New Tuning Machine install!

[The Griffinator]

This is my first major upgrade or mod to any of my guitars aside from a the odd pickup swap. I though I would document the process and share the results.


034 by The_Griffinator, on Flickr

This is my Ibanez SZ 520. It was the first guitar I ever bought entirely on my own. It's a guitar I will never part with, but I've recently grown unhappy with the stock tuners. the keys look too big for the headstock, and the don't seem to hold tuning very well. The posts do not extend very far out of the headstock, making it difficult to get enough wraps around the post to get a stable tuning.


035 by The_Griffinator, on Flickr

My solution! Grover mini locking Rotomatics!


036 by The_Griffinator, on Flickr

A test fit, I like the look a lot more already.


039 by The_Griffinator, on Flickr

Looks like I'm going to need to drill some new holes. I marked the drill bit with some tape to make sure I don't go too deep.


045 by The_Griffinator, on Flickr

Success! no finish chips at all!


047 by The_Griffinator, on Flickr

installed and ready to go.


049 by The_Griffinator, on Flickr

The last step!!!


051 by The_Griffinator, on Flickr

Annnnnnnnnnnnd done. I've never owned a guitar with locking tuners before, I'm really digging it. I have a few more guitars that will see this upgrade, I'm going to try some different brands and see if there is a difference between them.

 

[Mattmc74]

 

[iloki]

locking tuners are the tits lol

I'm partial to the Planet Waves ones myself, they have awesome customer service, and they have this little ledge/blade on them that cuts the string off for you!

 

[The Griffinator]

locking tuners are the tits lol

I'm partial to the Planet Waves ones myself, they have awesome customer service, and they have this little ledge/blade on them that cuts the string off for you!

Those are the next on my list. I'm going to put them on my Godin Progression.

 

[skisgaar]

How do they lock automatically?

 

[The Spanish Inquisition]

How do they lock automatically?

The outside stringpost is lose from the rest, there is a solid stringpost connected with the tuner inside that outside stringpost, and the stringhole is offset. When you pull the string through the hole, and you turn the tuner, the force pulls the outside stringpost while the inside stringpost just turns with the tuner, so that it gets clamped between the inside post and the outside post.