This is one of the most commonly asked questions I get from students and guitar-playing friends, so I thought I’d cover it in detail to save you all the hassle of needlessly replacing broken strings.
I’ll start with the basics…
What are Locking Tuners?
Locking tuners, which are also known as locking machine heads or locking tuning machines, are specialized tuners that can be mounted on the headstocks of various stringed instruments such as electric guitars, acoustic guitars, and basses.
Unlike traditional tuners, where you wrap the string multiple times around the post/shaft to secure it, locking tuners feature a built-in clamping system that grips or clamps the string when it is inserted into the tuner post/shaft. When correctly configured (I’ll be covering that soon), they should eliminate string slippage and enhance overall playability.
They were invented by Sperzel in 1983, and many improvements have been made to them by companies such as Schaller, Gotoh, and Guyker since then.
Now that I’ve covered what they are, let’s find out…
How do Locking Tuning Machines work?
Locking tuners operate on a very simple principle: tension. As mentioned, unlike a traditional tuner, the string is firmly locked in place within the post or shaft, with either a rear-mounted thumbscrew, a lever, or an internal pin.
This creates a secure anchor point without the need for countless wraps around the string post that will loosen over time, causing tuning stability issues.
The Pros and Cons of Locking Tuners
The major advantage of installing a set of locking machine heads is improved tuning stability. Traditional tuners rely on friction from multiple string windings. However, these can shift during aggressive playing, such as more extreme string bends, divebombs on a Floyd Rose tremolo, or even heavy strumming.
Locking tuners don’t suffer from this issue because the string is locked in place; therefore, there is no need for endless string wraps around the post/shaft. This prevents detuning from aggressive playing, as well as vibration or temperature changes.
They're especially useful on tremolo-equipped guitars, such as Stratocasters or Superstrats, where trem use can lead to near constant retuning. This is fantastic for live players whose guitars might have needed to be tuned between every song when playing live, but after a change to locking tuners, might only need a re-tune once or twice in an entire set.
The next major advantage is faster string changes. Restringing with standard tuners involves tedious winding (usually 3-5 loops per string), then trimming the excess wire, which can easily end up in a fingertip!
No such problems or wasting time with locking tuners—just clamp and then do one partial turn, and you're done—cutting setup time by between a quarter and a half. They also make the headstock look neater, no more bulky coils of strings around all the string posts.
But as with everything, there have to be some disadvantages, so let’s move on to them…
Due to the more complex mechanisms, most locking tuners tend to be heavier than standard ones, often by as much as 20-50 grams per tuner. This might not seem like a lot, but the difference can cause a nicely balanced guitar to develop some undesired neck dive issues. And if your guitar is already prone to neck diving, adding locking tuners will make it far worse.
Installation might also be an issue. If you’re in luck, or do your homework precisely, you might be able to find direct replacements that fit perfectly in the holes of your headstock, and even the screwholes match up. However, this is often not the case, and you might need to widen the post holes and drill new screwholes, then fill in the old ones. If you’re not a DIY wizard, this can all be too much. If so, just take it to a professional luthier and remove the stress.
For more info, check out Installing Locking Tuners - a step-by-step Guide for Better Tuning Stability.
And finally, locking tuners are not infallible. There is a common myth that locking tuners lock the tuning so it’s steady as a rock. This isn’t the case; they lock the string, which makes it much less likely to detune when played aggressively. However, the tuning can still shift, especially if there are issues with other parts of the guitar, such as at the nut or bridge.
Now that’s covered, it’s time to get to the question that got this started…
How tight should your locking tuners be?
Some people think that they need to tighten whatever mechanism their tuners use to hold the string in place as tightly as possible. But this isn’t the case, and could well be doing your strings more harm than good, especially the thinner plain ones.
You only need to tighten your locking tuners to finger tightness; don’t overtighten them, as this can lead to the strings becoming weak where the locking mechanism comes into contact with them, causing them to break at that point.
Loosen the mechanism, insert the string, then tighten until you feel a little pressure as the mechanism connects with the string, then give it a quarter turn to make sure that the string is securely in place. Don’t tighten beyond that point. Now turn the tuner to get the string in tune. You should have less than a single wind around the post when the string is perfectly in tune. If you have a little more, it isn’t a big deal. But remember that the more winds you have, the less stable the tuning will be.
Hand tightening is all that is needed; if you are forcing the wheel, then you are tightening too much.
Other factors to bear in mind
Most guitarists stick with one tuning—usually standard, or dropped by a semitone—but not all.
Some more experimental musicians may enjoy alternate tunings, open tunings, or whatever. If you’re one of these, think of the tunings you are going to be using on the guitar and keep them in mind when you are changing strings. You don’t want to be limited to the notes you can tune to because you cut your string too short and can’t reach the note you need.
Some recommendations
There are countless sets of locking tuners available from countless brands, so there’s no end of choice.
My advice would be to stick with what you have if you want an easy installation. If you’ve got a Fender with standard tuners on it and you want some locking ones, research what the company can offer you. They will more than likely have direct replacements that will fit effortlessly into your headstock with zero hassle.
However, if you want to upgrade to a premium set of locking tuners, it will more than likely involve some modification to your guitar. As I mentioned earlier, you can do this yourself if you're quite handy at DIY; if not, a trip to a good local lutheir is well worth the investment.
As for my personal favorites, it’s hard to beat the Guyker GK-D-434SP Locking Tuners. These high-quality tuning machines are built like tanks, so they won’t let you down with continued heavy use. They are also super accurate, so they’ll get you perfectly in tune and keep you there.
But possibly, better than even that, is that they are available in an extraordinary set of colorways. From the standard colors—chrome, gold, and black, to the stunning purple and blue option shown below, or the blingy red and gold.
Wrapping it Up!
So, there you have it, lots of info on locking tuners as well as the answer to the question of how tight locking tuners should be.
Locking tuners have been around for nearly 45 years, and over that time, they’ve continually improved. But it still surprises me as to how many guitarists I meet who don’t use them, or have never even tried them. If you’re one of them, give them a go; you might be surprised by how much they improve your playing experience.
Happy playing!
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Don't Give Up! Why is the Guitar so Hard to Play?