A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

So PRS says that "anything that touches the strings is God" and is releasing a new tuner design that is supposed to...be better? Apparently they're lighter, which is good, but there's also some talk about how they "open up the vowel sound of the guitar" and make "the whole guitar sound more musical". Which all sounds very "more detailed in the mids" to me, but I guess the proof will be in the pudding...

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/prs-wing-button-tuners

https://prsguitars.com/blog/post/fine_t ... ton_tuners

It seems like the whole contention is based on them being lighter in weight. I would be interested in knowing the weight and how that compares to their original tuners. Also how does the weight of these new tuners compare to those used by Gibson, Fender and others. Perhaps others were already that light or maybe this new design is lighter than anything on the market. It is interesting and makes me want more information.

That's just about the most over-sold woo-woo I've read yet. Do tuners at all affect the sound? Sure. Is it significant? No.

Touching the strings? Close.

God-like? Without question.

https://youtube.com/shorts/F8B-EIifgmw? ... ak1u_B2hvs

I did not hear a thing until the third time through.

Watching that video gave me an idea for another style of tuner, probably already patented though.

I was always a fan of lighter tuner buttons & machines, mostly for the hate of neck-dive. I did know that increasing contact with the wood and eliminating any wobble was good for sustain and tuning stability. Also, that more mass on the headstock = flatter frequency response and more sustain.

The Groove Tubes company, pre-Fender, had a product called a 'Fat Head' for Strats and Telecasters which was a plate to increase sustain and I got to try one. It did the job for creating sustain and also fatigue your fret hand from having to support the neck dive.

If there is one consistency with PRS guitars throughout the years is, they are never satisfied. Always improving what they already improved. Or, tweaking themselves out of a good thing, like most of us have at one time or another.

toomanycats wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 11:56 am Touching the strings? Close.

God-like? Without question.

https://youtube.com/shorts/F8B-EIifgmw? ... ak1u_B2hvs

She knows what she's doing.

And in 10 years they will be touching the strings.

I'm guessing they were made of brass?

mozz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 19, 2024 6:38 pm I'm guessing they were made of brass?

Capture d’écran, le 2021-01-07 à 04.34.43.jpg

Yes, that is a FatHead and it was brass. My GT rep Steve gave me one and I quickly sold or traded. It was at least 12 ounces added to the headstock and if you played standing up, your fret hand was done after 20 minutes of supporting the neck and trying to play. The guitar was acoustically less loud, flatter response (less mids) and much longer piano-like sustain.

I have at least two feelings about this. One is that PRS is a nerd absolutely obsessed with tone. I don't know if one can really hear the difference between older tunes and these newer ones, but overall the addition to detail he puts into guitars is second to none and I definitely appreciate all that goes into the guitars PRS makes.

I genuinely don't know if lighter is better, but I do think that I'd probably notice if my guitar was even a half pound lighter. I'm not claiming that's the actual weight reduction.