That's what I was pondering, I just couldn't put it into words. Aesthetically they look nice. I could imagine they may help in not getting poked by cut string. Sometimes it can be difficult getting your fingers between the tuners without affecting another string. I could probably find a few more possible advantages. I think with the need to throw a wrench into the sprocket might not be worth the extra time and money to change out!
@@spiderfan1974 yeah I get what you’re saying about the floyd, but guitarist that use a guitar with a Floyd usually compensate until the song is over and switch guitars, but imagine these are on Stevie ray Vaughn’s strat, then that amazing clip of him doing a live string change would never exist, I just feel like they’re over complicating things for something that is subjectively uglier, so there’s really no advantage to these for me. It’s not functionally convenient, and it not good looking
@@MrMusicfreak95 with those much like a Floyd you get your back up axe or #2 if you prefer. That is if you are lucky enough to be in a band with two or more guitarists. Your friend or tech can have your work horse back to you when your done with the song if they know what they are doing. I've been the "guitar tech" for the night many o' times. Get into the show for free see it from the side of the stage. Just hand your buddy a fresh guitar and be a combat medic if need be. Not much would change with these tuners or a floyd.
@@toneseeker4968 your missing out if you set one up right you have to beat that guitar out of tune. I say this now and I'll do it. But I'm gonna tempt fate here. I haven't broken a string accidentally in years. Have I done it on porpoise yeah once or twice. If your competent at guitar string breaks don't happen that often. Unless it's not yours and your friend uses 8's and you use 10's. Then you owe your friend a set of strings but if it's your guitar you'll know when to stop bending.
Actually, not so much outside the box as they are clearly inspired by the steinberger tuning machines (althought not a copy). If these look more sturdy than the steinberger, the later don't need an allen key.
They weren't thinking at all, let alone "outside" of any box. They just wanted to do it different at any price. Dragging the string over a 90 degree edge is such a bad idea.
I agree completely, I only need my jewelers screwdriver set to slightly tighten the Gotoh tuners maybe once a year on my Epiphone & it stays in tune without any problem & my Fender tuners also do the job on my Partscaster. The "Riot" brand do look cool & different I must say though.
One thing he didn't mention, but looks like a possible advantage is that the break angle of the strings may be sharper since the string practically goes straight into the headstock.
On the other hand, on a Strat for example, if the new break angle is significantly increased there may be a need to relieve the nut slots on the headstock side. These tuners have good reviews for their accuracy and tuning stability, but they are just a mess in terms of design.
Agreed. That was my first thought. Do you want your headstock taking that kind of stress while in a hard case? Especially LP players. They're known for head stock breaks.
That was my thought exactly; in a case with limited clearance under the headstock; they could put pressure on the headstock inside the case. I would need to see exactly how deep they are to be certain that I am correct about that.
The need for the Allen key is a deal breaker. Really cool other that that though. Maybe if they were to add a small thumbwheel and ditch the allen key I would be willing to try them.
I was looking for something like this- a tuner that wasn't limited by having to go along the edge of the headstock! You can take a blank headstock, put the tuners EXACTLY in line with the strings, and make the headstock any shape you want to! 😎
I got a set of brass ones after watching this video and all I can say I'm filled with regret. One tuner had a bad bearing so I emailed them with the issue asking for a new bearing cause I'm handy and understanding. They offered a new tuner but never followed through. I ordered a single tuner to try and move forward on my build but they sent the wrong one. Another email back and forth resulting in an apology and a refund for the wrong tuner but no replacement so far. Stick with steinberger people!
They are way less practical. You are right. It requires that you "loop all the unwound string" hmmmmmmm so exactly like the Wilkinson tuners with their EZ lock design. Yeah I agree with the other guy too who said it was a step backwards in engineering, because it is, there is literally other tuning machines that do the same thing cheaper, more effective, more practical and more aesthetically pleasing.
I would be afraid that the strings would break faster at the point where they are bent in a rather small radius around the entrance hole rim. On standard tuning machines that bend radius is way larger.
@@patricktaylor8657 There is a lot of friction involved _after_ the hole in the peg because normally strings are wound several times around the peg, and this reduces the tension _at_ the hole (and the sharp bend). But in this case of the entrance hole rim the whole tension of the string is lying on this hard bend.
@@harry_mair idk why you guys are hating on Gibson. Their guitars are classics. They do have their problems but that doesn’t mean their bad instruments...
@@ZitherBeast is it though? Its a pretty played out joke. Low hanging fruit. Plus they are nice guitars. People only make fun of it cause they can’t afford a real les paul.
@@Ottophil Gotta learn to laugh my man, I like what I have, but funny is funny. Gibson has their big boy pants on, and if they don't they should. It's funny.
@@Ottophil lots of us have had numerous Gibson's. The precision and craftsmanship is a joke. 50 years of trading on a name. Acoustics fine. Known design flaws on numerous electrics.
I’d rather have the Steinberger gearless tuners on a Firebird. No Allen key required to change the strings and the knobs on the back don’t stick out as far on the back.
A lot like the Steinberger tuners on my Warmoth frankenstrat but it does seem like a better design than the Steinberger except changing strings is really easy with the Steinberger tuners, this might be cool for the body mounted tuners on my bc Rich double neck twelve string neck
Interesting, but I agree with other commenters here: - they don't look as nice as a good set of normal locking tuners - they don't fit in guitar cases as easily as normal locking tuners - they require a hex key, unlike normal locking tuners - they require an extra looping of the unwound strings, which is a hassle compared to normal locking tuners Against all those inconveniences, the only advantage appears to be that they're slightly lighter than the tuners they replaced, and maybe that the position on the back of the headstock is a bit more convenient to your hand while you're tuning them. That's just not enough of a benefit to overcome the drawbacks. Not dissing the video, of course! Darrell, your stuff is always fun and informative; this vid is no exception. But when I say it's "informative," well...the information I'm taking away is that I'll pass on these tuners.
