new tuners for my LS85.. what would be my best option?

[LoveRocksRule]

hey guys a quick question for you all...

i have decided that i wanna replace the tuners on my Love Rock.. as i dont really like the kluson style tuners they have on them..

now i know most people go for grovers for there replacement tuners.. but i want to know if it would be better to have those Spertzel Locking Tuner's installed..

would i be better off with the spertzels or should i just go for some grovers???

any thoughts or opinions would be gladly appreciated guys and girls...

Thanks in advance..


From Dav

 

[Paladin2019]

I don't see any benefit to having locking tuners on a hardtail guitar (except faster string changes). Grovers have a long and glorious association with les pauls so they'd be my first choice, but bear in mind the post holes would need to be widened in order to fit them.

 

[LoveRocksRule]

ahhh.. i never knew that the holes needed to be made bigger in order for the grovers to fit..

is this a task that should be left to a proper guitar tech or could i do this myself????


thanks again Paladin

 

[Paladin2019]

ahhh.. i never knew that the holes needed to be made bigger in order for the grovers to fit..

is this a task that should be left to a proper guitar tech or could i do this myself????


thanks again Paladin

If you're certain you want to make this irreversible change, then take it to a professional. No sense taking the risk of causing permanent damage.

Bear in mind that the old tuners will leave an empty screwhole and a 'footprint' in the finish of the headstock - purely cosmetic, but some people would find it an issue.

 

[LoveRocksRule]

yeah i knew that would happen if i were to change the tuners..

i am really fussy about my guitars finish..

but its gonna improve tuning stability, and its on the back of the headstock so its not really an issue..

i recon i am just gonna go for a set of chrome grovers as my replacements...

 

[Paladin2019]

yeah i knew that would happen if i were to change the tuners..

i am really fussy about my guitars finish..

but its gonna improve tuning stability, and its on the back of the headstock so its not really an issue..

i recon i am just gonna go for a set of chrome grovers as my replacements...

WARNING! If you have a Japanese Tokai you have NICKEL hardware, so don't buy chrome replacements.

Also you will NOT notice an improvement in tuning stability. The kluson tuners are very good already - if you're having tuning troubles then they're coming from elsewhere. 99% of the time the problem is either with the nut or your restringing technique.

Try scraping a small amount of pencil lead into your nut slots. This will lubricate them and offer a short-term solution to your tuning trouble if the nut is at fault. Check your restringing technique too; I'm frequently amazed at the number of experienced players out there who still think the three-turns thing is the best way to go.

If you're making the mod for cosmetic rather than practical reasons, then disregard the above. :wink:

 

[LoveRocksRule]

hmmmm, 3 turns isnt the best way to string up an axe???

i have always strung my guitars like that so that the string goes around the pole at least 3 times...

explain to me a better way to restring please, because i thought it was the stock tuners that was causing me problems...

on my D and my G string when tuning up i find that sometimes when i turn the tuner on those strings that it doesnt respond for say a quarter to a half turn like the string was sticking or somthing... so i automatically thought it was the nut... i done the pencil trick which proved to be unsuccessful...

so then thats what made me think that it was the tuners...

as i said it is only on the D and G that this problem occurs... but it is annoying to have this happening... and i would really like to have it rectified!!!

any advise u can give me on how to restring a better way Paladin would be gladly appreciated!!!

thanks again



Dave

 

[Paladin2019]

If the graphite didn't work and the problem is only with those strings, then those nut slots are poorly cut. Reshaping nut slots isn't something I'd want to attempt myself, but a decent tech would make short work of it. If you have a plastic nut, I highly recommend getting a tech to replace it with bone or tusq. A much better invesment than new hardware IMO, and cheaper too.

The restringing technique that I always use is the self-locking method. It works like locking tuners but doesn't cost as much or look as odd. :lol:

- set the tuner's "pokey thru hole", or POK, parallel with nut
- poke string through POK right -> left (or left -> right on top 3 strings)
- pull string through the POK so that the slack allows it to lay on the nut slot 4 strings away ie. for the bottom E, the string rests over the B slot (about an inch away)
- Kink the string portion coming out of the left side of the POK upwards and bring it round the post in a clockwise motion (again assuming you're working on the low strings of a 3+3 or any string on a 6-in-a-line headstock). When it meets the rest of the string, tuck it under and pull it tight with a downwards force (towards the bridge - this stops tangling problems)
- Wind up, making sure the windings go under each other and that the string you're pulling on follows the position of the POK as it goes around or you may get a tangle. Note that the string coming up from the fretboard is wrapping around the part of the string you are holding, clamping it in place.
-When done, stretch it as normal. Stretching now and not later means it'll be easier to tune up when you're finished.
- Repeat for strings going through the A POK D POK G POK B POK and e POK. Change one string at a time - again this saves tuning-up time later. 8)
- Note that you will only get one or two turns using this method, but because the strings are locking themselves in place it doesn't matter - in fact it's better because there's less slack to cause slippage. You may, however, want to give a little more slack to the top 3 strings (GBe) as they are a litle more slippery and may require an extra turn or two.

 

[LoveRocksRule]

Wow that was quite a confusing guide to restringing a guitar Paladin!!!

i think i understand it though, is it the method where u want to have the string wrapping around the little bit of string that pokes thru the pole so that they basically "lock" themselves in place??

when i bought this guitar new im sure it was strung in this manner..

i will give it a bash when i do my next restring...

i really think that it is the slots in the nut coz every single guitar i have owned i have strung up the way i do it 3 neat wraps going under each other around the pole for the low wound strings and 4 wraps for the plain strings and have never came across this problem...

the D string is the worst out of the 2 and with closer inspection of the top nut(which is bone) i can see that the angle for the D string at the headstock side of the top nut is really tight so im guessing that if i just open out that side of the nut a little bit with a small file this should hopefully rectify my prob...

but first i will try this restringing method as i planned to restring my guitar tommorow anyway...

thanx for the tips Paladin



From Dave

 

[Paladin2019]

i think i understand it though, is it the method where u want to have the string wrapping around the little bit of string that pokes thru the pole so that they basically "lock" themselves in place??

Yup.

the D string is the worst out of the 2 and with closer inspection of the top nut(which is bone) i can see that the angle for the D string at the headstock side of the top nut is really tight so im guessing that if i just open out that side of the nut a little bit with a small file this should hopefully rectify my prob...

I wouldn't try it. The break angle on the D and G is inherently harsh, but it's more likely the shape of the slot that's the problem, NOT the angle.

I've done a lot of tinkering and setup work on my guitars, but I still consider nut and fret work to be the domain of experienced professionals.

 

[LoveRocksRule]

cool thanks again mate i will try out ur restring method first and if that doesnt sort it i will have a tech look at it...

thanks again


From Dave