locking tuners vs. locking nut

[Twisteramps]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

I've owned guitars with sperzels and strat trems, sperzels and wilkenson trems, and floyds with nut locks.

The floyd still rules the roost regarding tuning. Sure, it's quicker (much quicker) to change strings with sperzels, but how much time do you save? I can restring a floyded guitar casually in 10 minutes. I may restring a guitar with sperzels in about 5 or less, but that's not a huge time saver in my book.

If you're going to go the locking tuner route, you better have some sort of roller nut or a graphite one that is cut perfectly - anything else is going to bind eventually, no matter how many times you lubricate it.

Pete

[jgcable]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

I prefer a Floyd with a lock nut and Sperzels. The locknut is absolutely necessary with a Floyd if you REALLY want to stay in tune. The Sperzels really speed up string changes. If you had a locknut on a Wilky, how would you fine tune it? The other nice thing about having a locknut and Sperzels is that you can unlock the nut and mess with alternate tunings and pretty much stay in tune unlocked. Sperzels are also very precise.

[trillian guitars]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

i disagree about the locking nuts....they do more harm than good

[toejam]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

I also disagree about the lock nuts. I don't think they're necessary for everything, but they do work, and some people feel they need it to stay in tune (maybe it's just a psychological thing). It would be cooler if Jackson used straight string pull on all their guitars to eliminate the need for the lock nut.
For using a Wilkinson or any other type of trem other than a Floyd, it would be better to solder the ball ends of the strings to help them stay in tune better.

[ October 31, 2003, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: toejam ]

[chemical_ali]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

how do wilkenson trems compare with standard strat trems? aren't they the same thing? does one stay in tune better?

do you guys think that locking tuners do just as good a job as locking nuts?

[Twisteramps]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

Originally posted by chemical_ali:
how do wilkenson trems compare with standard strat trems? aren't they the same thing? does one stay in tune better?

do you guys think that locking tuners do just as good a job as locking nuts?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wilks have two pivot points like a floyd and like some strat trems. They do not lock the strings like a floyd, so I don't see a major improvement.

I don't think locking tuners work as well as a locknut due to friction issues at the nut... you can lubricate it, or use a roller nut, but you're still not going to get the same tuning stability a lock nut provides.

Pete

[trillian guitars]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

there are some wilinson trems that do have locking saddles

[Ninja Guitar]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

For anyone who uses floyds like crazy and absoluteley cannot live without them, the locknut is a must. Yes, locking tuners, straight string pull, and a well cut nut works great for trem work. But for monsterous trem work a floyd with locknut is still the best option, because any possible friction to the strings is completely eliminated.

[Twisteramps]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

Originally posted by Trillian Guitars:
there are some wilinson trems that do have locking saddles

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Which ones? The ones on every Jackson I've seen were non-locking.

Pete

[Black Mariah]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

The Wilkinson VS50 is still just a vintage trem. It doesn't stay in tune much better than anything else like it, but it does have the advantage of looking and feeling better.

If you set things up properly, you can get a vintage ype trem to stay in tune almost as well as a Floyd. You're not going to get the same stability, but you'll be able to do some nice wibbly sounds before you have to retune.

Jackson does have a straight-pull headstock, but people b!tch about it every time it's put on a guitar. "That 3+3 headstock is UGLY! MORE POINTY!!!!! POIN-TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Then they go back to licking their Dokken records.

chemical_ali: You have to consider that Jackson and Carvin do business completely different from one another. Carvin offers more options, but the only reason they're so low priced is that they sell direct only. If Jackson didn't have retailers to go through, their prices would be roughly the same, with Jackson shading a bit more expensive due to being a true custom shop and not a shop with a ton of options (it makes a huge difference in manufacturing times).

[shreddermon]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

Trillian, is it possible you're confusing the Wilky with Fender's Floyd-like trem? It locks at the bridge, but no fine tuners. That's becuase they only use it on models with the LSR roller nut and locking tuners.

See:

http://www.fender.com/gear/gear.php?partno=0101192

I've been wanting to try one of those set-ups out - I'm curious about the tuning stability - but none of the dealers in my area ever seem to have `em in stock. [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[hippietim]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

I have a set of the Phantom String Locks on my Fender Yngwie strat and it helps a bunch. I haven't put locking tuners on because I haven't found any drop in replacements for those vintage "F" style tuners - I don't want to drill this puppy. I can get away with quite a bit with this setup - it really matters how well you string the guitar.

[straycat]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

I don't mind the fender vintage trems at all with a little work they work just fine.Get the Dan Erlewine's guitar repair books and there is a section on vintage trems and how to make them work better.I've done lots of vintage trems the way he says and they come out working great.I'm a floyd guy all the way use the lock nut if you have say a jackson style(tilt back) headstock.But straight string pull if you don't use a lock nut and use the trem A LOT the nut wears quickly I don't know why but that seems to be the case.If you use a good dry lube on the nut it helps to make the nut last longer.

[trillian guitars]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

yeah i got them mixed up.....ive been pouring through a bunch of trems lately...

bottom line is this, it doesnt matter if it locks at the nut or the tuners as long as it locks....its hard for people to change old habits and their way of thinking.....as long as everything is set up correctly, you wont go out of tune no matter how much you use it....or at least as compared to a locking nut

[chemical_ali]

Re: locking tuners vs. locking nut

Originally posted by shreddermon:
Trillian, is it possible you're confusing the Wilky with Fender's Floyd-like trem? It locks at the bridge, but no fine tuners. That's becuase they only use it on models with the LSR roller nut and locking tuners.

See:

http://www.fender.com/gear/gear.php?partno=0101192

I've been wanting to try one of those set-ups out - I'm curious about the tuning stability - but none of the dealers in my area ever seem to have `em in stock. [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">wow that trem looks like a miniature floyd! is it double locking? anybody know how it's different?