Definitely put your guitar in the case and measure the gap from the bottom of the case to the back of the tuners before buying these. If you have a case that is designed for angled headstocks it might work since it drops away from the higher string tuners.
@@David-uq2uk thanks for clearing that up. I was worried they might be too long and pose a risk to a guitar falling backwards, hitting the floor tuner-first and the headstock absorbing the impact.
Needing to keep track of a hex key makes it a non-starter for me. Looks *sorta* cool from the front I guess, but really seems to be trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. I can think of lots of better stuff to spend $100 bucks on.
Yep, too much mucking around, although they seem to be top quality. I'd say we're looking at about $200 AUD by the time we get them shipped down to Aussie which makes them reasonably expensive. Great video as usual, thanks.
I’ll never forget in the early 1980’s after I designed the Genesis G-6 Illusion model guitar for Schecter in Dallas. As part of our deal they gave me a Schecter Strat with their Schaller made locking bridge Floyd style whammy with a locking nut. It was a beautiful Mary Kay style Strat, only it had the latest floating locking whammy system. My very first gig where I used it was at Mother Blues, in Dallas, and that night guitar legend Bugs Henderson stopped by to sit in with my band. I was so excited and he got on stage and we started ripping it up. About halfway through the first tune my high E string had somehow slipped beyond the range of the fine tuner do I got out the Allen wrench to readjust it. I instantly dropped the Allen wrench onto a stage covered with old beer drenched and gaffer taped up shag carpet and it was dark in the club and onstage. I spent the next 20 minutes crawling around on this nasty carpet looking for the tiny black Allen wrench. I sold that guitar the next day. Any tuning gear that requires a separate tool to adjust is stupid AF.
@@kenz2756 they're rioting all over Canada right now, far more justifiably than in the USA, as their government just extended and expanded the couf19 lockdown and relevant restrictions AGAIN. Ontario is on fire right now, from what my friends across the north border tell me.
@@abrahama2643 Harder that normal tuners. The reason why is because the hole the string goes through has a break angle of 90 degrees, while a normal tuner only has to deal with the break angle coming off from the string tree which has a less drastic break angle of around 10 to 20 degrees depending on string. So it creates more friction over the extra angle. However I will say that the difference should be small and would likely need a side by side comparison to feel that difference. But just because its not "that" noticeable doesn't mean its a good design, this is still a bad design because cheaper ones work on the same principal. No reason to reinvent the wheel on this one.
@@evilcowboy Good points. I agree. One of the first things I noticed is the sharp angle going into the hole. It seems like if you do lots of fine tuning, the edge will chew away at the string.
I could see these being useful on the lower neck of a double-neck, where the buttons of standard tuners might be too close to the other headstock. I don't think I want to pay a hundred bucks for that convenience though.
I thought of this before since I'm a small custom guitar tuner maker called Perona. It wasn't new either, same concept had been marketed by Steinberg and another company I can't recall the brand name. Did a concept design and nah, decided it really didn't offer any advantage over a standard 18:1 worm gear design. But it's always inspiring to see new concepts being brought to market. 😀
I think I can also see a potential issue where the strings pass over the metal edge of the tuner front string insertion hole, as the string at this point Is having to bend 90 degrees where it enters the hole to the tuner; thus potentially creating a friction point/sticking point.
Based on the thumbnail I assumed I wouldn’t dig these tuners, but after the vid, I really like em. I hope you do a long term review. Thanks for sharing these.
It looks like it would def help compared to typical staggered tuners, but a good low friction string tree (or 2...) is still a good idea no matter *what* for the flat/6-in-line/Fender-style headstocks. Staggered tuners alone don’t help *enough* for a proper break angle over the nut to where there’s no maddening side effects Just my opinion
EPIC! This is the kind of cutting edge "wish I had thought of that" wonderful reviews this channel is well known for. I only hope Darrell never ever runs out of material, Amen.
@Dave Stevens I upgraded to a strobe tuner for the first time last year. I want to make that wheel stop spinning so bad... I'd happily take 4 full turns per semitone, lol.
Anyone with a pros/cons after using these for a while? Concerned about the bend angle & how tuning changes would be affected. Also concerned about how they stick out on the back, and if you try to hang them in (for example) a 3-guitar tree stand with weight-triggered locking clamps. I had robotuners on a Strat for a while & the mechanism/battery compartment stuck out too far, and couldn't be hung up in the stand. These look like they stick out even farther...
Very cool! I appreciate the concept at first look, they are almost like a "Space Age Banjo Tuner!" They should sell the tuners with a bracket to hold the Allen key on the back of the headstock like the guitars with a Floyd Rose trem
Thanks for reviewing this product. These are a similar concept to Steinberger tuners which I installed on my last build. Steinberger's are slightly lighter at 29.5 grams and much faster to change strings. These riot tuners look great from the front (very neat). They look industrial from the back. The Steinbergers are neat at the back but more industrial from the front ..... but .... thats what enables the faster string change.
Goddamnit.......my bucket is gone........guess I know where it went now lmfao. Seriously, you are 100% right, they look pretty meh and not very impressive at all. Maybe they look like a junk bolt because thats where you are gonna put them eventually. I can see someone trying them out and then getting frustrated loosing an allen key and just throw them out and revert. It is also a pointless product as I am pretty sure most people who would put these on a Fender would rather keep the original tuners because they work fine, even the non-locking type from Fender. It a solution to a problem nobody had.
