D'Addario Auto-Trim Tuning Machines - Locking Tuners for Guitars - 6 In Line Setup, Black

I love my guitar, my Ibanez AZES-40 is extremely versatile. For the price, it's hands down the best HSS out there. Now there's just one gripe that both myself and many others have regarding this guitar. The tuning pegs are horrendous. It realistically takes 6 weeks for my strings to stay in tune. Not only that, but the tuning pegs are incredibly challenging to restring because the hole is on top instead of on the side. Now these tuning pegs are amazing. I'm not even kidding when I say that in 10 minutes my strings were in tune and remained that way. The auto clipping feature is a game changer. And I've never reinstalled my strings that quickly ever before. I've gone from despising restringing my guitar to barely even thinking about it. I used to use Daddario's XT's for the longer life span, now I can honestly use any string I want, regardless of lifespan due to how easy it is to restring this guitar. If you have bad tuning pegs are just want to simplify the restringing process, I highly recommend these tuning pegs. I would buy these again hands down.

SUMMARY Nice tuners, and a reasonable price. If they fit your guitar, I think you'll like them. Same locking mechanism as most locking tuners, with a thumbscrew on the back. I like the auto-trim feature a lot. When you tune the guitar, it just cuts those strings right off. Nice. Seem to have a nice snug feel and a decent tuning ratio. Not a good choice to replace modern Fender/Schallers because they don't cover the alignment pin holes. Fits well in 25/64" peg holes. (You can measure with drill bits if you aren't sure what your headstock has.) I wish they made these with a housing that would cover the alignment holes of most other tuners (Fender 2 pin and Sperzel 1 pin look like they would leave holes these can't cover.) PROs - Reasonable price for locking tuners - Nice fit/feel - Very secure once installed (properly) - Black everywhere (unlike sperzel's black lockers which have a silver center peg.) - Fits in 25/64" hole, typical of many guitars. - They appear to be available in multiple finishes. I bought black. - Small silver "dot" on center peg aids visibility/string insertion in darker environments. (like a club) CONs - Will not cover the 2 alignment pin holes on Stratocasters/Telecasters that use modern fender/schaller tuners. (as shown in photos on product page) - Center peg is flat black, while the tuner handles and back casing are more of a shiny black. - Washers and nuts seem thin/flimsy. I was concerned the nuts might strip really easily, but they went on ok using a socket. - You will probably need to drill the holes for the alignment screws. DETAILS, INSTALLATION HELP, OBSERVATIONS I bought these to put on a Fender Custom Telecaster FMT HH that had black tuners, and they worked out great. I was really annoyed that the tuners on that guitar had the 2 alignment pins about 1 pin width closer to the center peg than a normal fender/schaller tuner. But because of that, these Planet waves tuners were able to just cover the two holes. I wouldn't buy these for an American for Mexican strat or tele because as shown in the photos - they do not cover the alignment pin holes -- so they leave an unprofessional looking installation. But for this particular guitar, they worked great. I really like the auto-trim feature. The locking knob could be slightly larger in diameter as it is the same as the tuner housing so is slightly harder to grip than it would be if it were a little bit larger, but it works ok. I prefer the shape of a fender/schaller tuning knob, so I may try taking the tuning knobs off the old tuners and putting on these, but I'm not sure if that will work or not. Overall, these have a nice feel to them when installed. The basic mechanism is the same as any locking tuner, and they have a little silver pin on the center shaft that helps to show you where the string hole is. (Nice because with the black tuners, in a low light environment like a bar or club, when you have a broken string, the black is hard to see, but that little silver button/dot helps a lot. The nuts and washers on the front seem a little cheapish/flimsy, but they worked ok. These fit without issue in the 25/64" tuner holes in my head stock, no modification there. Before you drill, install all 6 tuners into the headstock holes, tighten them snug but not so firm that you can't rotate them with a little resistance. Then put a ruler across the back, align all 6 so they are straight, slightly tighten the nuts until you have them all aligned perfectly. Now drill the alignment screw holes using a 1/16" or smaller drill bit. Be careful to drill no deeper than the length of the screw. If in doubt, drill slightly less deep.I used the tiniest drill bit I have (1/16") to drill pilot holes for the anti-rotation screws...worked well. You can mark the drill bit with a black marker for the depth by holding it up to the screw to determine how deep it should go into the hole. Then drill slowly to get just the right depth for the screw. (Drill with the tuners in place.) UPDATE 7/24/15 - I've had these installed for 6 months or more now on one of my guitars. I think they are really great. In fact I have upgraded my star rating from 4 to 5 stars after using these for a while. I've also expanded my own exposure to a variety of other locking tuners from Grover, Schaller and Fender and I have to say these would be my favorites if only the center post finishes matched the rest of the tuner, and if the mounting could conceal the holes of other original tuners better. Functionally, I love these. Cosmetically, they leave minor issues for me. I see they are now offered in some other finishes like Gold, Chrome and that's good except they all have the same black center post? I'm not crazy about that. I also see both 3x3 and 6 inline offerings which is good. Would love to see them offer additional button options like keystone shaped, grover kidney bean shaped, etc. Another clever option would be to offer some thin mounting adapter plates that would allow the tuner to cover the mounting holes of other popular tuners like the Fender/Schaller tuners. Planet Waves team - feel free to take those ideas and grow your tuner business! I would have put them on 5 more guitars by now if they hadn't lacked the ability to give a clean looking installation.

