Locking tuners on your 12

[loverickbass]

I was wondering if anyone has put locking tuners on their 12 string? I have them on my G&L Comanche and it seems to make a difference with tuning(maybe it's just my imagination?.) Only draw back I can see is maybe slight neck dive.LOL

Cole

[admin]

Cole: While this may have been tried, I have never heard of anyone making or needing to make this modification to a Rickenbacker 12 string before.

I have two of them and have never had trouble keeping them in tune.

[larry_mondello]

I have found that if you install your strings cleanly with no overlapping and stretch them out , and one winding OVER the post hole and the rest wound 'down' ... then you should have no problem .
If you also trim the slot tuner strings the length of two tuners past the tuner you are installing the string into , (and this is the measurement of two tuners in the slots ) then this makes a lot of difference .

I have found that the Vintage tailpiece works better with the standard strings being feed UP and the octave being fed DOWN . This over and under method does not bend the ball ends and keeps the guitar in tune much better when one of the strings breaks . It also makes it easier to string at a gig if this happens . Both ball ends butt up against the tailpiece ... George Harrison's guitar was strung this way ..check out the HARD DAYS NIGHT DVD .

[adam_swapp]

Most tuning problems are caused by problems with the nut or saddles rather than the tuners. Make sure your nut slots are clean and that there are no burrs in the saddle slots.

There may also be a couple of issues relevant to the RIC 12-string in particular:
- Many of the locking tuners require that you turn the top of the peg to lock the strings. You can't access the top of the pegs for the octave strings, as the pegs are in the slots.
- Many (all?) RIC 12-strings use tuners with a 1-1/8" peg length. Most tuners have a 1" peg length. A simple swap wil leave the hole in the peg poorly positioned.

[loverickbass]

Thanks for all your advise guys! I really think my tuning problems have to do with my heavy hand. I like to rip the jangle out of 'um.

Cole

[bruce]

The main reason I have gone to locking tuners (Sperzels) on my Gretsches and some Gibsons is for quicker string changes.

I haven't noticed an obvious difference with them staying in tune better if I had a nice clean winding with a standard tuner. But, then again, I don't have to worry about that now.

[lazerdriver]

Reviving this topic, since I have been looking at adding locking tuners to my Rics…

As for the slotted post length problem, if the Ric uses Schaller m6 minis (28.8mm post length), then even locking version of m6 minis are too short. The posts on m6 locking tuners are 27mm, 1.8mm shorter than the post on the m6 locking. So the post of a locking m6 mini won’t reach the slotted second hole. I have looked into the specs of many brands of tuners and no one makes a locking tuner with a 28.8mm post. Even the locking Gotohs with the height adjustable post aren’t long enough.

Another problem is if the locking mechanism is a thumb wheel, then I have noticed there is not enough clearance between the thumb wheel of the slotted tuner and the button of its corresponding non-slotted tuners for most button types. The only button types I have found to allow enough clearance are tulip (some, not all), barrel, or Hipshot style buttons. Most other button style will not work.

[iiipopes]

No. I don't need them. I have the stock Klusons from when the guitar was built in 1981. Here's the deal: when you change a string, gently pull the excess tension out of it. Pick it up slightly at the bridge and the nut to equalize the tension over the saddles and nut. Always tune from below the note to the note. if the string goes sharp while playing, lift the string up a little and re-seat it. If it stays sharp, back off and repeat the procedure.

Now, this is something I do that some consider off-the-wall. When my guitar was built, Rickenbacker did not use bushings on the slot tuners, only the top tuners. So I measured the diameter of the tuner posts, purchase as set of stamped nickel mandolin bushings, trimmed the flanges to fit and installed them. That has virtually eliminated any residual tuning issues. Picture attached.

12-String Headstock Pic ver2.jpg (100.33 KiB) Viewed 1241 times

[Korladis]

I was wondering if anyone has put locking tuners on their 12 string? I have them on my G&L Comanche and it seems to make a difference with tuning(maybe it's just my imagination?.) Only draw back I can see is maybe slight neck dive.LOL

Cole

I don't have a Rickenbacker 12, but I do have an Epiphone 12 which I replaced the stock tuners with locking hipshot ones on. I replace all tuners on all guitars with locking ones, not just because most of my guitars have less high quality stock tuners than you find on Rickenbackers but also because I'm a bassist primarily and find guitar string changes annoying in comparison. Less time changing strings means I change strings more often and have more time playing on newish strings, and therefore playing is more fun for me.

On a high quality guitar like a Rickenbacker they don't skimp on the stock tuners so I doubt you would notice much difference in tuning stability between them and replacement locking units. That said, if you hate changing strings, it may be worth it. The biggest difference in tuning stability comes from a good setup on any instrument, especially on a 12.