You'd probably discover a few other new words if you didn't have a good set of flush trim cutters with these. They do seem like they'd be more comfortable to tune with than the standard tuners though.
Hard pass from this builder. Esthetically speaking, cool concept. The break angle is slightly improved on a flat headstock design, but might be too much on an angled design. And as you pointed out... Changing strings in a hurry on the side of the stage would be impossible. They are an interesting concept though.
That's innovative for sure! I'm pretty impressed by the weight, they looked way heavier than the standard locking tuners. Maybe I'm wrong but it feels like it might me too easy to accidentally turn the barrel and put your guitar out of tube? It kinda looked like it needed way less than a regular tuning key to turn.
They are apparently 40:1 gear ratio, so more than twice as precise (takes *more* movement to get the same given pitch “distance”) than typical tuners. So it takes more turns to get it up to tune but with advantage of having control and precision, tho I’ve never tried these specific tuners
These may interfere with you Neck laying Flat in your Case as they protrude quite a bit .. No Quick String Change there !! I'll stick with my original Strat Locking Tuners ..
I had a Les Paul Future with those Steinberger keys. Looked weird, but found them useful for precision tuning. They look way better on the firebird for sure
As far as the screw holes cosmetic problem, all you have to do is Screw back on the old screws from the old machine heads and they will look awesome like they belong there
You would need to use shorter screws or shorten some screws. You could drill the holes a little deeper but that would risk drilling all the way through the head.
I was very interested in what these tuners seemed to promise, right up until you pulled out the Allen key. I didn't see any point watching beyond that point. What kind of lazy designer would be satisfied with requiring an allen key set screw to install a set of strings? .
Something else I noticed that you didn't mention is, unlike with standard tuning machines on a strat, the strings are perfectly straight from the nut to the tuners, meaning that there's no bend. With standard tuners, the strings will have a slight bend sideways at the nut. That lack of a bend is going to increase your tuning stability, especially if you use the vibrato bar, since it reduces friction. I like these. May need to consider these for a couple of my guitars.
@@saintnash1 Yes, I see your point, but if you live down here in Aussie & you've just spent over $200 for them I'm thinking they might be sort of permanent. Cheers, all the best.
I think with these, aesthetics are probably the last thing that'd come to mind. Seems like they'd go well with certain headless guitar designs, and I do appreciate the 40:1 ratio.
You could put spacers under those tuners to achieve stagger and ditch the string tree. 🤔 How does that fit in the typical strat case? Do they dig into the lining or just float due to neck support?
One of my guitars is a 1975 Ibanez. It has the best "standard style" tuning machines I've used or have seen.. Two reasons:. 1) The posts are not round, they are hexagons so slipping has never been an issue. 2) Behind / below the tuning key is a knurled collar that is the drag adjustment for the machine. I always thought they were great and wish I could find similar new machines with these features.
@@martinkrauser4029 That's a surprise. They look like chrome wheel studs sticking out the back of the headstock. They do make the front look tidy though, if a tad spartan. That could just be "the shock of the new" though.. Ta.
@@Peasmouldia I think it's a visual thing. We compare the back part to the front part, and regular non-locking tuners will have the gear enclosure stick out about as far back as the tuning post stick out up front. And even on locking tuners, the turning knobs can extend further back than the gear enclosure. So the whole thing looks more compact in that dimension than it is. With these tuners, you have none of those visual points of reference and the only thing that has any sort of real size is the part on the back, so it seems larger than it, apparently, is. Mind you, I've not seen them in person or actually found the manufacturers measurements anywhere. I'm just relaying the comment by another user.
@@martinkrauser4029 You're right about the visual aspect. I'm old and preconditioned as to what a machine head should look like. I've built a few guitars over the years and spent a lot on high end tuners. If these provide excellent tuning stability, I would get over my asteti
For instance, on a floyd rose, you can't use the fine tuners after a while because threads have ends, so they reach their "min" or "max" positions. (I know, they are called fine tuners for a reason.) Sooo, can the same thing happen to these tuner machines? I might be misunderstanding how these work.
Fender lockers work with your fingers for a very good reason. All of the so-called advantages you mentioned already existed with the stock tuners except aesthetics, which these mess up with the open holes. So the only advantage is actually a downside. And as a bonus, you just messed up the perfect tuner/nut alignment you previously had. There should be a law against turning a Strat into an LP. The Gibson joke is on YOU! But wait, there's more. They cost DOUBLE what Fender tuners cost!!! ROFLMAO.
Great video! 2 thoughts: - An advantage of this design that I didn't hear you cover is that the break angle will basically be as low as possible (barring slotted designs), so on non-angled headstocks this should help out immensely with regards to break angles and such. - I think Firebird enthusiasts would really enjoy these tuners! They would probably mean less neck-diving, for sure, as they are lighter, and also fit the general aesthetic, as the buttons themselves aren't visible from the front, just like on banjo tuners.
Hey, I've got a set of those that I have yet to install. I purchased mine back before Riot tuners had that name. He was only using them on his travel guitar builds at that time. Surprised you didn't show tuning up process to demonstrate how the low-ratio tuners work. Either way, nice video, "Braun!"
Let's be honest with ourselves and admit that so much of customizing a guitar is about looks, since sound is rarely affected by these types of changes. In that case, I am all for these tuners. They kind of stand out and change the look enough that people will notice, without being overly gaudy.
Yea, I don't see much benefit to these tuners otherwise. But honestly, if you think they look good, then go for it. I think they'd look really cool on a Danelectro or surf guitar.
Thanks for tuning in 😁😁😁
Part of me wants to press dislike on this comment.
It is our pleasure!