After reading the negative reviews, I was very pleased to find that my set did not require the replacement pins. I've had no problems with the e/b strings and I very much enjoy the 18:1 gear ratio. Further, my set came with the offset screw like in the picture, while some others have received sets with the centered screw--for me this meant I could use a pre-existing screw hole instead of drill a new one. I researched various brands of locking tuners prior to ordering my own set of these. According to many reviews, I've heard the following most frequently mentioned, without observing such firsthand myself (unless otherwise noted): *Schaller pins can come off unexpectedly, and the gear ratio is poor for the price- 12:1 or 14:1 I believe. *Sperzel may be having quality control issues, and the gear ratio is also low for the price. *Grover is praised and has an 18:1 ratio, but there is no concave indent around the post, which may lead to string slippage. (I own a set but have not tried them out yet) *Gotoh sounds pretty reliable, but you don't get the autotrim feature. They may work faster without the separate knob for a cam pin, though from what I've seen Gotoh is usually the most expensive. *Guitar Fetish has the cheapest sets if that's what you're after. They work hold the tuning well, but there's no listed gear ratio on the website nor trimming feature. They come staggered so you don't need string trees, a nice feature which the more expensive sets seldom incorporate. (I own a set, and for $36 they really get the job done.) *D'addario's planet waves. Some people received sets from the bad batch, and some sets have a centered pin while others have the offset one, the latter consistent with most brands' screw positioning. However, if you get a good batch, you'll get three amazing features: functional locking, auto-trimming, and an 18:1 gear ratio. Some folks don't like the color scheme, though my guitar was already black and chrome so it worked. Each brand has its inherent strengths and weaknesses, and in some cases you'll pay $20+ more for a name than what features the item provides. The planet waves set seemed to me to have the greatest cost/benefit ratio despite the risk of receiving an older defective set, and I'm very satisfied with my decision. In the future, I'll be sticking with these again. If I should receive a "bad" set, I think that customer service will remedy the problem.

I installed these tuners on two of my guitars, both Jacksons, easy installation. One guitar is in standard with 10s and the other in drop d standard with 11s. These tuners, on both guitars are phenomenal for the price. I have had Gotoh and Grover tuners in the past and these hold up to that quality very well. When you get them tuned up, and a day or two for stretching, they almost never go out of tune (except my G string which is notorious for Jacksons on other 6 in line guitars, imo). They have faced a gig and rehearsal every week and tuning is almost never my problem, its usually sloppy playing. What I love most is the auto-trim feature. I change strings before every show. So the auto trim and locking features make string changing easier, especially with multiple string changes. Best of all, since my guitars are in tune all the time when I set them up it STAYS THAT WAY! So every gig I have smooth action and can play for hours. I have 4 more guitars to upgrade and these are definitely going on all of them. Semi-pro recommend !00%!

Other reviews made this look top notch. This review is my first impressions from unboxing and initial installation. Cons: The locking pin is metal, but it is attached to a plastic thumb screw. My expectation on a tuner at this price would be for that to be all metal. I feel like if it got cranked on, or had an impact, it would be toast, which is a shame because the rest of the unit is nice. Of the 6 inline tuners, 4 felt like that had some grit in the mechanism - a few turns seems to have solved that. Pros: The overall build is nice, and they look sharp. I got the gold/black. They have a nice finish and are machined well. The posts fit snug and seem sturdy. Indifferences: Not a standard 10mm nut on top. It’s 1/2”. No biggie, just different.

They seem to be very good / high quality. They are a bit stiff out of the box, but I guess that would help with tuning stability. They are almost drop-in replacements for the stock cheap Jackson tuners. I say almost, because on my guitar, there was a little bit of overspray on the paint / clear coat that made these new tuners a tight fit. I took a rounded file and gently filed away some of the paint on the inside of the tuner holes and got everything to sit perfectly. On my installation, I re-used the smaller factory screws since the holes were slightly misaligned, but you may have more luck than me. Overall, I'm happy with the installation and performance. The trimming mechanism seems like it might not hold up over time, but I have no way of knowing just yet. Unfortunately, if it does fail / stop trimming, these tuners become useless unless you can trim the strings perfectly flush. Due to the way it cuts the strings off, the strings must be cut perfectly flush to the tuner in order for the tuner to continue past the cutting blade, so if the blade wears out or stops being effective in cutting, it may render these useless.

