Finding the best locking tuners to keep your guitar in tune isn’t that easy. There are a bunch of different locking guitar tuners in all different budgets and price ranges, but don’t worry. We’ll help you pick out the right set for your guitar.
Concept behind locking tuners is pretty basic. They are designed to clamp down on the string and keep it from sliding in and out of the tuner either while you are playing or while you are re-stringing your guitar. In this way, they lock the string and place and prevent your guitar from going out of tune. There is no debate which is better locking tuners vs standard guitar tuners. Locking tuners are way easier to restring and hold a tune much better than standard tuners. If you don’t have some, you need to get them on all of your guitars!
Let’s review the top-rated guitar string locking tuners that you can add to your guitar, so your strings won’t go out of tune.
Compare the Top Guitar Locking Tuners in 2020
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top Guitar Locking Tuners in 2020
- 2 What We Recommend?
- 3 Common Locking Guitar Tuner Questions
Here’s a list of the best locking guitar tuners that will keep your guitar in tune all the time.
- Fender Locking Tuners
- Grover 406C Rotomatic Mini Locking Machine Heads
- Gotoh MLG3-G 3-On-A-Side Locking Tuners
- Grover 502c Locking Guitar Tuner
- Sperzel 6 In-Line Locking Tuners
Fender Locking Tuners
Specs, features, and benefits
The first thing you notice about these locking tuners is their incredibly beautiful design that looks very luxurious and expensive thanks to the polished chrome or gold finish. These tuners really class up any guitar. You’ll get three longer and three shorter tuners which is great for 6×1 systems.
Install the longer tuners closer to the neck, and the shorter ones further and enjoy this practical design every time you need to change a string or fix the tune and achieve a perfect pitch. The process of changing string is so easy, and the tuners will securely lock them in place while you adjust the pitch. Thanks to the 18:1 gear ratio, the pitch will be very precise, and it will stay in tune for a really long time.
Pros and Highlights
- 18:1 ration – This is one of the most important advantages of these tuners. You could be the best guitar player in the world, and your skills won’t matter if your instrument is out of tune. This gear ratio will give your instrument a precise pitch and will hold the tune much longer.
- Design – Other than the beauty of the design, the fact that you will get three longer and three shorter tuners is great if you have a single row with tuner holes on your guitar.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- They don’t fit all guitars – Since they are mostly made for 6×1 systems, you may have problems with them if you use them on 3×2 holes or guitars that require traditional tuners.
Bottom line
Considering the price that is much more affordable than the price of the locking tuners that have the similar quality, these tuners make a great purchase, and you’ll enjoy the effortless string changing as well as adjustment of the pitch.
Grover 406C Rotomatic Mini 3 per Side Self Locking Machine Heads
Specs, features, and benefits
Another great set of six locking tuners to have if you want to upgrade your instrument or simply change the traditional tuners with the locking ones, for added convenience. These tuners are all in the same size so you can easily use them for the guitars that have three holes on each side for the gears. Since they are mini, they will fit almost every instrument perfectly.
They are very durable and have a precise gear ratio (18:1) which will allow you to use them in years, maybe even decades to come. These locking tuners will lock the string and hold it in place while you’re turning the nut, which means that the string won’t slip and get damaged or make the tuning process more difficult.
Pros and Highlights
- Easy to install – With these tuners, you are most likely to avoid drilling holes in your guitar, which is great because it’s time-saving. You can simply put the tuners inside the holes from both sides, and they will be ready for the strings.
- Lifetime Warranty – This is very useful, in case something happens to the tuners, you’ll be secured for your entire life and get the new set whenever it’s needed.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Weight – Since they are made of very durable material, they may add a bit of weight to the neck of the instrument so you may need some time to get used to it.
Bottom line
If you purchase this set, you’ll have really durable, high-quality tuners that will fit almost every guitar model and that will make changing strings much easier and faster even if you’re not a professional player.