Of course Darrell
LOL
Happy to *drop* in, glad the door was *open*
The way Darrell can slip jabs in while still speaking like it's a compliment. He's approaching mother-in-law skill levels.
AND without them having to be only during a holiday dinner.
Hahahaha
LOL
Hahahaha!
Lol!
I feel like these are a solution to a problem no one has.
Plus, you're going to need a deeper guitar case...
That's what I was pondering, I just couldn't put it into words.
Aesthetically they look nice.
I could imagine they may help in not getting poked by cut string.
Sometimes it can be difficult getting your fingers between the tuners without affecting another string.
I could probably find a few more possible advantages. I think with the need to throw a wrench into the sprocket might not be worth the extra time and money to change out!
I would catch the tuners sticking off the back on so many things. Also I never needed an Allen key to string my guitar.
BINGO
I'd only use them on a Steinberger with gearless tuners
Break string on stage...”hold on guys can’t find my Allen wrench!”
How's it any different from a guitar with a floyd?
@@spiderfan1974 yeah I get what you’re saying about the floyd, but guitarist that use a guitar with a Floyd usually compensate until the song is over and switch guitars, but imagine these are on Stevie ray Vaughn’s strat, then that amazing clip of him doing a live string change would never exist, I just feel like they’re over complicating things for something that is subjectively uglier, so there’s really no advantage to these for me. It’s not functionally convenient, and it not good looking
@@MrMusicfreak95 with those much like a Floyd you get your back up axe or #2 if you prefer. That is if you are lucky enough to be in a band with two or more guitarists. Your friend or tech can have your work horse back to you when your done with the song if they know what they are doing. I've been the "guitar tech" for the night many o' times. Get into the show for free see it from the side of the stage. Just hand your buddy a fresh guitar and be a combat medic if need be. Not much would change with these tuners or a floyd.
@@spiderfan1974 No difference! That's why I don't own a guitar with a floyd, either!
@@toneseeker4968 your missing out if you set one up right you have to beat that guitar out of tune. I say this now and I'll do it. But I'm gonna tempt fate here. I haven't broken a string accidentally in years. Have I done it on porpoise yeah once or twice. If your competent at guitar string breaks don't happen that often. Unless it's not yours and your friend uses 8's and you use 10's. Then you owe your friend a set of strings but if it's your guitar you'll know when to stop bending.
I love that companies are trying new stuff and thinking outside the box, but these seem like more trouble than they're worth...
Actually, not so much outside the box as they are clearly inspired by the steinberger tuning machines (althought not a copy). If these look more sturdy than the steinberger, the later don't need an allen key.
They weren't thinking at all, let alone "outside" of any box. They just wanted to do it different at any price. Dragging the string over a 90 degree edge is such a bad idea.
I agree completely, I only need my jewelers screwdriver set to slightly tighten the Gotoh tuners maybe once a year on my Epiphone & it stays in tune without any problem & my Fender tuners also do the job on my Partscaster. The "Riot" brand do look cool & different I must say though.
Just a point: Were these designed by Felix Wankel?
No need changing something that works. These look hideous.
One thing he didn't mention, but looks like a possible advantage is that the break angle of the strings may be sharper since the string practically goes straight into the headstock.
Was thinking the same thing, definitely a better break angle overall. Also 40:1 gears really appeals to me personally
Yes, in fact I was wondering if it was enough to eliminate the need for the string trees.
GuitarSquatch
Agree.
On the other hand, on a Strat for example, if the new break angle is significantly increased there may be a need to relieve the nut slots on the headstock side.
These tuners have good reviews for their accuracy and tuning stability, but they are just a mess in terms of design.
That's what caught my interest, too.
I'm picturing those bottoming out inside a lot of hard cases and fitting really weird inside of soft cases.
Good point.
I was about to say pretty much the same thing.
Agreed. That was my first thought. Do you want your headstock taking that kind of stress while in a hard case? Especially LP players. They're known for head stock breaks.
That was my thought exactly; in a case with limited clearance under the headstock; they could put pressure on the headstock inside the case. I would need to see exactly how deep they are to be certain that I am correct about that.
@@fredkorkosz9370 those are not worth the effort
The need for the Allen key is a deal breaker. Really cool other that that though. Maybe if they were to add a small thumbwheel and ditch the allen key I would be willing to try them.
Yeah just a horrible design IMO
stick on back of head stock with 2 sided tape like Eddie would ???? lol
@@je-2024_1 Still a hassle.
Anyone with a Floyd already has to have allens in their case.
And anyone with vintage tuners has to have string cutter in their case
I was looking for something like this- a tuner that wasn't limited by having to go along the edge of the headstock! You can take a blank headstock, put the tuners EXACTLY in line with the strings, and make the headstock any shape you want to! 😎
Hammerhead baby
I got a set of brass ones after watching this video and all I can say I'm filled with regret. One tuner had a bad bearing so I emailed them with the issue asking for a new bearing cause I'm handy and understanding. They offered a new tuner but never followed through. I ordered a single tuner to try and move forward on my build but they sent the wrong one. Another email back and forth resulting in an apology and a refund for the wrong tuner but no replacement so far. Stick with steinberger people!
If you turn your volume really low on this you’ll end up with a “Quiet Riot”
Dad joke dude 😂
@@RodNesser there you go again with the anti father rhetoric!
@@DMSProduktions yes I know 😔 I never used to be this way... It all changed when I found out my real daddy was a donor 😢
🥁
@@RodNesser OUCH! Sorry! BUT you have the RIGHT to know your origins!
Man does that actually fit back in the case? They stick out so far!
thats what I was thinking
@@metalguru01 They probably sell compatible guitar cases as well, with 6 holes drilled where the headstock sits.
