vintage locking tuners
- Thread starter warcripp
- Start date
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
There's no such thing as a "vintage" locking tuner. Lockers are a fairly recent development. Old farts like me wish they had locking tuners back in the early days. So, you're going to have to come up with some pictures of these things so we know what you're talking about. But, work better than Sperzels/Schallers/PWs? Not likely. Best you can hope for is they work as well, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Vintage tuners are crap; making them lock isn't likely to improve them.
Cagey I think your being to literal, The OP is asking about locking tuners with a Vintage look. I think a few guys here have used them with good results.
I've got a new vintage mustang, it's a 2008 but looks like a 66....actually it's my wifes, i get the old minivan :sad:
I've got a new vintage mustang, it's a 2008 but looks like a 66....actually it's my wifes, i get the old minivan :sad:
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
AutoBat said:
Ah, I remember those, now that you point them out. Old friend had them on a Les Paul. Pain in the shorts. Need a tool to change strings, and they look like the ancient garbage they're modelled after.
For the life of me, I can't figure out what the attraction is to those old-style Kluson tuning pegs. You'd think nobody would want any reminder of the miserable things. The modern stuff is so much better, there's just no contest.
Superlizard
Hero Member
- Messages
- 2,514
Cagey said:
I like some things modern (but not many hah) - such as 'puters. Nothing more annoying than an old, slow PC.
But when it comes to groovy guitars and thick, rich toned amps, I gotta go with vintage styling and vintage circuits.
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
I like vintage styling - that's why I play Strats and such. And I have 3 tube amps, albeit somewhat more modern versions. What I don't like in general is sloppy, inconsistent, difficult-to-maintain or operate mechanicals. Or electricals, for that matter. There's just no reason to suffer with them, since they do nothing for you and often work against you. It's so easy to get the good stuff; why fight with the stuff that's less than ideal? Life's too short.
SustainerPlayer
Hero Member
- Messages
- 2,702
AutoBat said:
I've had those on a ESP Navigator Stratocaster:
They work fine if you follow the instructions! :toothy10: I've have heard people having problems or disliking them. But that mainly because they used them in a wrong way. (I'm not implying anyone here are doing that!).
I must say I prefer a set of PW auto trim tuners. But if you are looking into maintaining a vintage look - these rascals do the job.
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
B3Guy said:
I'm not surprised. Most people prefer to think and speak of their choices and decisions in a positive light. But, you'll notice no other manufacturers are trying to mimic that design. Major OEMs don't use them, other than Gibson (who's not exactly known for their positive decision-making skills) on a couple low-end models. Finally, they're not the popular choice for the DIY or modder crowd.
Do you have a set? If not, the next time you're at a store that sells the things or has them on one of the guitars they sell, check them out.
They're non-adjustable, they're flimsy, with a sloppy, stamped cover that isn't sealed, a press-on knob that can't be changed, and they require to tool to work the lock. Stew-Mac, one of the largest guitar parts distributors extant, has them on clearance, so they must not be selling, but rather just using up valuable shelf space in their warehouse.
Edit: Correction - the Gotoh Vintage lockers at Stew-Mac aren't on clearance, they're on closeout, since they've been discontinued. Right now it's just the gold ones, but give 'em a couple months.
S
swarfrat
Guest
Faithful reproduction of a piece of crap that's become cool because 'thats the way it used to be?'
B3Guy
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,262
c'mon. you've gotta admit they look purdy . . . what with their perfectly oval heads, and their petite little necks . . . they look great. all these modern ones look monstrously bloated in my opinion. IF there are other tuners that use the same "keys" (is that what you call the oval and attached rod?), please enlighten me, I'd love to have other options.
Superlizard
Hero Member
- Messages
- 2,514
B3Guy said:
Indeed they do; timeless classic. Not only that, they're very light.
Yeah, the tuner thing is nuts - I remember when people bought a brand-new Strat or Les Paul, the first thing you did was throw away the Klusons and drill 'em out for Schallers or Grovers. Now they make bushings so that you can throw away your good tuners and restore it to the original crap standards. I have a Warmoth Mustang that's a great guitar, but it's great because of the big frets, the hardtail string-though bridge, the great Lawrence pickups and the tone & volume controls for each - when Fender re-released the Mustang, they copied everything that was goinked about the original! I can make a list of a dozen things wrong with a true, vintage Strat - those real frets were tiny, nobody who plays an old Strat wants to admit it because they've ALL "ruined" their guitar by putting playable frets on it. And a 7.5" radius is useless for bending, which is why so very many of the "great old Strats" and "'53 Teles" you see are friggin' FAKES - because they're playable! Oh well, wait'll they put ME in charge, you'll see some REAL changes blah blah, bzzt - thud. 
Similar threads
