locking keys Do Not Work The Way You Think
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- Опубликовано: 14 сен 2015
- We talk about locking keys, string trees. I play White Stripes.
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nice to get/see a non-condescending explanation of what things do and how they work - Thanks!
lol. I did that same exact thing when I had my first guitar with locking tuners. I thought I had to "unlock it" in order to tune it. Ping! Out popped the string! Love your vids man.
I love the way you explain things. Yes, I knew the difference between a locking nut and locking keys, but I appreciated your explanation.
It's called a set screw.
Grub locking key also
Makes sense what you said in the entire video, especially about if you do wrap the strings with locking tuners it won't slip as I watched another video about locking tuners and the guy said that if you wrap the string with locking tuners it will slip, which didn't make any sense to me. Honestly, what you said makes MUCH more sense as you're very knowledgable! Thanks! :)
just started seeing your vids this morning. Good stuff. very informative, and and I enjoy the style of your vids as it's more like you're a friend giving your friends good information, rather than sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher.
again, great vids. thanks.
Yep, this is the third vid of yours I've watched today. Don't know why I hadn't seen you before but so far I'm enjoying your work.
Thanks
Great Video. I never had locking keys, and I always thought that they locked the tuner from turning. Stupid me lol Thanks for the explanation. :)
Trust me we all thought that at one point. Thank you for watching and posting.
+Lex10999 That's what I thought at first, that it stopped the keys from turning in case you hit them on something.
Phillip McKnight ... l thought that until just now! 2.11.2019
Thanks for another great & informative video!
I was wondering why they'd need to lock the tuning pegs when you can't really turn the worm gear by turning the "driven" shaft. Now that I understand that it's just a screw that comes from the bottom I wonder how better they are in comparison to regular tuners
2:44 "a big solve of the problem", that's a good phrase. Better than a small solve of the problem
Well I respectfully disagree about locking tuners only being good for making string changes easier. I have locking tuners on 4 of my guitars that have whammy bars. I seldom have to retune those guitars even after massive dive bombs on the tremolo system. So imo they definitely help those guitars to stay in tune. No question about it.
I think he was just trying to dispel the myth that the lock,...holds the tuning key from "turning"...which is what I thought they did. 🙂
100% agree! If you use a tremolo bar with regular tuning keys without a lock nut, it will not stay in tune as the wraps around the tuners loosen as you reduce the tension on the strings when depressing the bar.
I tried the D'Addario Auto Trim locking tuners. I can only speak for myself, but I love those Tuning Machines. They work pretty much the same as any other locking tuner, with with addition of auto clipping the string, eliminating the need for a wire cutter. You do everything the same and as you tighten the strings to bring them to pitch you feel a little clipping action and the string is cut flush to the tuning hole. These things virtually eliminate the bloody finger tips from getting stabbed by the end of a string. I know everyone has had that happen at least once. Anyway, they are definitely worth a try. I was skeptical until I tried them. Now I'm slowly changing several of my guitars to these. At least the ones where these will be an upgrade to.
Haha I always thought that locking keys are mainly to keep your guitars in tune. Great video! Short and insightful!
Always enjoy these videos. Please keep posting
Good video! You answered my question AND gave me some cool and interesting info. Great job Philip!!
I know this is a very old video, but I just happened on it and it has confused me a bit. Locking tuners ONLY help with quick restringing? i thought that with Strat style guitars with a tremelo that there was also the issue of the strings with multiple wraps on the tuning posts losing tune when the trem was used. the wraps slipping when the trem was depressed/returned. No, let me rephrase...I didn't merely "think" that...I have in fact experienced that, and locking tuners do seem to have resolved that issue. So it would follow that locking tuners do more than merely facilitate string changes on guitars that have a tremelo...yes? And by the way, regardless of this nit picking...YOU ROCK. I am addicted to your videos, find them extremely educational and helpful, and this is proven by the fact that here I am responding to a more than 5 year old entry!
i have the planet waves lockings and the gotoh lockings and they feel very well built. i do have to warn tho that i tend to slightly wrap my strings with a locking tuner because ive had strings pop out on me before . so watch out! lol
Great video :D I've changed to locking tuners on most of my guitars. Although I use minimal wraps on them I give the top E and B at least one wrap or I've found they can break a string. Also on both my Peavey AT200 and Jazzmaster I use two string trees to not only give a better break angle but also to dampen the longer strings such as the D which can sometimes give weird ringing harmonics. I'm always open to any advice as like most of us it's been trial and error ha ha ha
+Matt Preston What you're talking about is likely sitaring. He didn't mention it. It can happen if the angle and/or nut slot are not sufficient. I've never had an issue without string trees when using either the schaller or sperzel staggered, locking tuners. There are new Sperzel staggered, locking tuners with an EZ-mount, no drilling necessary. 60-70 bucks on FleaBay.
