Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

[busdriver]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Originally posted by shreddermon:
Wow. Thanks busdriver!

Is the "L" for left-handed, though?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You're welcome [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
"SG381" is the tuner (sometimes they are called "SG38", but they are identically)
"07" is the knob-style
"L" is left, but it has nothing to do with, if your guitar is right- or left-handed (see below).
"MG" stands for locking tuner ("MaGnum lock")

look at the upper left corner in the picture with the knobs. The small left picture are the "L" tuners and the on the small right picture are the "R" tuners. It depends on where on the headstock you want to mount them.

Or better look here, I believe you'll notice the difference [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]


[ March 01, 2004, 12:58 PM: Message edited by: busdriver ]

[MetalMedal II]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Cool, thanks for the clarification!

Offhand, does anyone know where to find the Gotoh locking tuners (SG381-07 L MG)in the US for a descent price? This type isn't even listed at Stew-mac.

[shreddermon]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

I've done a few internet searches for them with no luck so far. I'm guessing they'd have to be special ordered through a Gotoh parts dealer.

[MetalMedal II]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Well, maybe someone here at the old JCF could help us out??

Oh yeah, I meant "decent price" on my last post, not "descent" price...wanted to address this before RacerX finds it. [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[RacerX]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Ya beat me! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
You're lucky I'm not in here that much. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[deviltronix]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

I just bought a set of gotoh locking tuners. In my opinion, they suck bigtime. They don't have a seperate knob to lock/unlock which is a plus in the appearance department, but a negative in performance. You have to turn the damn knobs forever to lock and unlock them. You can also lock/unlock with the notch on the top of the tuner, but I did this a few times and the metal is soft enough that they are starting to get stripped. I have a set of Sperzel, Schaller & Gotoh here and I personally find the gotohs to be shitty pains in the asses compared to the others. Just my opinion though.

Rich

[MetalMedal II]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

In my opinion, they suck bigtime.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks for your honest opinion about them. What brand out of the remaining 2 do you prefer? I actually was thinking about getting the Schaller locking tuners, but the only ones I found are the kind without a set screw for the back of the headstock. Instead, there's a pin in the rear part of the tuner housing that requires a small drilled hole in the back of the headstock. I thought Schaller had the locking ones with a set screw, but maybe not.

I know the screw placement is different on the Gotoh compared to the Schaller, but I was able to install (non-locking) Schaller tuners on a Jackson headstock that originally had Gotohs on them. The tuners' knob posts just needed to be slightly turned toward the body for the holes to line up.

[busdriver]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Originally posted by shreddermon:
I'm guessing they'd have to be special ordered through a Gotoh parts dealer.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">that's correct. There are countless combinations of tuning machines, knobs, colors, locking/non-locking, height-adjustable, left/right that no dealer has possible combinations in stock.
Here in Germany I just go to the guitar dealer around the corner, tell him what I want and get the tuning machines in approx 2 to 4 month'. Perhaps you can get them quicker in the US [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[busdriver]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Originally posted by deviltronix:
You have to turn the damn knobs forever to lock and unlock them.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">that's strange... I also have a set of Gotoh locking tuners and I only have to turn them 1/4 rotation until they lock [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[deviltronix]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

I have the Schaller ones with the set screw, and I like those alot. The dials seem to be higher quality than the Sperzel dials, although I tend to think the Sperzels may keep the best tune.

Another option is Grover Locking Tuners. I've never tried them, but the regular tuners I have from Grover are some of the best tuners in the world so I can't imagine them making junk.

BTW, check out all the colors this guy offers Sperzels in:

http://www.tkinstruments.com/id99.htm

[MetalMedal II]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Wow, I guess you can get any color combo with Sperzels! All I need is black though!

Has the Sperzel design change in the last 12 years? I have em on a '91 Carvin, and sometimes find the pin that clamps the string in place sometimes get stuck when changing strings. Also, I've heard of the pin completely seizing inside the tuner and you need to replace the whole tuner...in fact this happed to a friend of mine with Sperzels. I'm just wondering if they use the same design now as then.

Regarding the Grovers, I can only find them with the half-round tuning knob, not the rectangular Jackson-style ones. I've also looked at the Planet-waves, but they seem pretty expensive from a company I'm not too familiar with. And the search continues... [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[shreddermon]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

I've had the same trouble with the Sperzels' locking pins.

[mm2002]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

I thought I'd try to help if I could so I just called and talked to my sales rep. He said they (Gotoh) do still offer the standard tuners with the Schaller knobs but not the locking tuners. To further complicate things he also said that the Schaller knobs will not fit the shaft on the locking tuners. Looks to me like the closest you're going to get is the Grovers. Stew Macs part # is 0876. At least the knobs on those look somewhat closer to the Schaller style than those Gotohs.

[busdriver]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Originally posted by mm2002:
I thought I'd try to help if I could so I just called and talked to my sales rep. He said they (Gotoh) do still offer the standard tuners with the Schaller knobs but not the locking tuners.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have to dig out this old thread, because five or six weeks ago I ordered a set of Gotoh locking tuners (SG381-07-MG) with Schaller style knobs through a local music-shop. And now I have a confirmation from the dealer that Gotoh shipped my parts some days ago [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I don't know why your sales rep. told this, but they are still availabe!

[MetalMedal II]

Re: Locking Tuners - Direct Replacement for J/C Gotohs?

Cool, post a pic when you get them! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]