Official Luthiers Forum!

I am planning on using the Planet Waves auto trim tuners on my current build and wanted to see if any of you have used them yet.
I plan on using my guitar live on stage and will most likely find myself needing very quick and easy string changes. Thats one of my concerns. I use an adapter with my dewalt cordless right now on my stage guitars, but wanted an easier way.
Our lead guitarit's PRS came with these auto trim jobbies and I couldn't believe how easy the string changes became. It was just easy and they look pretty good, too.
What other qualities and concerns does one have when choosing tuners? What effect have any of you found them to have on your ease of tuning & playing (besides gear ratio)?
Thanks.

-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

The only thing I can say about locking and auto trim tuners is that if you have issues during setup that require more than removal and resting during intonation you are not likly to be able to re-use the string because of the cutoff length. That is to say most locking tuner are designed for almost no string rap.

I like the locking tuners. I put them on every electric I build and recommend them to most repair customers. I say "most" because for some the locking tuner is just frustrating ( if you can imagine that! ). I like the grover locking tuners because they are 18:1 gear ratio. As are the Planet waves. The only Problem with the PW tuners is that they cut the string off very short...if it slips you pretty much need a new string...you just can't get it back in the hole ( that sounds a little perverse). The problem with the Grovers is that they have a self locking cam. It works pretty good most of the time... but on the six in a row - electric model - the sixth string gets a little tight going in (you have to realy fidget with it to get the string in all the way), especially if the player uses heavy bottom strings. Schaller makes a good locking tuner but it's only 14:1 and Sperzels work well but are only 12:1. I realy like the 18:1 gears in the PW and the Grovers. I use both.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I might sound ignorant, but what's the advantage of those tuners? Don't they
add extra weight?

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

[QUOTE=laurent] I might sound ignorant, but what's the advantage of those tuners? Don't they
add extra weight?[/QUOTE]

The PW's do the Grovers don't add much. I have not use any others. The advntage is the quick change and little to no windings.MichaelP38722.624375

Laurent-
The major advantage for me is string change time. If a string breaks during a set, no big deal, switch to a backup, but since its usually a main guitar that my be a songs signature, or in my case just has better electronics and sounds better D.I.'d, I want it back up and running ASAP. If it only takes 45 seconds to change the string versus 2 or 3 minutes, it is WAYYY worth any weight gain. Plus, extra weight (to a limit) in the headstock does tend to provide more sustain.
These tuners lock the string into place and automatically trim the excess string off when it reaches pitch. Only fine tuning necessary now. Very fast.
Of course, some of the crazy folk singers that I sometimes share a stage with (hope I didn't offend anyone ) believe the string has a soul (sorry...I just think its way overboard) and would loose a heartbeat at the thought of trimming off excess string.
I've only used them on electrics, though, and even then on ones I've borrowed, and wanted to see how any of the people on the Forum have had experiences with them.

-j.

_________________
“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

I've used the planet waves on several builds, all solid body stuff. I've been fairly satisfied with them. I've ran in to the same problem as Michael has with the string being to short if it slips so I've gotten in to the habit of not pulling the string tight before locking it (like the directions say) and now leave just a little more slack just in case. Where they have really been help is on my wife’s 12 string.

I have never noticed any weight increase that can be felt. Those old solid Grovers are pretty heavy themselves. The benefit of locking tuners is that the string has no wrap at all around the post. that way there is nothing to hang it up and slip/move therby throwing the string out of tune suddenly. I use the string wrap method when I string my guitars and find that it works almost as good because I never put more than one turn on the post.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Dave if you do this with locking tunner, would you not defeat the porpose of locking tuners? I am guessing you mean on standard post tuners. Besides the locking tuner would just chop it off anyway.MichaelP38723.449537037

Sorry bout that...I meant to show what I do with the non-locking tuners to "lock" them best as possible. I had one customer actually hate the locking tuners and went back to reg. Grovers so i showed him how to "lock" those...

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"