Favorite locking tuners in 2025?

[Oddguitar]

Back in the day it used to be Sperzel, but now I'm seeing a lot of boutique guitar brands using Gotoh, Hipshot, Schaller, Grover and Graph Tech Ratio. There are a few that have their own branded tuners as well (which are very likely made in the same factories that supply the aforementioned brands).

What's everyone's favorite?

 

[TSJMajesty]

I have Schaller's on 5 guitars, and I love em. They're shiny, so finding the hole (huhhuh) with my old eyes can be trciky if I don't remember to turn the tuner to where I want it, before removing the string. But other than that, they're great. And I love the gear ratio. It's just right imo.

They're M6-IND, if that matters.

 

[laxu]

Sperzel is probably my least favorite due to the poor gear ratios (less precise tuning adjustment) on the tuners and the rough edges on the thumbwheels.
Schallers tend to be heavy weight.

I like Gotoh Magnum Lock and Hipshot. Gotohs look like regular tuners and the mechanism just automatically locks as you start winding the string.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Gotoh and Hipshot are my favorites these days. I tend to use Hipshots more often because they mount on a plate so you don't need to drill or match hole patterns.
Schallers are fine too but usually more expensive.

 

[451]

+1 for Hipshot locking tuners w/ the plate gizmo. Super easy mounting. +1 for the Gotoh staggered and non-staggered as well, though seems to be some QC variance with some being generally stiffer than other sets.

 

[QQQ]

Gotoh and Hipshot. Depends on the guitar.

 

[Axe]

I grab mine from guitarfetish.com... I probably better than a dozen sets on my guitars.

 

[scole]

Gotoh would be my #1 but I also love the Tone Ninja tuners which seem to have quality at a good price (and have a screw pattern that matches the existing screw holes I’ve needed).

 

[Frankencat]

Gotoh and Hipshot are the main ones I use. Lately I have been digging the Gotoh SD-91 MGT set on Strats.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I've always liked the Planet Waves, and have 4 or 5 sets. Used Sperzel way back in the day, but their ratio and fine tuning wasn't as good. Maybe they're better now though. I have 2 sets of Fender locking and they're pretty good too.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

I actually prefer the Schaller locking tuners I installed on my Fender to the Gotoh ones I put on my Edwards. They are very precise and run smoothly. In direct comparison, the Gotohs feel less steady.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Hipshot and Gotoh.

For cheap partscasters I’ll go GFS and they’re great.

 

[CakeEater]

I've actually gone the other direction on this. I replaced my strat's tuners with Fender Classic-Gear ones where you slot the string down the center of the tuner. The benefits are:

• No pokey end of the string
• the two right angles provide a nice hands-free clamp when re-stringing
• They're realy light, these were 4g lighter each than my previous tuners, lightening my headstock by 24g total, they'll be far lighter than locking tuners
• The have a nice vintage look
• They're cheap

 

[Mikael Dez]

Schaller, and PRS locking tuners are my favorites.

 

[DrewJD82]

Gotoh’s have served me well on several guitars. The normal locking ones and I have the staggered vintage ones on a Strat that remove the need for a string tree.

 

[mbenigni]

I've always liked the Planet Waves, and have 4 or 5 sets.

Same. The auto-cropping feature is excellent. Tool-free string changes.

 

[Baba]

I need to find a replacement for my (old) PRS winged tuners on my 1990 CE. The G and D strings share a screw, so you can't just get any set of tuners, they have to be modded.

I also don't like the ratio on them, or my PRS Phase II locking tuners, but I LOVE the operation/string changes of the Phase II's.

I like what came on my LTD EC-1000, and a set of Grovers that I have on a strat.

 

[iaresee]

I need to find a replacement for my (old) PRS winged tuners on my 1990 CE. The G and D strings share a screw, so you can't just get any set of tuners, they have to be modded.

John Mann makes these: https://www.johnmannsguitarvault.com/prs-phase-i-locking-tuner-set-chrome.html

He also carries modified Schallers that'll work:

* https://www.johnmannsguitarvault.com/schaller-m6-180-locking-tuner-bass-side-chrome-sha.html
* https://www.johnmannsguitarvault.com/schaller-m6-180-locking-tuner-treble-side-chrome-s.html

He literally made the bridge that is on that 1990 CE as well.

 

[Oddguitar]

I've actually gone the other direction on this. I replaced my strat's tuners with Fender Classic-Gear ones where you slot the string down the center of the tuner. The benefits are:

• No pokey end of the string
• the two right angles provide a nice hands-free clamp when re-stringing
• They're realy light, these were 4g lighter each than my previous tuners, lightening my headstock by 24g total, they'll be far lighter than locking tuners
• The have a nice vintage look
• They're cheap

I would love locking tuners that don't have a pokey end of the string

 

[laxu]

I've actually gone the other direction on this. I replaced my strat's tuners with Fender Classic-Gear ones where you slot the string down the center of the tuner. The benefits are:

• No pokey end of the string
• the two right angles provide a nice hands-free clamp when re-stringing
• They're realy light, these were 4g lighter each than my previous tuners, lightening my headstock by 24g total, they'll be far lighter than locking tuners
• The have a nice vintage look
• They're cheap

I love that style on my Jazzmaster.