Hey, all. Picked up a 2019 Standard ‘61 a few weeks back, and while I love the tone, I’m not really a fan of the tuners. My other guitars all have locking tuners, and I would like to do the same for this SG. Anyone have a recommendation for a drop-in replacement (meaning, I don’t have to drill new holes) for this guitar? Thanks so much for any advice you can offer!
Hipshot locking 3x3 tuners with plastic buttons will drop right on the guitar and won’t require any additional drilling. They work great and look sharp if you want a vintage look.
JohnJ, In addition to the aforementioned Hipshots, you might want to check out: Graph Tech Ratio https://graphtech.com/collections/r...tio-electric-locking-machine-heads-3-per-side Kluson Revolution https://www.kluson.com/kluson-3-per...n-series-g-mount-tuning-machines-details.html Sperzel EZ Mount http://www.sperzel.com/custom-options.php I can't guarantee a perfect, no-drill fit with the Kluson Revolution. Perhaps someone else has experience. Personally, I would go with whatever tuners fit your criteria, but are also lightest in weight. You will see many references here to the dreaded "neck dive", which can occur when the headstock is overloaded.
Thanks for that! I'm very familiar with neck dive. I used to own a Warwick Thumb 5, a notorious neck diver. LOVED the sound, hated how hard it was to keep the neck up. Didn't realize this was a problem on SGs though. I've only had mine a few weeks, and have been playing sitting down for the most part.
Winding strings on the posts as pictured below makes any tuner a locking tuner. Been doing it for years without any issues. Doesn't take me any longer to use the string lock method than it did when I had a LP Traditional Pro 50's in the past with locking tuners. It's not that I dislike locking tuners, I just find them to be unnecessary.
+1 on that. With an SG, the critical factor for tuners is the weight. No other factor is important (IMHO of course). The stock tuners are the correct weight. So they may balance perfectly, and that's what you want. Adding tuners that are significantly heavier that the stock tuners will cause annoying neck dive. Locking tuners are completely unnecessary if you use the self locking method as described above. You can google "self locking method of installing guitar strings" and find any number of online tutorials that walk you through it. Once you become handy at this method, you'll wish you had learned it long ago. All that said, if you decide you MUST replace your stock tuners, I'll recommend the Gotoh Locking tuners. These are only a little heavier than the stock gears, and they may not cause a problem. I installed a set on my Epiphone ES-339, and they fit right into the holes (including the screw holes) with no problems. The only thing to make sure of is whether Gotoh makes a set that's designed for Gibsons. I believe they do. Check Philadelphia Luther Tools and Supplies, they have lots of choices. So does StewMac.
I like Hipshot a lot. I usually get mine from a seller names SportHiTech. They usually have a set with the Kluson style keystone buttons for about $60 on Reverb. They come with mounting plates that eliminate the need for screws on the back of the headstock. They seem pretty light too, and you can get them with open gears which looks cool. I just put a set on my new SG Standard.
Poor JohnJ. Before he posted on this forum for the first time yesterday, he didn't even know there was such a thing as neck dive on his SG. Now he'll wake up in the middle of the night thinking about how to solve it. I love forums ...
You talking about the buttons? There are a lots of button options. Some of them are pretty close to stock. Maybe not an exact match. Point is, it's not like you're stuck with the sardine can openers.
I had to learn about heavy tuners the hard way, spending too much money for Grover Rotomatics and then trying to make my guitar function, not realizing it was my own choice of heavy tuners that was causing me all the trouble. When I finally figured out the problem, I got mad. I'm still sore about it, as you may be able to detect. And if I can spare a new member all the grief I went through, I will do my best. Neck dive is optional. Heavy tuners are a bad idea. There it is.
I guess some folks think so. I was going to post about 20 images of hipshots with none looking the least bit authentic to any Gibson or Fender I've ever owned. But if the shiny bumper or steampunkish look grabs you, go for it. To me, they look cheap and cheapen the appearance of the guitar.
