Posted: 2/10/2026 5:09:47 PM EDT
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I'm still trying to rehab my left hand. Looking to see if I can't increase my mobility and strength, maybe actually be able to play again. I bought this Squier Strat, paid a luthier to check the intonation and set the strings as low as he could without them buzzing. Every time I take it down off the wall mount, it's out of tune. I'll tune it up, play for a little while, and it's out of tune again. I've been reading that a set of actual Fender locking tuners might solve this problem. Suggestions? Attached File |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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Are the strings old or new, if new have they been stretched? Could also be temperature related, does the room go warm to cold, is it in sunlight? All my electrics tend to go sharp sitting their cases but generally are in tune with themselves. Might just need new strings. |
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When you re-string, make sure you put some graphite in the nut slots before seating the strings (I use a mechanical pencil) and lubricate the trem saddles and string trees where they make contact with the strings. Then stretch the shit out of the strings, snap them on the fretboard, etc before finishing tune up. I would do this before replacing the tuners. I find most tuning issues come from the strings binding at their contact points. Sometimes you can even hear it, you turn the tuner and it goes "BINK!" and suddenly goes either way flat or way sharp. |
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Assuming everything else is perfect and you are stretching and tuning strings correctly(only tuning up to pitch, never down), the only way locking tuners will help, is if the existing tuners are shit. You're just getting better tuners without the slop. Guess I'm saying, don't be surprised if they don't help. So much other stuff to look at before shotgunning parts at it; others have already touched on a few. Let's see the wrap job on those split tuners... |
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Originally Posted By splitbolt: Assuming everything else is perfect and you are stretching and tuning strings correctly(only tuning up to pitch, never down), the only way locking tuners will help, is if the existing tuners are shit. You're just getting better tuners without the slop. Guess I'm saying, don't be surprised if they don't help. So much other stuff to look at before shotgunning parts at it; others have already touched on a few. Let's see the wrap job on those split tuners... I went ahead and ordered these:  
I guess I am assuming that the existing tuners are... maybe not shit, but maybe sub-par. I don't know what kind of strings the luthier installed when he adjusted the action. I gave him some Ernie Ball 9's, but he returned them to me. After I put these new tuners on, I'll put the 9's on and see what I see. Obligatory pics of existing. Attached File Attached File |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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I'd bet that it's not the tuners, but it's the neck moving with temp and humidity changes. My Classic Vibe Tele's neck moved a lot the first five years I owned it. I had to adjust the truss rod with every season change. Now it's pretty solid and I haven't had to adjust in several years. A tuner upgrade is never a bad idea though. |
But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.
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98% of the time, issues with tuning stability are due to the NUT being wrong. Replacing tuners will do NOTHING to improve tuning stability unless you have a tuner that is clearly broken. Be 100% sure the basic SET-UP of the guitar is correct. There are a million videos on how to do this. If you don’t want to be bothered with doing set-up yourself, you certainly have no business replacing tuners yourself. I was shocked to learn how many guitar owners pay someone at a music store to simply replace strings. Fix the nut. Do the basic set-up right. |
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1775
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1775
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LOCKING tuners do absolutely nothing to improve tuning stability. The only thing locking tuners do is “lock” the string on the shaft of the tuner, so as to allow you to not have to use both hands when changing a string. That is literally the ONLY thing locking tuners do. Replacing an existing set of Chinese monkey-metal tuners with a different set of Chinese monkey-metal tuners is a complete waste of money. You can assert that changing the gear ratio to some finer ratio offers some benefit. If that were the case, WHY wouldn’t Gibson and Fender be putting those fine-ratio tuners on their top-end models? It’s your guitar. Change it however may suit you. But it’s a fools errand to just start changing out hardware that isn’t broken on the notion that it will make learning the instrument easier or more enjoyable. Set-up the guitar, with the existing hardware, to it’s highest potential, and practice with purpose. |
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1775
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1775
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Lastly, and if after reading my preceding diatribe, you still feel compelled to replace the existing tuners, be EXCEEDINGLY CAREFUL with those pissy little screws that secure the tuners. They are known to SNAP IN TWO when torque is applied during removal. That breakage famously leaves the pointy tip of the screw embedded in the headstock, and the head end fallen on the floor somewhere to torment you unexpectedly later. Then you get to post a thread on the subject of how to go about removing the broken, embedded screw-tip from the headstock. You may think the likelihood of this happening is infinitely unlikely. Well, it happens often enough that the Stew-Mac company sells a special tool just for the purpose of removing broken monkey-metal tuners-screws from guitar headstocks. Stew-Mac is like Snap-On on steroids for the high prices relative to unimpressive quality of the specialty guitar tools they sell. |
