Looking for opinions: locking tuners and ball ends

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Looking for opinions: locking tuners and ball ends
Ever since the 80's I've always left the balls on the ends with my Floyd (or Edge) equipped guitars. I found it makes less winds necessary on the pegs, and lends itself to better stability when locking and unlocking the nut. However. I have some Schaller locking tuning machines on order for my M-II. Obviously the intent with locking tuners is to stick a non-ball end of a string into the peg, leave minimal, if any, slack and proceed to lock and wind. With the locking machines, would I just be better off threading the non ball end through the peg, locking it into the bridge saddles, and then lock down the tuning machine and cut off whatever excess, including the ball? Hate to cut off my balls :rollin but if they aren't needed with the locking tuners, then I guess they might just not be needed. Opinions anyone?
jet66

Cut 'em off. Once I have the string snugged in the bridge/saddle, I pull it as tight as I can by hand through the tuning peg and then tighten the locking knob, tune then cut. I usually leave about 1/8" of string poking out.

Tondog

Cut 'em off. Once I have the string snugged in the bridge/saddle, I pull it as tight as I can by hand through the tuning peg and then tighten the locking knob, tune then cut. I usually leave about 1/8" of string poking out.

That's it for me too.

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jet66

Locking tuners: Answer for the lazy guy that says 'how can I do less string winding?'

:p

WildeStarr

IMO, locking tuners are not needed if the guitar is strung properly, and set up properly.

:cool:

JSHRED

Good, info, thanks.
I think one key element is whether someone is using the locking nut. I've had a couple Floyd guitars over the years where I've stopped using the locking nut, and moved to a more Petrucci style solution with tremolo and locking tuning machines, but no locked nut. Maybe it's just that I hate dealing with fine tuners on the bridge.

I got all excited at my box of new Schaller tuning machines, and my girl looked at them and said, you bought locking machines for a guitar with a locking nut? And she gave me a look that made me wilt like I'd been hit with Roundup. So now I'm debating even installing them. I guess they can't hurt, but it's starting to feel a little wasteful.

Murdoc

Yeah if they're behind a locking nut they're kind of a waste. Are you using an original FR nut? I only trust OFR metal.

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JSHRED

It's a Sinclair setup. Don't know how that nut differs from OFR stuff. I can't see a NYC ESP using crap hardware, but stranger things have happened.

Murdoc

It's a Sinclair setup. Don't know how that nut differs from OFR stuff. I can't see a NYC ESP using crap hardware, but stranger things have happened.
OFR metal is hardened steel and says made in Germany on them. The licensed and FRS trems are made of Korean or Chinese metal (much softer metal). It strips easy and rusts (tarnishes) faster.

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