favorite tuners?

[honyock]

I just found a seller on eBay who had my favorite tuners (Planet Waves Autotrims), they haven't been made in left handed inline in years and must be they got them in a case lot sale type thing. They had 3 sets, so I had to buy them all, even if they are gold and I have only 1 guitar with gold hardware that can use them at the moment...

Reminds me of when I found a couple NIB Hot Rod Drop top convertible bridges and bought them both to install on my only remaining SX strats (although one has since been mated with an Agile neck). I had bought a couple years prior and made the mistake of selling both of those guitars. The LPB also had these tuners on it when I sold it.
Sold in 2017...boy was I stupid

Sold in 2014...again stupidity

Taking the opportunity to install my Vibramate and Bigsby B5 on my Harley Benton Explorer copy, since this is the only stop tail with gold hardware and an inline headstock I own, now I need to think about which other guitars to find a home for the other 2 sets.

[dabbler]

Congrats! Auto-trims are my favorite, too!

I had looked for a left hand inline set for a while that I could use in conjunction with a right hand inline set to put on a guitar I had with a 3x3 headstock that used the angled screw mount. I finally gave up looking.

Auto-trims are the bomb! Enjoy!

[solteroblues]

Are these the same as the D'Addario autotrim? Sweetwater has 3+3 sets and a bunch of inline in right hand... the 3+3 are only 69 while the inline are 99, so you could nearly buy 2 sets of 3+3 for the one inline

[dabbler]

Are these the same as the D'Addario autotrim? Sweetwater has 3+3 sets and a bunch of inline in right hand... the 3+3 are only 69 while the inline are 99, so you could nearly buy 2 sets of 3+3 for the one inline

Yes, same tuners.

[andrewsrea]

For a second, I thought the thread was going to be about Snark-type tuning devices.

I will typicaly get by with any type of guitar tuner, but am extremely picky when it comes to replacements. First is low weight, as I despise a heavy headstock. Second, would be the fit of the mechanisms: loose enough to be fast, tight enough to ensure a consistent feel and prevent wobbly parts. Next would be a preference towards a higher ratio for easier fine tuning. Then comes locking, which it can be as simple as the vintage Kluson forked posts with the hole type lock. Last, a resonant material for the post and screw plate, like brass or aluminum, for one additional iota of resonance and sustain.

Some that fit the bill for me are the Steinberger 40:1 tuners on my Gibson Firebird, Kluson Supreme (18:1) non stagger that I have on my Squier Strat, Kluson Deluxe 3x3 on my Les Paul and a Set of Gotoh Kluson copies, which are more like the old 50's style with 16:1 ratio and is on my Agile 2300.

Again, I can make a nice set of Grover's or even stock SX tuners work.

[honyock]

Are these the same as the D'Addario autotrim? Sweetwater has 3+3 sets and a bunch of inline in right hand... the 3+3 are only 69 while the inline are 99, so you could nearly buy 2 sets of 3+3 for the one inline

I got each set for less than $40 each.

[honyock]

finished the install today, I forgot how much these liven up the sound, or maybe it is just the EXL110w strings vs the dead stock Harley Benton strings...

I think it could be because they use a steel body shaft that is the same size as the tuner hole in the head stock so there is very little wiggle room and the harder material vs a typical cast Chinesium tuner. I've got the same strings on my other HB Explorer albeit with a stop tail vs. a Bigsby, but it does have locking Grover tuners. It really only applies to playing chords with open strings though. Once you start playing up the neck, they sound very similar.

They are 222g vs 194g that they replaced (HB branded Gotoh style).

For scale next to my Dean ML. These are quite a bit smaller than the real deal Gibson Explorer.

[honyock]

For a second, I thought the thread was going to be about Snark-type tuning devices.

I will typicaly get by with any type of guitar tuner, but am extremely picky when it comes to replacements. First is low weight, as I despise a heavy headstock. Second, would be the fit of the mechanisms: loose enough to be fast, tight enough to ensure a consistent feel and prevent wobbly parts. Next would be a preference towards a higher ratio for easier fine tuning. Then comes locking, which it can be as simple as the vintage Kluson forked posts with the hole type lock. Last, a resonant material for the post and screw plate, like brass or aluminum, for one additional iota of resonance and sustain.

Some that fit the bill for me are the Steinberger 40:1 tuners on my Gibson Firebird, Kluson Supreme (18:1) non stagger that I have on my Squier Strat, Kluson Deluxe 3x3 on my Les Paul and a Set of Gotoh Kluson copies, which are more like the old 50's style with 16:1 ratio and is on my Agile 2300.

Again, I can make a nice set of Grover's or even stock SX tuners work.

The patent for the mechanism is from Ned Steinberger, but they are pretty typical 18:1 die cast body with a hardened steel post that carries the larger thread and the cutting edge in one piece. It makes for a lot more bearing surface for the post which I would say is the biggest difference between these and my Grover locking tuners. The post is a lot more solidly mounted to the geartrain more like a Sperzel.

[andrewsrea]

finished the install today, I forgot how much these liven up the sound, or maybe it is just the EXL110w strings vs the dead stock Harley Benton strings...

I think it could be because they use a steel body shaft that is the same size as the tuner hole in the head stock so there is very little wiggle room and the harder material vs a typical cast Chinesium tuner. I've got the same strings on my other HB Explorer albeit with a stop tail vs. a Bigsby, but it does have locking Grover tuners. It really only applies to playing chords with open strings though. Once you start playing up the neck, they sound very similar.

They are 222g vs 194g that they replaced (HB branded Gotoh style).

20250127_213036.jpg20250127_213032.jpg
For scale next to my Dean ML. These are quite a bit smaller than the real deal Gibson Explorer.
20250127_213008.jpg

20250127_215022.jpg

Those pointy guitars make me want to get my Scorpions on!