Locking Nut Pressure Pads. Sunstain decrease myth buster.

[johnatanasoff]

Hey guys,

A good luthier will be blocking my Ibanez low pro edge.

Sperzel says the Locking Nut deadens string sustain. Are they refering to the Locking Nut Pressure Pads?
Post Style Options for Custom Guitar Tuners from Sperzel USA

Do you believe this?
Is it major or minor?
What's your experience?

I ask because they offer much more tuning stability when locked. But if it's really the case i won't lock the nut with the pressure pads.

[Chuck H]

Hogwash! You're being "pitched".

First, there has been some implication that adding mass to a headstock improves sustain. Well, a locking nut adds mass. Second, there has been some implication that rigidity and stability at any string block (like a nut) improves sustain. Well, a locking nut is certainly more rigid and stable than bone or graphite. And third, we are only talking about open notes here. Once you fret a string there is little, if any vibration of the string behind the fretted note. At that point the fret becomes the string block and the nut is moot.

And consider this. Locking tuners are VERY good at eliminating slack from peg windings and any shifts that might occur with trem use, but they don't do a thing for slip and slack at the nut itself. Ergo, Floyd type bridges usually use a locking nut for better accuracy returning to pitch after trem use.

For something like the stock Strat type bridge where you won't be uber bending and dive bombing I think the locking tuners are a good choice. They're an improvement and they don't change the stock instrument significantly. But if I'm whacking the trem and dive bombing with a Floyd I'll take the locking nut every time.

[johnatanasoff]

Thanks Chuck! Sorry answering just now.
Very good insight! You provide more scientific points of view proving the oposite, than sperzel.

I am writting a shorter reply here cos i wrote a long one and after submiting, the session was experiod and boom; text gone!


I am going to say the only advantage no Not lock the nut is if you are playing live with your main guitar, you're playing hard and doing crazy bends and one string goes quite out of tune; and you have no micro tuner space! Not locking the nut and having Locking Tuners will improve the stability of the guitar.

With Tremol NO, which can be a sensitive bitch when setting up a guitar before a show I had this scenario close to happen to me a few times, and with B and E strings, streching them to make room to screw the micro tuner, you can easily break them. With the opposite you have to unlock the nut.

This scenario was because of Tremol No, and no good conditions or time backstage to do things properly.

Last year i did open air gigs with rain and wind, and winter cold days; such conditions can make a guitar more unstable.
In such days i played with some fear and not wildly as i wanted to.


All in all i am blocking my guitar and don't ever want wammy guitars of any sort!

[Chuck H]

I have my strat set up with heavy spring tension and the bridge tight to the body. I've had three locking trem guitars. I know what you're saying about running short of fine tuner adjustment. My fave had the wee cam lock pads. They eventually wore a bit and would end up either too snug or too loose at a convenient stop point so I had to file them a bit to get them back in line. But much better than needing to go to your case for the allen wrench every time you want to loosen a pad.

[johnatanasoff]

Locking the trem with wood and locking the nut should render the guitar very stable.
If not i'l install Hipshot Locking Tuners and might even remove the tremolo and fill the guitar cavity and install a fixed bridge.

Only because i love my 95 Ibanez Jem with ebony fretboard. Killer quality!

[Chuck H]

That's going to be a collectible one day. Not like a 59 burst or anything, but I think it would be good to keep it stock. Then again...

I have an 85 Yamaha sbg1300ts. Not what you'd call collectible, but certainly a cult following. Either it's a "Monday" guitar or somewhere in it's life the neck took a tiny twist. The relief gap on the bass side is ever so slightly smaller than on the treble side and the action height is only almost right with the bridge posts set full down. These two things prevent me being able to set it up properly. This is the condition I received it in. I bought it because I had one in my youth and always regretted selling it. Now I have this one to fix and, to get back to the topic, I do plan on replacing the original trem with a Floyd. So you can take whatever I say about keeping a guitar original with a bucket of salt.

[johnatanasoff]

Yes you have a point. Thanks!
I do have affection for the guitar as it was my 1st and still my best guitar! But the only reason i'm keeping it, is it's quality!

From a money perspective i would keep a guitar knowing it would be worth money in the next years. From a collectors only perspective i don't care.
I need a quality guitar that works; that's the most important for me.

I will do reversible changes on the guitar and if i am not satisfied, i might sell it, and get another one.
What's the point in having a guitar that does not serve me...