Sperzal locking tuner question

[Slobrain]

Hey Folks,

Thought I would drop in and ask if anyone has used the Sperzal locking tuners and if they have removed the rear wheel and if these have a ball bearing at the end of the shaft that goes up against the string?

Reason I'm asking is I bought some GFS locking tuners and they kept cutting the B and E strings when tightening so I noticed the small shaft that tightens up against the string was soft metal and would get an indentation from the string then as you turn the shaft the indentation would cause the string to snap in half. I found a home made remedy to fix this but if memory serves me correctly the Sperzals used a small ball bearing against the string or am I wrong?

Thanks

[tedmich]

Not in the Sperzels I've been using for ~8 years, its a pin and I also had trouble snapping the unwound strings (and wound a few times!) when I tightened them so I carefully chamfered the lock hole with a needle file until it didn't cut anymore. I try to have the string really tight in the lock before tuning up, so as to minimize how much gets wound around peg to come to tune; this makes it more stable with whammy use IME.

Now if they were only a higher ratio than 12:1 so I could avoid fine tuning at the bridge...

[The Dude]

I have Planet Waves tuners on a couple of axes that automatically cut the string for you. It's not a case of that is it? In other words, not a defect but a feature? If so, you have to be careful which way you start the wind.

[Slobrain]

Hey Guys, The locking tuners I bought was from GFS. Apparently the pin that goes against the string isn't hardened steel like the sperzals. I had to cut a 1/16 inch pin to go inside to go against the string and the main pin went against the small pin. It works and the strings lock in. The thing I like about the GFS locking tuners is that they have staggered post which I like. I was just going the cheap method on one of my guitars. If it was a hi dollar guitar I probably would have put something much better on. The GFS tuners are not bad for being $33.00 I was just wanting to try locking tuners so I can try to engage the tremolo to keep in in tune. With the trem locked the guitar stays in tune well.

[tedmich]

I got 2 sets of Wilkinson Jin Ho (Korean) locking tuners for my 8-string,

I'll let you know how it works once I get a nut cut

and does anyone need 4 locking black uke tuners???

[The Dude]

I brought up the Planet Waves auto-trim tuners because,......well, because of my own idiocy. I bought a Tele with them preinstalled. I really knew nothing about them. I went to change strings and, after inserting a string several times only to have it cut, finally figured out the auto-trim feature and that the string had to be put through the hole the right way. Yes, sometimes I can be a little slow.

[tedmich]

there are lots of versions of locking tuners.
-Sperzel type have clamping pin that is manually tightened from back of tuner (same with Grover Roto-Grip & Schaller M6 Locking)
-Planet Waves have clamping pin that is manually tightened from back, then an automatic cutting mechanism on tuning
-Gotoh tuners has a clamping pin which is automatically extended when tuning (see: What?s? ? Magnum Lock) Also versions with adjustable height!
-Wilkinson EZ lock have two holes in the post, you thread string through both to "lock"
-Grover Rotomatics have central barrel with rotates and autoclamps string on tuning
-Grover Tip Lock and Schaller Toplocking have manual locking pin on top of tuning post

[Jason Rodgers]

I had the Sperzels on a Carvin DC127 years ago, and I pinched off the high E on my first string change. You definitely need to ease the pin into the string and not just crank it down. It doesn't take much to lock em in, and you learn how much torque plain vs wound strings need.

I put the Hipshot Griplock tuners on two guitars I've built, and I really like them. Same thumbscrew and pin setup as is typical, and they look pretty sexy with the open gear design. Not a bad price, either.