Very informative video!
When it started I was under the impression they locked the guitar in tune! LOL
Thanks for clearing up that misconception and keep up the great technical videos!
Me too Eric. I also understand better now
Me too.I was getting ready to order locking tuners for a Peavey Generation EXP telecaster than has shotty tuners on it..Can't play thru one song without it going out of tune.
It's also worth noting the Fender branded locking tuners in this video provide a higher/better tuning ratio than the standard Fender tuners. Which makes tuning more precise. Another benefit worth calling out for locking tuners.
The “piston” is a cam, the “mechanism” is a thumb wheel.
All my questions were answered! Thanks for this vid!
Thanks for the explanation man, just got my first guitar with locking tuners and didn't really know what those did and how they were different (wasn't a factor in my guitar choice really) but most importantly how to restring properly which I never would have thought you needed to pull the string tight before locking so again, thanks a lot.
Have a good one mate!
Thank you. Some guy tried telling me that locking tuners did the same thing as a locking nut. I didn't believe him because it just didn't seem like that would be true. A) The string is still free to move and bind within the nut when you do bends and use the trem bar, and B) They do not lock the tuners in place. Just the string into the tuner.
Good vid. Straight to the point. Very informative. Thanks.
You're right! I thought locking tuners worked like the Floyd. So glad I came across this video- Thanks for posting!
I've had a scarf joint break on me. On my very first bass actually. Broke right at the joint. Filled the gap with some wood glue, clamped it by sticking the neck under my couch with some textbooks as a fulcrum and voila it worked. I now keep that bass at work and just mess noodle on it sometimes.
You’d be surprised at there are still people who wrap their strings using locking tuners and argue that it’s the correct way to use them, I just give up trying to correct them, life’s to short.
I remember my first PRS with locking tuners. I had a meltdown. Finally got it figured out.
Me too LOL!. I did that same thing with new recent guitar that had locking tuners. I thought I had to "unlock it" in order to tune it. Out it came!
My strings didn't come out but I think it almost did. Good thing I was gentle with it and did not fully unlock it. So I had it locked again and trying to get it in tune. If it had a locking nut, I wouldn't have to worry at all.
Thanks for the explanation of locking tuners vs locking bridge.
What a great video. So very educational. When I used to restring a guitar the job looked like crap!
Phillip, I'm going to be in Tucson to ride in the Tour de Tucson and I plan on taking a drive up through Kearny, Superior and down thru Florence (Why on earth? I was a Pinal Deputy nearly 35 years ago... please don't hold that against me). I actually retired as a teacher a year ago. I'd like a new good quality acoustic WITH locking keys). My sked is for Nov 10 thru the 19. What are the chances you'll be in your store? I know you're a busy guy, but I'd like to meet you. I grew up in Tucson, but I've been in NW AR for many years. You're videos are awesome and you are an an excellent educator! Thanks....
Yep, great video yet again. You teach me things I really should already know. Perhaps I'm that embarrassed kid in the shop?
+The Mercurial Number Six We are all that kid.
They do help with tuning stability some. I put a staggered set of locking tuners on my '00 American Standard Strat along with a Teflon nut and a dab of Big Bends Nut Sauce on the bridge saddle string contact points and in the nut slots (for good measure). I was using the Lube and the Teflon nut first and only after I added the locking tuners did I find that my Strat stayed in tune almost as well as my FR equipped axes. I say almost as well as I really only need to retune in between sets (and the tuning is not that far out) and I'm utilizing the bar pretty heavily playing VH and Night Ranger Tunes. That wasn't possible prior to the locking tuners.
Always sharing your knowledge! thanks Phillip
Thanks for this explanation. I was one of those people who thought it kept the guitar in tune.
Love ur videos most people are so cocky but dont know more then what their buddy tells them.
Ha, ha, I just figured this out last year! Great vid!
Thank you! I had no idea how locking tuners worked.