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1775
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1775
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Originally Posted By ceetee: I went ahead and ordered these: www.amazon.com/dp/B000L6GD04 I guess I am assuming that the existing tuners are... maybe not shit, but maybe sub-par. I don't know what kind of strings the luthier installed when he adjusted the action. I gave him some Ernie Ball 9's, but he returned them to me. After I put these new tuners on, I'll put the 9's on and see what I see. Obligatory pics of existing. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/103046/1000013641_jpg-3711657.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/103046/1000013643_jpg-3711658.JPG You're probably going to need a 2-pin jig... |
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Originally Posted By W_E_G: Set-up the guitar, with the existing hardware, to it’s highest potential, and practice with purpose. Originally Posted By W_E_G: Set-up the guitar, with the existing hardware, to it’s highest potential, and practice with purpose. I hear what you're saying. I had the guitar set up by a professional who has a great reputation; I doubt I can improve on his work. I used to play acoustic guitar pretty well. My goal is just to improve upon my own physical limitations. My frustration comes when I have to stop playing every few minutes to re-tune. It's like shooting - I want the gun to be as accurate as possible, so any flaws that show up are entirely my fault. Originally Posted By splitbolt: You're probably going to need a 2-pin jig... The existing tuners should be two-pin but if they're not, I can handle the install. |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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As stated above, locking tuners just clamp down on the string. You then cut the string and tune the string. Locking tunes do nothing but do away with having to wrap the string multiple windings to lock the string from coming out of the tuner string hole. Things that make the string out of tune after they are in tune. 1. a different temperature than they were tuned at. 2. a different humidity than they were tuned at. 3. New strings that have not stretched yet. 4. tuners that slip, though I have never seen this personally. Quality 18:1 tuning machines allow smooth fine adjustment and are a pleasure to use. Cheap low ratio tuning machines require more effort, are harder to turn, and can overshoot the tension you need to get the string in tune. Potentially they can also not hold the tension and the gears move under tension. ETA: I forgot about the nut. The string needs to slide freely in the nut channel. You also need to tune the string from flat to in tune, not sharp to in tune. Always detune to flat and tune while the string is being tightened. if you over shoot, start again. If you tune from sharp, you are relaxing the string to tune and if the nut is not perfect it may catch due to friction and be in tune until you vibrate the string then it moves in the nut and is now flat. The nut channel may be too narrow or you might just need to add a very small amount of lubricant to the nut or change the nut out with something like a Graphtech nut that is slippery. I have a Graphtech nut and saddles on my Strat and they work wonderfully. If the nut channels are too narrow, using lighter string may fix that issue. Bottom line is if the string does not slide in the nut. You can tune it, then when the string is played the vibration of the string. So Tune from flat to in tune, always. Always want to get in tune while tighting string tension. If that does not fix your problem, try light gauge strings. They may fit the nut channels better. If that doesn't work or you must have the gauge string you are using, try a very small amount of graphite paste or nut oil. They sell stuff just for nuts, but it it probably just regular grease or light oil. Worse case, change the nut or re-work the slots. |
Mach
Nobody is coming to save us.
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Nobody is coming to save us.
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Originally Posted By W_E_G: Lastly, and if after reading my preceding diatribe, you still feel compelled to replace the existing tuners, be EXCEEDINGLY CAREFUL with those pissy little screws that secure the tuners. They are known to SNAP IN TWO when torque is applied during removal. That breakage famously leaves the pointy tip of the screw embedded in the headstock, and the head end fallen on the floor somewhere to torment you unexpectedly later. Then you get to post a thread on the subject of how to go about removing the broken, embedded screw-tip from the headstock. You may think the likelihood of this happening is infinitely unlikely. Well, it happens often enough that the Stew-Mac company sells a special tool just for the purpose of removing broken monkey-metal tuners-screws from guitar headstocks. Stew-Mac is like Snap-On on steroids for the high prices relative to unimpressive quality of the specialty guitar tools they sell. How does a wood screw break when unscrewing from wood? Do people glue them in or something? The only issue I have every had is the screw ends up being a little loose because they have been removed and replaced a few times in the same hole and the threads of the screw are really small. But since all that screw does is index the tuning machine and prevent it from rotating in the wood along with the nut adding pressure sandwiching the tuning machine into the headstock, I find it hard to believe a steel screw would break. I didn't know that was a thing. |
Mach
Nobody is coming to save us.