Gotoh MLG3-G 3-On-A-Side Locking Tuners
Specs, features, and benefits
Another set of 3×3 locking tuners that will keep the strings in place, while giving your instrument an amazing look thanks to the elegant and stylish gold color that looks very luxurious. Since it comes with both threaded hex bushings and mounting screws, the installation of these tuners is very easy and quick, as well as changing strings.
With the 16:1 ratio, this set does not only look good but it also tunes the strings precisely. Thanks to the automatic locker that locks the strings in their place as soon as you push the tuner button on the back side of the instrument, the strings will hold the tune for a very long time. You’ll be impressed with their precision, easy use and durability.
Pros and Highlights
- Design – Other than fitting almost every model of the instrument, it’s obvious that manufacturers put a lot of thought into the design of the tuners since they look absolutely amazing thanks to the classy gold color and sleek size.
- Durability – The material does not only look flawless, but it is also very durable because it has really high quality. This means that the gears won’t break even if you have a heavier hand.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Weight – This set is also a bit heavier, so if you prefer a lighter neck on your instrument, you may have a problem with that.
Bottom line
Even though these locking tuners aren’t the most affordable ones on the market, their quality is worth the price because you will save so much time and energy thanks to the simple installation and quality material that will keep your strings in tune.
Grover 502c Locking Guitar Tuner
Specs, features, and benefits
The next ones on the list are these Grover locking tuners that have a really great quality thanks to very durable material that will allow you to tune your strings very easily and quickly, while still holding them locked in place to prevent them from slipping during playing. They will fit almost every guitar, so you won’t have to do much while adjusting the holes on your instrument.
Once the tuners are installed, all you have to do is put the string through the hole and wrap it around the tuner once. Then, you can press the tuner button in order to lock it in place. The next step is to turn the nut until you’re happy with the pitch. Thanks to the 18:1 ratio, the pitch will be perfect, and the tune will be held for a long time.
Pros and Highlights
- Great for left-handed as well as right-handed – Since these tuners have the same size, they are great for guitars that have tuner holes on both sides, three holes per side. This means that it will also fit the guitars for left-handed people.
- Holds tune longer – Thanks to the innovative design, great locking system and the 18:1 ratio, you can be sure that the tune will stay the same for a really long time.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- It’s difficult to lock thicker strings – If the strings you’re using are thicker than 54 gauge, you may have some troubles with the locking mechanism.
Bottom line
After this description, you can conclude that these locking tuners are pretty amazing, especially because they will fit guitars for both right-handed and left-handed and because they are made of durable, sturdy material that guarantees a long usage.
Sperzel 6 In-Line Locking Tuners
Specs, features, and benefits
If you’re in a search for the staggered locking tuners, this model is the best one on the market considering that it’s the favorite one of many guitar makers. When you need 6×1 locking tuners, it can be a bit difficult to find high-quality ones that fit the majority of guitars. That’s why this set should be your choice.
The design of these tuners is pretty sleek, and they are very easy to install. Since they are staggered tuners, the size of every tuner is different. The longest one should be near the neck, and the shortest tuner needs to be the further one. They allow you to adjust the tune quickly while keeping the strings in their place, without them slipping.
Pros and Highlights
- Lightweight – While many locking tuners are usually much heavier than the traditional ones, and that’s exactly why some people avoid using them, this model is very light, which means that you won’t even feel the difference in weight.
- Different size of the tuners – Some of the staggered tuners have the same size, but if the tuners change the length gradually, it’s much easier to insert all of the strings quickly.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- No instructions – Even though it’s not difficult to figure out how to install them, it would be better if they came with the instructions.
Bottom line
Not only are these tuners great for 6×1 holes and hold the tune of every string for a long time they are also very affordable considering that they are one of the best models on the market. They are sleek, elegant and really easy to use, and they won’t break the bank.
What We Recommend?
After changing strings on many different guitars and spending hours and hours playing them, we must agree that our recommendation for the best locking tuners is Fender locking tuners.