Because of your information I have replaced and installed locking tuners on all my main or better guitars. No wrapping and no slip. They just stay in turn
You're the man Phil. Peace and Love from Ohio !
TLDR: Bob Sperzel created the first locking tuners to "build a better mousetrap" and eliminate locking nuts. His intention wasn't to make string changes faster; that's just serendipity.
Back in the 80s, when Bob Sperzel had just created the first locking tuners (as well as the tuners with the tightest tolerances in the entire industry), people were using locking nuts to keep their whammy bridge from de-tuning their guitars. It was explained to me by John Suhr, when he was working at Rudy's on 48th St. in NYC, that, with normal tuners, strings are wrapped a few times around the posts. When you dive bomb your vibrato bridge, the strings partially unwrap around the tuner posts and loosen. Then, when you return from the dive bomb, the strings often tighten around the posts at a different tension, thereby making your guitar go out of tune. Bob Sperzel's idea was to eliminate the wrappings around the post so that aggressive use of the whammy bridge doesn't have any effect the strings' tension. John Suhr explained to me that Sperzel locking tuners, in conjunction with a self-lubricating graphite nut, eliminate the need for a locking nut.
An added benefit is that you don't have to drill holes in one of the most vulnerable places on your neck to accommodate the bolts for those pesky locking nuts.
Sperzel had manufactured Grover Gotoh and Kluson tuners for them. He noticed 10 things that were bad design elements and set off to correct them.
One was the very high gear ratios. High ratios meant more teeth per gear; more teeth means smaller teeth, which means weaker teeth. Sperzel limited his tuners to a 12:1 ratio.
He also found that the machine tolerances of other tuners were very loose because they would make their parts and then plate them with nickel, chrome, or gold. Because plating is an uneven and imprecise process, the parts were actually slightly different sizes. Sperzel only anodizes his internal parts because that doesn't add any volume to the mechanism, allowing for very tight tolerances. Some Sperzel tuners do get electroplating on the external parts, just for esthetic reasons, but that has no effect on the internal mechanism.
Other manufacturers use die cast part. When a part is die cast, it has a mold mark called a parting line where the seams of the mold are. To make up for that, cheaply, other builders add in a spring washer to make the mechanism feel smooth, but it also allows play in the accuracy of the tuner. Sperzel's parts are all machined from billet material, so there are no mold marks and they need no spring washers. This keeps the tolerances tight and the tuning extremely stable.
For the complete information, check out the full interview with Bob Sperzel. It's fairly long. And remember, he's a trained engineer, not a public speaker and he has a slight lisp, so it helps to be patient with his explanations. This is the video's URL: ruclips.net/video/K8tMhkwnsBU/видео.html
I made a mistake about who's tuners Sperzel manufactured. Sperzel, himself, recounts that information in the video. Please forgive me for my mistake.
I understood that the locking tuners are also designed so that multiple string wraps are unnecessary and don't cause tuning variations when used with a tremolo system like a Bigsby or the Strat system...
Ummm, they aren't just used to make string changes quicker. The lack of wraps means there is less chance of the string to move out of its position. When you use normal tuners, you tend to wrap them and everytime you bend and such your string slowly loses its original position on the tuning peg, not so much an issue with locking tuners.
biggest myth in guitars.
He said that in the video.
That's funny about people coming in to the store and loosening them and poping off a string, lol. Too funny.
Thanks man! I'm one of those dickheads that just had a guitar delivered and unscrewed the locking keys to tune it up!! Great stuff showing me how easy it is to sort out. Now to get some strings 🤦♂
Thanks Phililip for the info, now I understand. I ve been reading about different brants, but which one is the best choice for a PRS SE? I own 5 different SE signatures, and all are not so stable with the original SE tuners. So a good locking could help, but a normal tuner with low wrapping can do the same. Which one is the best upgrade?
I needed this video last week when I was restringing a used guitar I got. eventually figured it out though ha
Thank you so much for this video.
Great help
I was under the impression that with locking tuners there would be little or no windings around the post making trem use more stable.
I find that changing strings with locking tuners more difficult. It requires three hands: 1 to pull the string tight, 1 to dip the trem bar to eliminate windings around the post and 1 to tighten the thumb knob.
This is true. While some downward tension is needed to keep the strings in a standard nut, multiple wraps can cause too much angle and the strings binds on the nut when you drop and raise the tremolo bar, causing the guitar to go sharp.
The locking nut allows the string to be locked in place with as few winds around the post as possible, allowing a straighter angle from the nut to the post and will allow the string a better opportunity to return to "zero." (A properly cut nut and lubrication in the slots are also best practices for tuning stability.)
Brian May's Red Special has NO angle from nut to tuner (he also has a zero fret,) and he uses the bar all the time and has no tuning issues.
great vid as always! you teach without making us look foolish, and that builds confidence and morale.
would you recommend string trees on guitar w/o them, or replacing factory sets with after-market??
thanks-wayne
+Wayne Wilcox Depends on the guitar, but I am always for good tuning keys.
Off the subject but will you do a multi-scale guitar video like a Ibanez RGIF7 or other of your opinions on chording, playability, or whatever?
I'm sure someone will or has said, that a common mistake with locking tuners is to lock the string in with the typical amount of slack for a non-locking tuners. You get the hassle of winds settling in and the benefit of the end locked. I've also wondered when using a locking tuner, that with no winds on the string, the string exits the hole in the post right at the opening making a high stress point at that bend. I've yet to experience a break but if so I think I would modify my install technique to have at least half a rotation so the point the string leaves the post is tangential.
Great video - but u missed another style of locking tuner. It as 2 holes in the string stem. One high, one low. String low hole - one wrap - string high hole. I've seen this utilized a few ways. Most people wrap forward, some wrap back. Another thing is, on a fender style headstock, u can get a staggered tuner effect by going high or low hole first.
I got all of my (no name brand) locking keys from the bay of E for about 30 quid, and they've all worked perfectly fine.
You might want to inform the masses to measure their holes for insertion purposes, though.
I discovered that my Maverick's machinehead shafts were of a different dimension to some of the lockers I'd ordered, so I put them on a strat neck instead.
Other watchers might not have so many guitars to be able to mix and match, and certainly won't want to drill larger holes unneccessarily.
Was my point a valid and helpful one?
The reason why people see differences in the locking vs standard tuners is because they are using cheap tuners, then changing to quality locking ones will just help the guitar lol
My strat has vintage ones and I might not changing the tuners at all then. She stays in tune pretty well with a graphtech nut even with a floating trem. Might just buy the string tree to help it a bit more
I am getting rid of my locking tuners. The screws keep coming out and getting lost, but the biggest problem is that they keep cutting the strings too short when I'm trying to replace new strings. I don't mind tricky. But I hate tricky and annoying. Sooo many strings I had to replace because the tuners snipped them too short when I tried to replace them. Oy! I'm going back to the original tuners as soon as my order arrives from Amazon. As Admiral James T. Kirk once says, "We learn by doing." But not by killing dozens of innocent guitar strings in the hidden gas chambers of the locking tuners. 🤣😎
I should get some locking tuners. I can never get the wrap correctly, especially on the top 3 strings. And it's usually a giant pain in the ass when I'm tuning it up and the wrap comes loose.
I actually didn’t know the difference in the two, so thx for the heads up.
Love the Stu Hamm bass on the wall!
Yes Phillip, you're laughing at me loosing the locking tuners🤣🤣😋😋. Actually, I've used locking nuts and tuners since maybe the late 80s with my Kramer and then the locking tuners relatively later. I truly haven't a clue why it takes so long for simple problems to be solved except maybe be the reluctance to challenge tradition. Gibson, altho I love my tribute, is the worse at this. So many Band-Aids placed on things like head tilt and tuning problems without truly adress the actual problem. Traditions are very difficult to argue against and terribly difficult ot cgange. Great video!
Phillip, I'm considering replacing some of the hardware on an older guitar of mine and I am debating these locking tuners. Of course, I know the proper way to string a guitar such that the string tension itself pinches and prevents the string from sliding. Are these tuners of any benefit beyond string replacement speed if you're already stringing your axe to minimize string slip. Will your strings slip even less than when strung properly on a traditional machine head?
Learned something new. Thanks
this was so helpful, thanks man!