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Nobody is coming to save us.
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Get on any of the forums/groups. Soon enough someone will post about breaking one of those screws. I’m of the belief that out of 100 screws, there’s one that is defective. |
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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1775
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin, 1775
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Originally Posted By W_E_G: Get on any of the forums/groups. Soon enough someone will post about breaking one of those screws. I’m of the belief that out of 100 screws, there’s one that is defective. I don't doubt this for a second. That's why I went for the more expensive tuners that are supposed to be drop-in replacements. If I have to drill holes for the pins, I can do that, but what always happens to me is that I strip out the screw heads before they get completely tight. |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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Originally Posted By Mach: As stated above, locking tuners just clamp down on the string. You then cut the string and tune the string. Locking tunes do nothing but do away with having to wrap the string multiple windings to lock the string from coming out of the tuner string hole. Things that make the string out of tune after they are in tune. 1. a different temperature than they were tuned at. 2. a different humidity than they were tuned at. 3. New strings that have not stretched yet. 4. tuners that slip, though I have never seen this personally. Quality 18:1 tuning machines allow smooth fine adjustment and are a pleasure to use. Cheap low ratio tuning machines require more effort, are harder to turn, and can overshoot the tension you need to get the string in tune. Potentially they can also not hold the tension and the gears move under tension. ETA: I forgot about the nut. The string needs to slide freely in the nut channel. You also need to tune the string from flat to in tune, not sharp to in tune. Always detune to flat and tune while the string is being tightened. if you over shoot, start again. If you tune from sharp, you are relaxing the string to tune and if the nut is not perfect it may catch due to friction and be in tune until you vibrate the string then it moves in the nut and is now flat. The nut channel may be too narrow or you might just need to add a very small amount of lubricant to the nut or change the nut out with something like a Graphtech nut that is slippery. I have a Graphtech nut and saddles on my Strat and they work wonderfully. If the nut channels are too narrow, using lighter string may fix that issue. Bottom line is if the string does not slide in the nut. You can tune it, then when the string is played the vibration of the string. So Tune from flat to in tune, always. Always want to get in tune while tighting string tension. If that does not fix your problem, try light gauge strings. They may fit the nut channels better. If that doesn't work or you must have the gauge string you are using, try a very small amount of graphite paste or nut oil. They sell stuff just for nuts, but it it probably just regular grease or light oil. Worse case, change the nut or re-work the slots. I've never had this issue, but I've never played with an electric before - my old guitar was an Ovation and once I tuned it up, it would stay in tune for the whole day/night/whatever. Squier being a "budget" brand, I'm thinking that the tuners might be subpar. I'm not going to mess with the nut atm, because that's what I paid the professional to do. Neither am I going to mess with the intonation or bridge height, for the same reason. If nothing else, the fretboard gets cleaned and oiled, and I get a little more familiar with the instrument. |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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Originally Posted By luv_the_huskers: Change the strings and put the locking tuners on. This. Changing temp and humidity can affect your tuning also. |
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Here's something. When I loosened up the existing tuners, I didn't need a wrench or anything. Just a 10mm socket and my bare fingers. Aren’t they supposed to be little more snug than that? I mean, not earthquake-proof, but tighter than just finger tight. Attached File |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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But the pins do not line up. Lol. Attached File |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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I'll tell you, you do NOT want to hire me to do any fancy luthier-ing. Turns out, my bad left hand isn't so stable, so after I laid the holes out on a piece of masking tape, when I went to center-punch them, some of the punches weren't so centered. I ended up having to waller them out a touch. But they're all in, they're all straight, and only one extra hole in the headstock. I still don't know how I managed to drill one through, but it was the first one I did and you learn from your fuckups. Attached File Attached File |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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Originally Posted By splitbolt:  Take off the string tree...now you have 2 holes.  LOL. I'll get some blonde wood putty from the Home Depot someday. Or maybe just cover it up with a sticker like all the Skatr Kidz do. |
Don't piss off old people. The older we get, the less "Life in Prison" is a deterrent.
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Originally Posted By ceetee: LOL. I'll get some blonde wood putty from the Home Depot someday. Or maybe just cover it up with a sticker like all the Skatr Kidz do. It already had a bunch all over it...thing was a mess..replaced the bridge tuners strings..it had 1 pot knob..no selector tip..and looked like it was in a meth trailer fire..and tossed down the drive way...then sos pad scrubbed to clean thr soot off it lol It plays like ass...but was a learning experience... Attached File |
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