@@teiltje I bet anything to fool us into thinking we need another gadget lol
they probably dont protrude any further than the body of the guitar
From the looks in the video, this guitar hangs on the wall, so it doesn’t matter at the moment.
I honestly can't see how this would be more pratical than any other kind of tuning machine lol
Less practical. you'll need an extraordinarily deep guitar case....
yeah, to me they look like a step backwards in engineering...plus you know..they are ugly..lol
These would be great for custom headstocks, because they'd allow for designs with straight string pull in mind.
mostly for the clean look I think
They are way less practical. You are right. It requires that you "loop all the unwound string" hmmmmmmm so exactly like the Wilkinson tuners with their EZ lock design. Yeah I agree with the other guy too who said it was a step backwards in engineering, because it is, there is literally other tuning machines that do the same thing cheaper, more effective, more practical and more aesthetically pleasing.
I would be afraid that the strings would break faster at the point where they are bent in a rather small radius around the entrance hole rim. On standard tuning machines that bend radius is way larger.
Yeah, but at the same time that’s the price for the versatility of the system.
That's what I thought. It might help, if the holes wear with time.
Not really, if you think about the hole where they go into the peg.
@@patricktaylor8657 There is a lot of friction involved _after_ the hole in the peg because normally strings are wound several times around the peg, and this reduces the tension _at_ the hole (and the sharp bend). But in this case of the entrance hole rim the whole tension of the string is lying on this hard bend.
Another refined gimmick. The Allen key is like mom reminding you to 'dont forget to take your little brother'
Gibson jokes never get old!
Hope you don’t get a subpoena in the mail now
But Gibson itself does
Unlike Gibson players
Unlike their guitar designs, marketing ideas and their fanatics
@@harry_mair idk why you guys are hating on Gibson. Their guitars are classics. They do have their problems but that doesn’t mean their bad instruments...
The way you call out Gibson all the time is AMAZING!!!!!!
IT's freaking HILARIOUS
@@ZitherBeast is it though? Its a pretty played out joke. Low hanging fruit. Plus they are nice guitars. People only make fun of it cause they can’t afford a real les paul.
@@Ottophil Gotta learn to laugh my man, I like what I have, but funny is funny. Gibson has their big boy pants on, and if they don't they should. It's funny.
@@Ottophil lots of us have had numerous Gibson's. The precision and craftsmanship is a joke. 50 years of trading on a name. Acoustics fine. Known design flaws on numerous electrics.
@@Ottophil A real Les Paul has more QC issues than a chinese copy these days.
So....giveaway coming up on the channel soon, slightly-used set of Riot tuners. 😂
lol yup
I cannot imagine any time these would be a good idea, except a serious dedication to an industrial aesthetic.
3:05 I checked the website; the thickest gauge you can use with these is a 56!
Really like this idea as a firebird tuner .
Yeah that would look good!
Someone should also put them onto a Roswell Rhoads. They would really streamline the headstock more!
That's what I was thinking
Actually the only guitar that would be improved by these tuners. They are probably a lot lighter than the original banjo tuners.
I’d rather have the Steinberger gearless tuners on a Firebird. No Allen key required to change the strings and the knobs on the back don’t stick out as far on the back.
I guess you can call it a “Frankenstrat” now!
@@NoName-gz2kk XD
It was a pleasure to "tune" in to this one man!
A lot like the Steinberger tuners on my Warmoth frankenstrat but it does seem like a better design than the Steinberger except changing strings is really easy with the Steinberger tuners, this might be cool for the body mounted tuners on my bc Rich double neck twelve string neck
Interesting, but I agree with other commenters here:
- they don't look as nice as a good set of normal locking tuners
- they don't fit in guitar cases as easily as normal locking tuners
- they require a hex key, unlike normal locking tuners
- they require an extra looping of the unwound strings, which is a hassle compared to normal locking tuners
Against all those inconveniences, the only advantage appears to be that they're slightly lighter than the tuners they replaced, and maybe that the position on the back of the headstock is a bit more convenient to your hand while you're tuning them.
That's just not enough of a benefit to overcome the drawbacks.
Not dissing the video, of course! Darrell, your stuff is always fun and informative; this vid is no exception.
But when I say it's "informative," well...the information I'm taking away is that I'll pass on these tuners.
Are these gonna cause my strat to rest on it’s headstock in the case? Like they seem much taller than the Klusons
Definitely put your guitar in the case and measure the gap from the bottom of the case to the back of the tuners before buying these. If you have a case that is designed for angled headstocks it might work since it drops away from the higher string tuners.
Doubt it there the same depth as fender locking tuners I checked .
@@David-uq2uk thanks for clearing that up. I was worried they might be too long and pose a risk to a guitar falling backwards, hitting the floor tuner-first and the headstock absorbing the impact.
It wouldn't be a Fender-based video without a Gibson jab 😂😂😂
I have had my first Gibson jab. I have to go for my second in a month or so
makes me fuzzy inside lol
Needing to keep track of a hex key makes it a non-starter for me. Looks *sorta* cool from the front I guess, but really seems to be trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. I can think of lots of better stuff to spend $100 bucks on.
Yep, too much mucking around, although they seem to be top quality.
I'd say we're looking at about $200 AUD by the time we get them shipped down to Aussie which makes them reasonably expensive. Great video as usual, thanks.