Love your tips and contents
Interesting info on the neck/headstock.
your videos are good because somewhere along, i always go "ohhhh"
Locking keys actually DO stabilize tuning though. Just not lock it in like some assume. If you're using bridge trem often or for someone who incorporates bends a lot in their playing. Even if the string is wrapped properly on non locking heads, the on/off tension of the string where it contacts the first wrap on the head, can cause the wrapped portion to shift and deform. (I guess I should say the high/low then back to normal tention.) Locking heads made a HUGE difference in holding tuning on my Strat when using the bridge trem. Even with various knot or pinch wrap techniques on a standard tuner head, theres nothing like locking ones. Awesome vid and you have any experience with Ratio's? I'm going to give them a whirl soon and so far hear nothing but great about them
So much truth in this comment, maybe he just meant on fixed bridges, but trem systems are another deal, more specific bigsbys. :)
Your voice sounds identical to the curly red headed kid who stared in The Toy with Richard Pryor lol! Thanks btw I had no idea how locking tuners worked and the variations of different types. You make really good videos bro. 👍🏻🤘🏻
Also a second question.. What’s your opinion of vintage style Kluson locking tuners (the ones that lock from the top and look almost identical to the originals) on an older Gibson or Epiphone (like a 61 SG Les Paul reissue)?
Well done video, one question that I have is that if one uses locking tuners on a guitar with a Floyd Rose tremolo system is it still necessary to use the string locks or would the locking tuners perform that function. With the string locks, wouldn't one have to remove them every time one tuned the guitar to avoid breaking the strings? I just built a coffin body guitar from a kit and I was just wondering how that would work since I installed a Floyd Rose tremolo system and locking tuners.
+marlan3rd
As Phil explained - Locking nuts will lock the strings at whatever tuning they are set to. You have to unlock if you want to change tuning. Locking tuners will lock the string TO the tuner - allowing you to change the tuning.
With the regards to use with the tremolo, the locking tuners give a similar benefit to that of a locking nut, but not 100% completely as much. It's all about removing the amount of play the string can have around a tuning post.
With a basic guitar, when you drop the tension using the tremolo, the coils around the post can unravel, and may not return to the same tension exactly, due to friction of the string around the post - and thus the string will be out of tune.
A locking nut completely isolates the connection of the strings to the tuners. So when the tremolo is used the strings should return to the same tension (and thus remain in tune).
While the locking tuners do not isolate the string from the tuners, they do benefit tuning stability by reducing the amount of string that is wrapped around the post that would tighten/untighten when the tremolo is used. The less string there is wrapped around the post the less friction, allowing them to return to the same tension, thus staying in tune. There is usually still a little bit of string around the peg, but in theory not enough to bind and cause tuning problems.
Personally, I don't like the feel of locking nuts when I play, and in fact the term "locking nuts" just sounds uncomfortable,
Is it true that locking tuners greatly improve your guitars ability to stay in tune longer due to the elimination of multiple string wraps around the peg?.. In theory it does sound like your strings would recover from bending without the wraps re-settling causing your guitar to go out of tune.. My biggest problemed are is usually the G & B strings, I was wondering if locking tuners would reduce the re-tuning headache that is always required after some good shreddin'..
Very informative video...thanks
Great info thanks!
so I saw on another video that says fender staggered locking tuners (Tall for the low E A D , short for the high g b e) don't need any string trees or windings , but the guy that installed my lsr roller nut and roller saddles said that he had to wind them in order to compensate for not having any string trees(as if the trees were needed). Looks like, from low E to high e, (2 2 2.5 2.5 2 2 winds)...problem is...the thing works perfectly (I whammied the hell out of it and it always stays in tune)...so what do I do the next time I change strings?
I watched a video where B.B. King changed a string while performing, he never missed a beat. Don't know though if he was using locking tuners. Regardless, they would be a BIG help for a performer.
you really know your shit man. Thx for the knowledge.
Great information Thanks
Just got my first guitar with locking tuners.... I definitely thought the locking tuners were supposed to lock the tuning pegs and I thought mine were broken, lol.
yeah fine it doesn't lock the guitar in tune. but i have a strat and whenever i use the tremolo a bit more than just slightly it goes out of tune. and that happenes mostly because something loosens or tightens in the wraps around the tuners. No wraps= better tuning stability when using tremolo?
very nice video. Thanks. So if we have the locking nut, we don't need the locking keys part :D and we can cut that part of the neck ?
My AM Std Strat has one string tree and staggered tuners but the g string produces some weird harmonic noises, when i place my hand above the g string close to the string tree it stops the harmonic noises, should i install a second string tree?
