Guitar tuning key question:
OK jeenyusiz, time to show off your non-GNX know how. 8)
I have sealed tuners on my Ibanez, which have the teeny phillips screws at the end of each key for adjusting the tension.
I'd like to loosen them so the tuners have a very light touch for minute adjustments. But does that mean the key would have more slippage or slip easier? Would I have to tighten them down to reduce slippage, or is the slip-resistance the same wherever the turning tension is set?
I have sealed tuners on my Ibanez, which have the teeny phillips screws at the end of each key for adjusting the tension.
I'd like to loosen them so the tuners have a very light touch for minute adjustments. But does that mean the key would have more slippage or slip easier? Would I have to tighten them down to reduce slippage, or is the slip-resistance the same wherever the turning tension is set?
Comments
That small screw is used to change the amount of resistance between the gears, thus giving a stiffer feel to the tuner and holding the gears tighter. If that screw is over-tightened...the gears of the tuning head will wear prematurely. What the screw tightens is a couple plastic or fiber washers together to create friction, and put pressure on the machine gears.
You have around 200 lbs. of tension on those strings. The tightening ratio is around 17:1...which allows for easy small adjustments....but either a lot of string changing, and maybe over-tightening is going to require you to change out the tuners, eventually.
I think 'tou has the gist...I wanted a nice smooth easy-turning feel, but the looser you make the tuner friction, the more likely it'd be to slip or creep.
So I'm gonna tighten them down a bit and deal with the higher friction/stiffer turning, without making them tight enough to wear the tuners out. I need this git'r to stay in tune better, or I'm gonna get tired of playing it. I HATE tuning. And I REALLLLLY hate playing when out of tune. :evil: