Will locking tuners allow me play in lower tunings?

[katzentacle]

I have a 26.5 scale 8 string and my 8th string stays well in tune when I play in F# standard/drop E, but when I go lower it goes out of tune fast. So I was thinking about putting locking tuners on my guitar to tune to drop D. Would it work? I'm not very familiar with locking tuners, so I'm not sure if they would help me.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Not really, no. They'll help make string changes faster if you don't like twisting and locking the strings in, but that's pretty much it. You probably just need the nut slot widened a smidgen.

If you're tuning down very far with the same strings you also run into issues of the strings constantly stretching and relaxing which isn't ideal.

 

[katzentacle]

Not really, no. They'll help make string changes faster if you don't like twisting and locking the strings in, but that's pretty much it. You probably just need the nut slot widened a smidgen.

If you're tuning down very far with the same strings you also run into issues of the strings constantly stretching and relaxing which isn't ideal.

How widening the nut slot would help with handling lower tunings?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

How widening the nut slot would help with handling lower tunings?

Most tuning issues have to do with the string binding in the nut.

 

[katzentacle]

Most tuning issues have to do with the string binding in the nut.

Will it help me on a 26.5 scale? I hard that even 27 scale isn't enough

 

[SalsaWood]

Yep. Down tuning on extended scales (~26+) means (in most preferences) bigger strings and bigger nut slots.

Locking tuners won't do anything.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Will it help me on a 26.5 scale? I hard that even 27 scale isn't enough

Depends on what the issue is.

 

[Crungy]

Will it help me on a 26.5 scale? I hard that even 27 scale isn't enough

What tuning do you want to do?

 

[katzentacle]

What tuning do you want to do?

Drop D

 

[Crungy]

Drop D

I'd look for 27" or longer scales for that, maybe multiscale, and like @MaxOfMetal said having the nut widened for some thicker strings.

I use a 27" RGA8 for drop E and I think it's perfect for that. I haven't tried drop D yet but that might be pushing it.

 

[katzentacle]

I'd look for 27" or longer scales for that, maybe multiscale, and like @MaxOfMetal said having the nut widened for some thicker strings.

I use a 27" RGA8 for drop E and I think it's perfect for that. I haven't tried drop D yet but that might be pushing it.

I thought you meant that the string has to have more space than it needs. I have 0.85 strings perfectly set up and it plays well in drop E too.

 

[vark]

A locking nut would help more than locking tuners, but I doubt ur whacking the strings hard enough to detune the string. What guitar is it?

 

[katzentacle]

A locking nut would help more than locking tuners, but I doubt ur whacking the strings hard enough to detune the string. What guitar is it?

Harley Benton R458

 

[vark]

Harley Benton R458

I think a Hipshot bridge, locking tuners, and properly cut nut should make it impossible to go out of tune

 

[katzentacle]

I think a Hipshot bridge, locking tuners, and properly cut nut should make it impossible to go out of tune

It stays well in tune in drop E and higher. It goes out of tune when I try to go lower

 

[vark]

It stays well in tune in drop E and higher. It goes out of tune when I try to go lower

Yes those things will help reduce the points of failure in lower tunings with thicker strings. 26.5 is on the shorter side for D but not impossible at all.

Locking tuners could fix it if that’s the root of the issue but it could be something with your bridge in which case changing the tuners would have no effect

 

[katzentacle]

Yes those things will help reduce the points of failure in lower tunings with thicker strings. 26.5 is on the shorter side for D but not impossible at all.

Thank you

 

[jephjacques]

I don't think locking tuners would make enough of a difference to be worth spending the money on.

Some of the tuning stability issues just come down to physics- strings that loose are gonna do all kinds of wacky pitch stuff just due to how much they'll be flopping around. You can mitigate it by using a very light touch, higher action, and proper bridge intonation, but you're pushing the limits of what the instrument is designed to do. You're better off spending that lockng tuner money on a professional setup- or saving up for a longer scale instrument if you really want to go that low.

 

[Alberto7]

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EDIT: No, I don't think locking tuners will help you at all with your current issue.
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Personally, for drop E I wouldn't use anything shorter than 28", preferably 29 or 30". I've never played in drop D for any significant length of time, but at 29" with a thicker gauge it may work.

At 26.5" in drop D... I think it's normal that you're seeing tuning issues. In fact, you're probably hearing intonation problems more than tuning problems. For such a low note you probably have a thick string at low tension. Your normal picking strength may be making the string bend out of tune upon plucking it, and due its large mass it keeps oscillating in and out of tune until the vibrations die down enough that it can settle at the root note. You'd need a VERY thick string to keep string tension up, but then you run into intonation problems very quickly. Thick strings at short lengths produce a lot of weird and really strong overtones, which makes correctly intonating them a nightmare. Probablt unplayable past the first few frets. You may also run out of adjustment space at the saddles.

These are all reasons why basses have the scale lengths that they do. I don't think stringed instruments with guitar-like scale lengths are meant to be tuned so low. At least not while using steel strings. Maybe if you had carbon nanotubes for strings, a carbon fiber neck, and pickups that could hear vibrating carbon strings...

 

[gh0styboi]

Drop D

I would never go to D1 on a 26.5" scale unless I had absolutely no alternative. I won't go lower than G on my 26.5" scale guitars, in fact. It just creates way too many issues that - while relatively fixable - are completely resolved with a bit longer of a scale length. But the big reason is you have to play insanely thick strings on that scale length to get to D1. I go down to D#1 and C#1, but I do it on a 30" scale. A 28" could get you there, but I prefer the extra length, myself.

But to answer your original question directly, no. Locking tuners don't allow you to achieve any specific tuning. Totally different function.

To answer your secondary question, filing out the nut slot allows it to be wide enough to accommodate the thicker strings necessary to get to lower tunings while keeping them at the right height from the nut. If it's not seated correctly (too high/too low), you'll run into intonation and buzzing issues. It'll also feel pretty bad to play.