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

SUMMARYNice 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, OBSERVATIONSI 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.

I LOVE 'em. I have them on ALL my electrics, plus I have two sets in my bin waiting to be put on my new Squier Nashville Paranormal Strat and my new Yamaha Pacifica PAC212VFM. When you have a bunch of guitars to keep in strings it's indispensable. Slide the string through the post, tighten the set screw on the bottom of the tuner, and turn... POP there goes the extra string end, flying across the room, and you're ready to tune and play. Greatest thing since sliced bread... SERIOSLY!!!

After discovering these auto-trimming, locking tuners, I'll use no others. They snip the string off right at the tuner, so it doesn't dangle out and poke you or get your cleaning cloth stuck on it. The tuners are excellent, smooth, and easy to use; they make string changes a snap! I've installed these on 5 of my guitars now, I think they are the best.They fit my Warlock perfectly!

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.

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.