They are the mullet of tuning machines. Short and clean in the front, long and obnoxious in the back. And 95% percent of people think they're ugly
I’ll never forget in the early 1980’s after I designed the Genesis G-6 Illusion model guitar for Schecter in Dallas. As part of our deal they gave me a Schecter Strat with their Schaller made locking bridge Floyd style whammy with a locking nut. It was a beautiful Mary Kay style Strat, only it had the latest floating locking whammy system. My very first gig where I used it was at Mother Blues, in Dallas, and that night guitar legend Bugs Henderson stopped by to sit in with my band. I was so excited and he got on stage and we started ripping it up. About halfway through the first tune my high E string had somehow slipped beyond the range of the fine tuner do I got out the Allen wrench to readjust it. I instantly dropped the Allen wrench onto a stage covered with old beer drenched and gaffer taped up shag carpet and it was dark in the club and onstage. I spent the next 20 minutes crawling around on this nasty carpet looking for the tiny black Allen wrench. I sold that guitar the next day. Any tuning gear that requires a separate tool to adjust is stupid AF.
Had these for months now. They've exhibited some of the best tuning stability I've ever experienced.
Yeah? So you dig em? How’s tight are the tolerances? Is there any backlash or play or are they fairly solid feeling?
How easy is it to accidentally bump the tuners out of tune? He said they move easily with no resistance. Isnt this bad if you want it to stay put?
That “not sure that’s the best slogan considering our political climate” cracked me up man. Great vid
Not sure why he had to worry about that since he's Canadian
@@kenz2756 they're rioting all over Canada right now, far more justifiably than in the USA, as their government just extended and expanded the couf19 lockdown and relevant restrictions AGAIN. Ontario is on fire right now, from what my friends across the north border tell me.
@@willcresson8776 yeah you’re right, COVID lockdowns are WAY worse than police killing people.
@@th0tp0lice666 ok
Cancel Darrell Braun 🤣🤣🤣
It would be kinda cool if you taped yourself tuning it up filming your tuner to see just how precise they are.
Thats what I thought
I'm not sure if it would be easier or not turning a knob in stead of a tuner key.
@@abrahama2643 Harder that normal tuners. The reason why is because the hole the string goes through has a break angle of 90 degrees, while a normal tuner only has to deal with the break angle coming off from the string tree which has a less drastic break angle of around 10 to 20 degrees depending on string. So it creates more friction over the extra angle.
However I will say that the difference should be small and would likely need a side by side comparison to feel that difference. But just because its not "that" noticeable doesn't mean its a good design, this is still a bad design because cheaper ones work on the same principal.
No reason to reinvent the wheel on this one.
@@evilcowboy Good points. I agree.
One of the first things I noticed is the sharp angle going into the hole. It seems like if you do lots of fine tuning, the edge will chew away at the string.
@@abrahama2643 I would think just the opposite, the strings will wear a groove in the tuner.
I could see these being useful on the lower neck of a double-neck, where the buttons of standard tuners might be too close to the other headstock. I don't think I want to pay a hundred bucks for that convenience though.
I thought of this before since I'm a small custom guitar tuner maker called Perona. It wasn't new either, same concept had been marketed by Steinberg and another company I can't recall the brand name. Did a concept design and nah, decided it really didn't offer any advantage over a standard 18:1 worm gear design. But it's always inspiring to see new concepts being brought to market. 😀
I think I can also see a potential issue where the strings pass over the metal edge of the tuner front string insertion hole, as the string at this point Is having to bend 90 degrees where it enters the hole to the tuner; thus potentially creating a friction point/sticking point.
Based on the thumbnail I assumed I wouldn’t dig these tuners, but after the vid, I really like em. I hope you do a long term review. Thanks for sharing these.
How does the lower break angle against the nut affect things? Could you do away with the string tree?
That's what she said 🤣
It looks like it would def help compared to typical staggered tuners, but a good low friction string tree (or 2...) is still a good idea no matter *what* for the flat/6-in-line/Fender-style headstocks. Staggered tuners alone don’t help *enough* for a proper break angle over the nut to where there’s no maddening side effects
Just my opinion
EPIC! This is the kind of cutting edge "wish I had thought of that" wonderful reviews this channel is well known for. I only hope Darrell never ever runs out of material, Amen.
"...or Gibson without pissing off the entire guitar community at least once a year" :-D
I'd have missed it if I weren't listening close enough. Lol
i don't get it, what's up with Gibson?
@@leom7 I think he refers to the times when they would come up with strange ideas like the robotuners
40:1 ratio brings a tear to my eye.
Also, right as I begin to wonder about the weight, Darrell busts out the scale. As expected! You're the man.
@Dave Stevens I upgraded to a strobe tuner for the first time last year. I want to make that wheel stop spinning so bad... I'd happily take 4 full turns per semitone, lol.
Sounds like the ratio for my Bolens leaf blower...
Really like your more obscure gear reviews! 👍
Always love your videos, Braun. 😁
Anyone with a pros/cons after using these for a while? Concerned about the bend angle & how tuning changes would be affected.
Also concerned about how they stick out on the back, and if you try to hang them in (for example) a 3-guitar tree stand with weight-triggered locking clamps. I had robotuners on a Strat for a while & the mechanism/battery compartment stuck out too far, and couldn't be hung up in the stand. These look like they stick out even farther...
Third disadvantage, the back fo the headstock looks like hell.
You have such an infectious happy attitude!
I would have loved to hear a demonstration of how they tune :(
He didn't even demonstrate them. Disappointed
@@cooper9287 He does at 9.20
@@Hadakles he just spins them you can't hear anything...
demonstrations are not allowed depending on where you are
Very cool!
I appreciate the concept
at first look, they are almost like a "Space Age Banjo Tuner!"
