Locking Tuners for HD-28: looking for drop-in replacements

[Dundarave]

I’ve got them on my electrics, and I’d like to put them on my acoustics, but if I can’t simply “drop them in”, I’m not interested. Does anyone have first-hand experience with such a set of locking tuners for a 2018 Reimagined HD-28?

I’ve done search of the site, but I couldn’t find a definitive “this brand/model will fit perfectly and works well” post among the results.

Thanks for any experiential insights.

[Gee Man]

To what end do you want to put locking tuners on your acoustic? Seems like blasphemy to me. They make sense on electrics with floating bridges/tremolo systems or a gigging guitar where fast string changes are necessary. The reason you never see them on acoustics is that there is no need for them, once acoustic strings have stretched in, they are pretty darn stable. And the extra bulk of locking tuners on an acoustics seems to me a detriment. YMMV, IMHO and all that.

[martingitdave]

There really aren't any options as they are not typically used. I believe you can custom order a set of 510 open backs with locking post from Gotoh, which will be close but not drop in replacements. I suspect what you want are Waverly 21:1. But, the tuners on an HD-28 should be pretty solid from the factory.

[davidd]

Just don't do it. Locking tuners are just wrong on an acoustic.

[soups]

There’s simply no reason to install locking tuners on an acoustic unless you just want to. It won’t help anything. But to answer your question, there aren’t any out there that will work without modifications.

[David Eastwood]

There’s a lightbulb joke in here somewhere.

Take a look at Hipshot’s offerings. They have a neat no-screw installation method which should work nicely for your HD-28, and allow you to easily revert it to standard should you ever decide to sell it.

[Dundarave]

Thanks all for the input. It appears there are few options available without irreversibly altering the guitar.

The reason I like locking tuners is because I’m a practical person, an engineer, and not hung up on being a traditionalist and using an antiquated and sub-optimal technology when an option that I feel is both practically and technically superior may be available.

No eyeball measuring of the length needed, no getting stabbed with the ends of the e or b string trying to sharp bend it beside the hole, no futzing with a locking turn, no scraping finger or fingernail forcing the string to wind true, no hassles pulling the strings out from the peg holes when removing the strings, no surprise slippage when things aren’t done just perfectly.

That’s why I wanted to find out if they were available for my acoustic.

[phavriluk]

Sometimes there's no shortcuts on the way to knowledge. I suggest that OP determine the dimensions of his present tuners and start digging through the specifications of locking tuners for a match. There's enough 'why-do-that?' responses to make me infer that it's a question nobody's yet found a need to answer.

[Mandobart]

My 2017 HD-28 came with Schaller Grand Tune tuning machines, identifiable by the S over the post gear. IF I wanted locking tuners (I definitely DON'T want them) I'd pick something that matched the existing bushing size. Otherwise you'll have to ream out the headstock.

Whatever you choose usually involves some modification if it's not the same mfr and model. I've replaced a lot of tuning machines on a lot of instruments.

I've never seen a need for locking tuning machines on any instrument. Mine are all hanging up in my temperature and humidity controlled music room and they stay in tune. If I had locking machines I'd still need to retune when I take them somewhere else to play - guitars don't typically go out of tune because the machines slip. They go out of tune because the wood and metal have different temperature and humidity coefficients. When the wood shrinks or grows from temperature/humidity changes, you have to retune regardless of the type of tuning machines you have.

Regarding their use in facilitating changing strings - I've been playing and changing strings on stringed instruments for over 50 years. I'm also a mechanical engineer and proficient all-around handyman. Changing strings without blood, drama, tears or locking tuning machines is very easy. I would learn to do it before I took a reamer and drill to my HD-28's headstock.

[rollypolly]

I believe Gotoh makes some vintage style locking tuners with the two holes like the open back Grover’s, Waverlies, etc.

[LawrenceMollard]

Any time you ask about locking tuners here all you get are the rude Luddites questioning you for wanting them. It's obnoxious.

Christ, people, just accept that someone might want locking tuners in 2024.

I put locking tuners on all my acoustic guitars, but I don't know offhand what will fit that Martin, I'll take a look. My first thought these Gotohs might fit:

https://reverb.com/item/47781568-new...yle-3x3-nickel

I think these Kluson Revolutions- excellent tuners- might not fit, but check:

https://reverb.com/item/8577079-klus...ckel-krgl-3-np

And as has been mentioned, if you don't know what will fit, Hipshot makes a model that fits with a backplate, they'll fit anything.

Good luck!

[LawrenceMollard]

I think you would want these Hipshots:


https://hipshotproducts.com/collecti...3-3-headstocks

But be sure to order them from somewhere you can easily return them to.

[David Eastwood]

As I previously suggested, I think the Hipshots will fit the bill for you. The existing tuners will determine which variant will be best - they do a variety of models, and there are fully dimensioned drawings on their website. You can get them from StewMac, Amazon, or direct from Hipshot. There may well be other sources.

Here’s the set I installed on my Rickenbacker, to replace a 20+ year old set of Schallers, a couple of which were getting a bit balky. Installation was trivially easy, and required no modifications or drilling.

IMG_1710544872.760290.jpgIMG_1710544884.004285.jpg

[Dundarave]

Originally Posted by LawrenceMollard

I put locking tuners on all my acoustic guitars, but I don't know offhand what will fit that Martin, I'll take a look. My first thought these Gotohs might fit:

https://reverb.com/item/47781568-new...yle-3x3-nickel

Good luck!

Thanks! I just got my calipers out to check, and the Gotoh model you link to appears to be a perfect fit on paper. All the dimensions appear to match those of the HD-28 (Schaller Grandtunes). Now to source the Gotohs locally so I can return them if necessary.

The Hipshot “universal” solution looks a bit too crude/gimmicky for me.

Thanks again.

Quick update: I located the dimensional drawing for the original Schallers, and they are not identical to the Gotohs in a couple of important dimensions. To make them fit would require altering the guitar, so I’m still looking for a direct replacement.

Final Update: I’ve now spent several hours with Google identifying every tuner manufacturer I could find, including scoping out all the Amazon Chinese knock-off offerings. I found that while there are many options available, every one required either re-drilling screw holes (and filling in the stock holes) and/or reaming out the peg hole. So I’ve given up my search for a drop-in, reversible locking tuner replacement for my Schaller GrandTunes.

[abn556]

Both of my Strats have locking tuners. I like them a lot on Strats.

I see that Grover makes some locking tuners for acoustics:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...racking%20Link

More info:

https://gearaficionado.com/blog/the-...ars-pro-picks/

If you filled the existing screw holes you could come in with whichever of the tuners you like best. I don’t see anything that looks like a drop in.