How Your Opinions On Gear Change When You Play Everyday:


And StewMac is on crack.


Awesome @67plexi - Thanks for the tips..

I have a vintage headstock, which measures .585" thick. What I have read is that some tuners barely poke up out of the thick, CBS headstocks...
 
but the ham fisted technique here is pretty evident I think:
Not ham fisted, just playing with power!
I think ham fisted would describe my bad habits,,
I'm the king of bakin' the ham
grapefruits with bananas on them

You guys are really making me hungry.
That reminds me, I need to pick up some potatoes and change the strings on my RG. :D:D:D
 
Oh boy after the radical shift back to bass so quickly.

Playing so much everyday but its hyper focused. That means the gear that is needed precisely. Have what is needed in the mix for the band period. That kills the wanting to find or the need to search. It's now like that hammer in the tool box. Chose for the job & will just do it.
 
I’ll go measure mine after coffee and post it.

Thanks...

Tell you what I experience with my stock Fender tremolo. The ONLY string that gives me trouble is the low E. I've eliminated the nut as a problem. Under intense magnification, the winds (only 2 or 3) around the low E post begin to unwrap as the bar is depressed. Although this is very slight, you can see the entire wrap begin to rotate on the tuning post and this keeps it from coming back to pitch, as the ridges on the winds do not always fall back in precise alignment as they wind back up to pitch when the bar is released. This constant CW/CCW rotation during tremolo use has worn out my low E tuner.

I'm curious if locking tuners will help this anomaly, because it only locks the tail of the string as has zero influence over the wrapped section. Unless, with a locking tuner, you could simply use less wraps???

My tremolo's range of motion is from E to G#, so about a 9 semitone drop with the bar against the pickguard....

I'd be curious to know how far you can drop your guitar's pitch with full bar use and tell me if it returns to pitch after such a divebombing excursion...

P.S. In order to eliminate the nut as a protentional problem, I took the nut slot out oversize (.055" on a .046" string) and reverse wound the string so it ran dead-straight through the nut.
 
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Thanks...

Tell you what I experience with my stock Fender tremolo. The ONLY string that gives me trouble is the low E. I've eliminated the nut as a problem. Under intense magnification, the winds (only 2 or 3) around the low E post begin to unwrap as the bar is depressed. Although this is very slight, you can see the entire wrap begin to rotate on the tuning post and this keeps it from coming back to pitch, as the ridges on the winds do not always fall back in precise alignment as they wind back up to pitch when the bar is released. This constant CW/CCW rotation during tremolo use has worn out my low E tuner.

I'm curious if locking tuners will help this anomaly, because it only locks the tail of the string as has zero influence over the wrapped section. Unless, with a locking tuner, you could simply use less wraps???

My tremolo's range of motion is from E to G#, so about a 9 semitone drop with the bar against the pickguard....

I'd be curious to know how far you can drop your guitar's pitch with full bar use and tell me if it returns to pitch after such a divebombing excursion...
The locking tuner could help there. I have just a little less than 1 wrap on the low E in that pic.
 
Ive tried that before but I always figured that it puts less strain and wear on the locking pin to have at least a small amount of wrap.

My Strat headstock is .570 and the Tele is .589

You are right up there with me on headstock thickness...how do you like the stagger on the locking tuners with the thicker headstock???
 
I only wrap mine twice, and not sure how many semitones down I drop but I have always put a spritz of PB blaster on the nut, and try to keep the strings straight as I can to the tuner, and they stay in tune, but I am not using them as much as you are.
Cheers
 
Thus far, these two will fit without drilling...


 
I only wrap mine twice, and not sure how many semitones down I drop but I have always put a spritz of PB blaster on the nut, and try to keep the strings straight as I can to the tuner, and they stay in tune, but I am not using them as much as you are.
Cheers

Mitch,

If I apply some break free or teflon grease to the low E string post, the guitar will come back to pitch every time. Figure that one out...
 
I found this image from an internet article...it shows using a locking tuner with no wraps at all....

I cannot see how this can work reliably...

View attachment 68778
It has worked for me for the last 30+ years. Pull the string tight, lock it in, tune to pitch, stretch, tune, and go. The plain strings sometimes wind up close to a full revolution by the time they reach pitch. My Strat has had a set of Schallers on it since around 1990. I have lockers on at least 5 guitars right now. Soon to be 6, as I just(moments ago) opened a pack of Hipshot sealed 6 in line non-staggered.
 

And StewMac is on crack.

When haven't they? I'm no expert but to me, they'd seem the kind of place that caters to overenthusiastic newbies willing to spend any amount of money in a trendy hobby and, charges accordingly for the one-stop convenience and perceived expertise. And that's my canadian nickel's worth... you all know 'bout canadian pennies so I wont go there. ;)
 
It has worked for me for the last 30+ years. Pull the string tight, lock it in, tune to pitch, stretch, tune, and go. The plain strings sometimes wind up close to a full revolution by the time they reach pitch. My Strat has had a set of Schallers on it since around 1990. I have lockers on at least 5 guitars right now. Soon to be 6, as I just(moments ago) opened a pack of Hipshot sealed 6 in line non-staggered.

Yes. Whenever I have had locking tuners this is the method.
 
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