest??? Thats strange, so how do you solve the problem, any tips??

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

Yep, longest closest to the nut. Here's what they look like on the Hamer (please excuse the dust):



When I've had this problem it's always been a sticky lock pin inside the post. If you'll be taking the tuners off again I'd suggest (if you've not done so already) trying to thread a low E string through each before putting them back on the guitar. That'll tell you straight away if that might be the problem.

[RemCarr]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

Thanks, I dont think thats the problem, for me it is that the string hits the colar on one side and wont rise above there to allow it to thread all the way thru. I can see thru the hole and I can see the string come out one side, but it hits the side of the colar and will not rise about it .

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

You could try pulling the nut off of that particular tuner then threading the string since the nut is what you'll be hitting. If you put the string through the nut you should be able to get the nut back down after the string's through.

[RemCarr]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

I tried that too dude, but the nut is actually a long shaft that goes down into the hold and threads into the top of teh tuner itself. I am at wits end, but I very much appreciate the help and the effort you put forth here.

Thanks a bunch!
mike

[JimmyApollo]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

Are you sure the bushing is screwed down all of the way? If not I could see how the string hole could be obstructed.

[shreddermon]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

[ QUOTE ]
The longest posts should be closest to the nut and the shortest farthest away.

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely the case on a non-angled headstock, like a strathead. However, I'm not sure that's correct for an tilt-back/angled headstock. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

And, yeah, make sure the bushing that screws the tuner down onto the headstock is all the way down. Don't tighten it too much. But I could see the post hole being obstructed if the bushing were in all of the way.

Otherwise, I'm still at a loss. [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Help With Sperzel Locking Tuners on KV2T

Are you using a wound G? One that has outer windings like the low E? If so, and you're using one that has a plain (unwound) end, run the unwound end through the tuner's hole.
If you're using a regular unwound G, then all I can say is to keep fiddling with it, and don't "try" to make it work, but "let" it work.

If you haven't swapped the D and G tuners completely around yet (not just the bushings but the entire tuner), try that. If you HAVE tried that, rip it out and send it to Sperzel with a note explaining what it's doing and see if they can fix it or replace it.

I'd hate to say that it may be due to the headstock being slightly thicker in that one spot, but you just never know.