Gosh I love these things. I just ordered a set for a new guitar that I bought. I didn't plan to replace the stock tuners, but I forgot how lovely these are. The auto-trim works flawlessly. I had received one of the earlier batch that had slippage problems, but the replacements have been perfect. I've only had one string slip out since installing these six years ago. The gear ratio is great for accurate tuning and the action is very smooth and easy to turn (unless you're putting a new string on, then it requires a little torque.) I think I'll be installing these on every guitar I own unless something more brilliant comes out. the one thing I'm not too thrilled with is that the buttons are a little weird--small price to pay!

This is the third set of these tuners I have bought. This set was for my new Fender Strat. These are so easy to install and make string changes and tuning as fast and easy as they can possibly be. These stay in tune great and look great. I really can't say enough good things about them. I have read where some people are breaking strings when putting on a new set of strings. I have found that leaving a little more slack before locking works like a charm. Maybe two fingers at the 24th fret seems to be good. The instructions say to pull the string taut before locking it in but when I do that the string is in tune before the excess is cut. Making the string get way too tight before cutting off the excess. Which will make a .09 pop for sure. I end up with about 3/4 of a wrap on the post when I'm done. If you need tuners, don't spend any more time shopping. You will not be disappointed with these. "My humble opinion of course." Jam On!

Magnífica llave. Muy ajustada, sin olguras, fijación de cuerdas muy seguro y ratio óptimo.

I love these tuners.Having fitted them to other guitars I find it strange using standard tuners. They are solidly made, easy to fit and work well in service. Very neat touch is the automatic trimming of the string, although could be difficult to replace string if needed to remove for other than renewal, as trims very close to post. Never had that need so not sure if it is possible? I have used others from well known instrument brand manufacturers but find these equally as good, if not better. Should point out the sets I have are fitted to Line 6 Variax guitars and the critical dimensions and screw placement is identical to the originals.

Nel corso degli anni ho montato diverse marche e diversi tipi di meccaniche autobloccanti, sia vintage che moderne. Queste in assoluto sono le migliori. Da subito hanno tenuto perfettamente l'accordatura senza nessun tipo di gioco delle parti meccaniche, cosa che, con quelle montate in precedenza, spesso capitava. Le ho montate su un'Ibanez e ho dovuto solamente smontare le vecchie e montare le nuove. Unica pecca sono le viti in dotazione che sono eccessivamente lunghe e apparentemente poco robuste. Una volta montate è sufficiente passare la corda nel foro, opportunamente orientato grazie al pallino presente sulla parte superiore dell'alberino, fissare la vite posteriore e girare la chiavetta. La corda viene tagliata automaticamente mentre va in tensione. Una volta che le corde si sono assestate non si scordano per molto tempo, anche usando energicamente la leva ed i bendings. Consigliatissime! Prodotto arrivato nei tempi previsti.

Good quality and genuine product at a great price.

Best upgrade I've bought so far... Quality of my guitar experience went through the roof!! Things to know about me 1. I'm new to guitar so I completely SUCK at changing strings and hate doing it 2. I'm older-ish and have other time commitments outside of guitar (I'll never rival EVH) 3. I have four guitars and the strings are generally changed because I feel I need to practice changing them and not from wear 4. the acoustic guitar may make the sounds of God, but the unwound strings are what Satan brought to the design meeting No amount of YouTube will get me confident in changing strings because -without unnecessary changes- I just don't go through them very quickly. And when I do, the time lapse would show me aging LOL. Then I saw this product and I decided to take a chance as it seemed the worst was I may have to enlarge the post holes which is pretty easy. Sounds easy and who doesn't like new tools? Note: product comes with ZERO instructions so what follows is my experience for a 2020 Squire Affinity Stratocaster and a 2020 Epiphone Explorer... Remove old new strings. Removed the stock tuners (loosened by hand) and noticed the D'Addario's have a tiny screw at the back not present on either the Affinity or the Explorer. So I installed the tuners -posts dropped right in easy peasy- and tightened with a 12mm socket then predrilled rear screw hole (Affinity only) using 1/8" bit through screw hole. I think if you kept the collar tight you wouldn't need the screw but it may come loose over time due to tension (testing on the Explorer). Repeat 5x then restring guitar. The moment of truth... insert string -low E- into post hole, remove slack and tighten locking knob to hold string. Begin winding and notice gets very hard to turn as if cross threaded. Kept turning key... SNAP! IT CUT THE STRING! Immediately becomes easy to turn key. Repeat 5x, Tune to pitch. OMG, I love them. Why aren't these or similar standard on all guitars? It made 1/3 of my accessories unnecessary. I'd pay for them... in fact I did, because I immediately went back to Amazon and bought 3 more sets for my other guitars. Great outstanding product and now I don't fear needing new strings. Will update in a few days once other sets come and I install them (one more 6-inilne and 2 are 3+3 so may do a review there too). Thanks for reading and I hope this helps you decide one way or the other but I'd bet you'll love them too. Adios.