Stringing Sperzel Locking Tuners and Sound Lock Tuners
Sperzel Locking tuners and Sound Lock tuners are a wonderful advancement in precision tuning. Their unique design aids in getting into tune, staying in tune, and rapid re-stringing.
Sperzel's unique design and precise manufacturing tolerances eliminate shaft wobble, backlash, and end-play, greatly reducing your guitar's tuning problems. The housing extends further up the shaft, with the bushing threads on the outside, keeping the shaft "solid as a rock".
The locking feature eliminates the need for multiple string wraps, and trem users won't need a locking nut. Restringing is lightning fast! The 6 in line tuners are height staggered, allowing the removal of the string trees.
Here's how the Locking Tuners work
The tuner lock knob is loosened, and the string end is inserted into the hole in the tuner's shaft.
The string is pulled much more taut than with a conventional tuner, as the goal is to have approximately ¼ to ½ wrap of the string on the tuner shaft when the string is tuned to pitch.
More than ½ wrap can create the tuning instability problems associated with multiple string wraps.
While holding the string in place, the locking knob is turned to lock the string in place in the tuner shaft.
The string is tuned to pitch with the tuner button, and the excess string is cut. Repeat these steps with the remaining strings.
You will find that the strings require less "stretching" with locking tuners. This is due to the fact that most of the "stretching" of the strings necessary with conventional tuners is actually "seating" the multiple string wraps.
Sperzel Sound Lock Tuners
Sperzel Sound Lock tuners have the same precision tuning gear mechanism as the Locking tuners. The differences are in the vintage style open housing, and the Sound Lock feature that locks the strings in a different manner.
The Sound Lock tuners have a split shaft, and a hole in the shaft similar to vintage tuners of the past. In the case of the Sound Lock tuners, the hole is off center, slightly to the side of the shaft. This aids in the string lock up, producing a "friction lock" and eliminates the need for multiple string wraps.
½ to 1 full wrap of the string on the post is all that is needed with the Sound Lock tuners.
Insert the string end into the hole in the tuner's shaft. The string will go all the way through the tuner shaft, coming out the rear of the tuner. This feature is very convenient when "restringing on the fly" where cutters may not be handy.
Bend the string so that it lies across the slot.
Hold the string in place while tuning the string to pitch with the tuner button. Trim the string end at the rear of the tuner.
Repeat these steps with the remaining strings. As with the Locking Tuners, the strings will require much less "stretching" as multiple string wraps are not needed.