They should sell the tuners with a bracket to hold the Allen key on the back of the headstock like the guitars with a Floyd Rose trem
Thanks for reviewing this product. These are a similar concept to Steinberger tuners which I installed on my last build. Steinberger's are slightly lighter at 29.5 grams and much faster to change strings. These riot tuners look great from the front (very neat). They look industrial from the back. The Steinbergers are neat at the back but more industrial from the front ..... but .... thats what enables the faster string change.
I spat my drink out when you made the "incite a riot comment" 😂😂
They look like they've been put together from that bucket of junk every bloke has in his garage :)
Goddamnit.......my bucket is gone........guess I know where it went now lmfao.
Seriously, you are 100% right, they look pretty meh and not very impressive at all. Maybe they look like a junk bolt because thats where you are gonna put them eventually. I can see someone trying them out and then getting frustrated loosing an allen key and just throw them out and revert. It is also a pointless product as I am pretty sure most people who would put these on a Fender would rather keep the original tuners because they work fine, even the non-locking type from Fender.
It a solution to a problem nobody had.
Hey, the Les Paul and all the 50s fender stuff was made from junk in a garage.
Lol!
I can't believe they all match, I'd have a wing nut on at least one of mine.
Pokiness is a word I didn't know I needed.
You'd probably discover a few other new words if you didn't have a good set of flush trim cutters with these. They do seem like they'd be more comfortable to tune with than the standard tuners though.
There is a entire world of videos devoted to pokies and pokiness. Or so I’ve been told
...and... what about the current guitar case?, does it fit correctly or do we need a "new" guitar case?... or some holes/recess on that!.
I was a little nervous that you were doing this to a real American Strat. But yet this is so cool, even as a purist, I'm in!!!
"Using mah full strength there..." How many guitar strings have you hand pulled out of locking tuners?
lmfao good point.
A Fender Stratocaster is like a “Honda Civic” or a “Jeep Wrangler”!! That was a Great comparison, Loved it!! Lol Always enjoy your video’s!!!
Never been this early but oh man a little Darrell Braun is just what I needed rn
That's odd, your woman told me you're always early
@@UmVtCg sike I've been alone for well over a year now
Years ago Stainberger have created the First version of this tuning machine tipe.
Nothing new...😉
I love your reviews. Always so refreshing and BS free!
Cool, weird, funky....but I like the ones you took off better.
Agreed. Fender lockers seem more practical.
Needing a tool seems like inviting the hassle of losing it. I’m not even crazy about locking a guitar nut
Hard pass from this builder. Esthetically speaking, cool concept. The break angle is slightly improved on a flat headstock design, but might be too much on an angled design. And as you pointed out... Changing strings in a hurry on the side of the stage would be impossible. They are an interesting concept though.
Nah ..... No way. Looks strange just to start with. I agree with Journeyman Frosty. Were these produced on April the 1st?
This is a good idea work-in-progress marred by the Allen key and hopefully the future evolutions will make things alot faster and better
Very cool product, but being tethered to an allen wrench is a deal breaker for me. Nice video though Darrell!
That's innovative for sure! I'm pretty impressed by the weight, they looked way heavier than the standard locking tuners.
Maybe I'm wrong but it feels like it might me too easy to accidentally turn the barrel and put your guitar out of tube? It kinda looked like it needed way less than a regular tuning key to turn.
I can't figure out what they are trying to solve with this design. Seems like it just makes things more complicated.
@@thebarondisco7741 I think it’s more of another approach to the wheel. Not necessarily better or worse, but different. That’s my take
They are apparently 40:1 gear ratio, so more than twice as precise (takes *more* movement to get the same given pitch “distance”) than typical tuners. So it takes more turns to get it up to tune but with advantage of having control and precision, tho I’ve never tried these specific tuners
Good luck with that little Allen wrench on stage. ;)
These may interfere with you Neck laying Flat in your Case as they protrude quite a bit .. No Quick String Change there !! I'll stick with my original Strat Locking Tuners ..
great video, I appreciate how you are not trying to be funny like most people on YT.
Glad to see some company bringing back the Steinberger tuners now that Gibson has locked them down for purchase
I was thinking that too. Straight string pull is a definite plus compared to wrapping around a shaft.
The Steinberger tuners have been available again on Stewmac for years now.
Reminds me of Steinberger Gearless Tuners, as often seen on Firebirds.
I have the Steinberger tuners on one of my builds. They are sadly, horrible. These are amazing. Not paid to say that! 😸
@@stevesorrell9835 Thanks for the warning about the Steinbergers!
I had a Les Paul Future with those Steinberger keys. Looked weird, but found them useful for precision tuning. They look way better on the firebird for sure
@@stevesorrell9835 I have them on a guitar and love them...very precise, no negatives that I've found. What problems do you have?
1:15 "Not sure we're on a last name basis, yet, but anyway..." LOl, I think "Chris" mistook your last name as your first name. Good quip, tough!
This type of solution opens up more options for headstock shapes 👍but admittedly I think they need to be shallower
Well, the company can always switch to "Mostly Peaceful Molotov Cocktail" tuners, can't they?
As far as the screw holes cosmetic problem, all you have to do is Screw back on the old screws from the old machine heads and they will look awesome like they belong there
Excellent solution for my ADD!
You would need to use shorter screws or shorten some screws. You could drill the holes a little deeper but that would risk drilling all the way through the head.
I was very interested in what these tuners seemed to promise, right up until you pulled out the Allen key. I didn't see any point watching beyond that point. What kind of lazy designer would be satisfied with requiring an allen key set screw to install a set of strings? .
Floyd Rose comes to mind. hate when I can't undo the locks!
I have Steinberger tunes that work in a similar way. Interesting.