Good video, good info. I have a Cort MBC-1 which has staggered tuners with NO string tress. Though mine needed one anyway to keep the high E from falling off. It's a great, clean look, if they work.
+Fonzy Brookestone You could've just fixed the nut slot.
bluesboynate Yea, you're right. I prob will later, but the tree was a quick fix. Cort actually offered to replace the guitar at no cost, but I really like everything else about it, so I was too scared to get something worse. I can live with a string tree, or nut replacement.
+Fonzy Brookestone Yeah, better to not try to file the nut slot unless you know what you're doing. You can get a roller string tree for real cheap on FleaBay.
+Fonzy Brookestone I got a Fender Custom shop and was told it did not need a string tree. I ended up having to install one. The Eric Johnson Strat is the only 100% real fix for string trees.
Phillip McKnight Have you seen the Manson guitars? They're the same way, with no trees. But I'm not about to spend $5000 to find out.
how did i not know how locking tuners work. as you said, i assumed it was the same as a locking nut. thanks
You are the best Phil!!!
if you put on locking tuners do you still need to use the tree for the b and e string? thank you great videos
Yes, the tree cuts the angle from the nut to the tuning peg so the string doesn't pop out and maintains solid contact with the nut.
Can you recommend a tuner for a Fender mini guitar ?
Question for you friend, I put locking tuners with staggered height if I install those do I no longer need the string tree? I asked because I had a snap when I put the string under the tree and brought it up to tension
Good info Phil
Hey, instead of string trees, I've seen some lower-end instruments (ie: 5-string Squier basses) use "hold down bars" that cover all the strings. Is there a downside to this? Because it seems logical & easy at first glance. Thanks for the info!
+Mark Cheetah no it works the same way in my experience I have seen no issues.
Ive seen the string bars on high end schecters, i dont believe its a sign of a cheap instrument
Mark Cheetah Those are on guitars with floyd rose a lot, and they are used just like a string tree, to bend the string down on the nut. Especially on a locking nut, where there are two ends that the string should rest over, front and back.
Holy moly Batman I totally had no idea that’s what they did 😂😂😂
sperzel on their site states that you can ditch the locking nut, and the locking tuners add more sustain to the tone.
great icky thumb riff can you make a tutorial on that
ok that's one thing I wont change on my el cheapo squire....thnx .......say whats a good pickup upgrade... for the china squire? and should I consider bigger better pots...?
Hi there, What would you recommend for a brand of locking tuners for a Gibson les Paul?
Locking tuners do help with tuning stability, though not nearly as much as having slck/roller surfaces at the nut and bridge saddles. I always wrap the string once or twice so it doesn't come out if the pin becomes loose.
There's ZERO reason to have string trees anymore. Just get a nice set of staggered, locking tuners. You can get Sperzel staggered, locking tuners with the EZ mount, no drilling necessary, for 60-70 bucks all day on FleaBay.
ildur I do a couple of wraps primarily so I have extra slack when I loosen them so I have extra room to clean the fretboard and dress the frets. I use Elixir Polywebs strings, so they're on my guitars for years. The strings still tune up fast and don't slip.
i thought it was for tuning stability. no slip or multiple wraps, no problems. so why do some cut the string and others don't? time?
that is a beautiful strat
Hello Phillip. I have a question for you. Since the "pistons" in a locking tuning key pinch the strings, can the pinch adversely affect the lifespan of the strings?
The answer is maybe. Like Robert Pierce (see comment above) I wrap my locking tuners a bit to prevent them from popping out. This has the added benefit of reducing tension at the locking point, which should extend the life of the strings. Phil just pulls tight, locks down, and tunes up, so it may not make much difference.
I really like your fender longboard you have hanging up. When did they make those? I didn't know they ever made them. It would make sense though with all the lumber they must have at the factories.
It was a promotional sign to hold two of their acoustics. It is a real long board. Every once in a while I think about putting wheels on it.
It would be hard not to.haha
locking tuners...i have 2 sets of hipshots, are good for is snap strings at the nut if you drop tune and back to standard or try to do a guitar setup where you need tune and detune to make truss rod or bridge adjustments.. FORGET IT WITH LOCKING TUNERS! you can only use on a perfectly set up guitar and tune only once....if you drop tune do not tune back up to standard without an extra string handy....at least you can replace it fast
lol im guilty of popping a string out at guitar center, NOW i understand the purpose