Even though they are a bit pricey, we consider them the best ones on the market because of the easy installation, versatility when it comes to guitar models, incredibly elegant design, and most importantly, high quality of the material as well as entire locking and tuning mechanism.
Common Locking Guitar Tuner Questions
What are Locking Tuners and Why You need Them?
Locking tuners are an innovative way of placing strings inside the tuners and adjusting the pitch. Thanks to the different mechanism, the process is much faster than with the traditional tuners, and it requires less time and energy.
Do you enjoy playing the guitar, but you find string changing or tuning to be difficult and annoying? Then you should try out locking tuners. These tuners will make everything much easier and faster compared to the traditional tuners that take time to figure out and use.
While changing strings with the traditional tuners takes time because the entire process is very delicate, and you have to be careful to place the strings well and make sure they aren’t slipping while you’re wrapping them around the nut, the locking tuners will do the job for you.
The biggest advantage of the locking tuners is that they will hold the strings in their place once you put them inside the tuner and lock them with the innovative mechanism of these tuners. When the strings are locked, you can be sure that they won’t slip, and you can proceed to tune them and make sure that the pitch is right.
Also, compared to the traditional tuners, locking tuners require much less string wrapping around the nut of the tuner, which makes the job even easier. Also, this helps the strings to hold the tune better because they won’t stretch too much as they would with the unnecessary wrapping.
So, if you really appreciate quick and stress-free string changing because it’s time-saving and more practical, you should definitely try out this system, and you’ll enjoy the perfect pitch that wasn’t difficult to achieve.
How to find the right tuners for your guitar. – Different tuner types – 3×3 vs 6×1 Tuners
The choice of tuners is more or less individual, and it depends on your preferences. Some people, especially more experienced guitar players, actually prefer the traditional tuning system and they say tuning strings in that way is like a ritual to them. It relaxes them, and they consider it interesting and calming. After the years of experience, a lot of people are pretty fast when it comes to changing strings on the traditional tuners.
The majority of experts say that locking tuners are the best for the guitars that have a vibrato arm or a tremolo bridge because they lock the string in place and prevent any slippage that could happen. However, these tuners are a bit heavier than the traditional ones, so if that’s a problem for you, go with the first type. If you don’t mind a bit of weight on the neck and you actually find it easier for playing, you should definitely upgrade to locking tuners and enjoy their practical use.
These two types are perfect when it comes to the guitars that have two rows with three tuners each (3×3), but if you prefer a single row with six tuners in line (6×1), the best advice is to use staggered tuners. The height of the tuners gradually decreases as they are further than the guitar neck, which allows easier string installation and tuning.
Installation & Guitar Modifications – Drilling pin holes in your headstock
As you may have concluded, not all tuners will be the exact same match to the tuning holes you have in the headstock of your guitar. If you’re lucky enough, the tuners you purchase will fit perfectly. However, you’re most likely to do some minor modifications in order to adjust the size of the holes. You’ll probably need to enlarge the pin holes and potentially drill additional mounting drill holes.
The safest way of enlarging the holes for a bit is to use a peg hole reamer because it will keep the holes round and clean, and you won’t damage the headstock while doing it.
When it comes to mounting screws, you’ll probably need to drill them, and this means that the old ones will stay unused. You can leave them open, or you can place the old mounting screws in order to keep the holes closed. Another solution is to plug the holes, so they aren’t visible.
If however, you’ve enlarged the holes once and then you want to change the tuners again, but this time the tuners have a smaller diameter, it’s a bit tricky to make them fit. What you can do is place conversion bushings inside the holes to fill in the extra space, and this will make the diameter smaller and fit the tuners perfectly.
Once you’re happy with the diameter of the holes, you can put the tuners in and tighten up the mounting screws to hold them in place. A lot of different brands will have different installation process, and they should all include an instruction booklet even though you’ll probably figure out by yourself how to install them. If not, reach out to the professionals to take care of your precious instrument.