Something else I noticed that you didn't mention is, unlike with standard tuning machines on a strat, the strings are perfectly straight from the nut to the tuners, meaning that there's no bend. With standard tuners, the strings will have a slight bend sideways at the nut. That lack of a bend is going to increase your tuning stability, especially if you use the vibrato bar, since it reduces friction.
I like these. May need to consider these for a couple of my guitars.
Cool video thanks. What about break angle? That's the biggest difference that didn't even get addressed.
"... or Gibson not pissing off..." You, sir, have won the internet!
an optional cover plate for the existing tuner holes would be nice touch
Yeah it wouldn't eat into their profit margin too much if a cover plate were supplied.
@@rogerrussian9750 not everyone has a 6 in line headstock and with same tuner holes, but I agree it should be an option and prob shouldn’t cost much
@@TylrVncnt Yes, you are absolutely right mate. Cheers, all the best.
@@saintnash1 Yes, I see your point, but if you live down here in Aussie & you've just spent over $200 for them I'm thinking they might be sort of permanent. Cheers, all the best.
I think with these, aesthetics are probably the last thing that'd come to mind. Seems like they'd go well with certain headless guitar designs, and I do appreciate the 40:1 ratio.
You could put spacers under those tuners to achieve stagger and ditch the string tree. 🤔 How does that fit in the typical strat case? Do they dig into the lining or just float due to neck support?
One of my guitars is a 1975 Ibanez. It has the best "standard style" tuning machines I've used or have seen.. Two reasons:. 1) The posts are not round, they are hexagons so slipping has never been an issue. 2) Behind / below the tuning key is a knurled collar that is the drag adjustment for the machine. I always thought they were great and wish I could find similar new machines with these features.
They look neat but as soon as I'm required to have have a hex key to change my strings, I'm out
If you’d just started the video with “you need an Allen key to change strings” you could have saved me 15 minutes of my life.
I’m not sure I’d like looking at all that metal sticking out the back - though the front looks pretty cool.
How would they fit in a regular guitar case? They won't, unless it has an extraordinarily deep headstock recess...
@@Peasmouldia Someone else in the comments measured them. They are apparently not actually deeper than regular locking tuners.
@@martinkrauser4029 That's a surprise. They look like chrome wheel studs sticking out the back of the headstock. They do make the front look tidy though, if a tad spartan. That could just be "the shock of the new" though..
Ta.
@@Peasmouldia I think it's a visual thing. We compare the back part to the front part, and regular non-locking tuners will have the gear enclosure stick out about as far back as the tuning post stick out up front. And even on locking tuners, the turning knobs can extend further back than the gear enclosure. So the whole thing looks more compact in that dimension than it is.
With these tuners, you have none of those visual points of reference and the only thing that has any sort of real size is the part on the back, so it seems larger than it, apparently, is.
Mind you, I've not seen them in person or actually found the manufacturers measurements anywhere. I'm just relaying the comment by another user.
@@martinkrauser4029 You're right about the visual aspect. I'm old and preconditioned as to what a machine head should look like. I've built a few guitars over the years and spent a lot on high end tuners. If these provide excellent tuning stability, I would get over my asteti
For instance, on a floyd rose, you can't use the fine tuners after a while because threads have ends, so they reach their "min" or "max" positions. (I know, they are called fine tuners for a reason.) Sooo, can the same thing happen to these tuner machines? I might be misunderstanding how these work.
The Fender locking tuners are nicer
Too much bulk on the bottom of the headstock, even if they are slightly lighter
I see the tuners hitting the wall when I hang up the guitar.
Just one question ."HOW DO THEY WORK" I am so surprised and can not believe YOU did NOT show us
9:45
how will they do fitting your guitar into a case if you have one?
I know it would not fit in my hardcase
Good observation ...
I know they fit in my Gator case
Someone measured and apparently even tho *visually* they look deeper, they’re actually not deeper than that set of Fender locking tuners (?)
Fender lockers work with your fingers for a very good reason. All of the so-called advantages you mentioned already existed with the stock tuners except aesthetics, which these mess up with the open holes. So the only advantage is actually a downside.
And as a bonus, you just messed up the perfect tuner/nut alignment you previously had. There should be a law against turning a Strat into an LP. The Gibson joke is on YOU!
But wait, there's more. They cost DOUBLE what Fender tuners cost!!! ROFLMAO.
Great video! 2 thoughts:
- An advantage of this design that I didn't hear you cover is that the break angle will basically be as low as possible (barring slotted designs), so on non-angled headstocks this should help out immensely with regards to break angles and such.
- I think Firebird enthusiasts would really enjoy these tuners! They would probably mean less neck-diving, for sure, as they are lighter, and also fit the general aesthetic, as the buttons themselves aren't visible from the front, just like on banjo tuners.
Lol.. I literally turned around and looked at my Kiesel 5 secs before u said it .. 🤣
I'm always looking for ways to put big bulky ugly cumbersome parts on my vintage aesthetic guitars so these are perfect!! Said nobody ever.
Things that the world don't need. I'm still looking for the meaning 🦧ööööö🤔😄
Huge fault would be the sharp angle in the inserting hole of the tuning machine, that would become a point of tension.
Hey, I've got a set of those that I have yet to install. I purchased mine back before Riot tuners had that name. He was only using them on his travel guitar builds at that time. Surprised you didn't show tuning up process to demonstrate how the low-ratio tuners work. Either way, nice video, "Braun!"
Let's be honest with ourselves and admit that so much of customizing a guitar is about looks, since sound is rarely affected by these types of changes. In that case, I am all for these tuners. They kind of stand out and change the look enough that people will notice, without being overly gaudy.
Yea, I don't see much benefit to these tuners otherwise. But honestly, if you think they look good, then go for it. I think they'd look really cool on a Danelectro or surf guitar.