Grip-Lock 6 inline Enclosed 21mm Post Locking Tuners - Chrome

I just got these for a 15 year old MIM Fender Strat. I have had problems with it going out of tune really easily. I read the other reviews and liked what I saw so I gave them a try. One thing that is super nice about these is the mounting system. I did not have to do any drilling and the tabbed mounting plates make it so easy to get these installed and straight. They are staggered in three different heights. The locking mechanism works great. I recommend these tuners. One thing, and this may just be me, I find the tuning ratio to be really 'fast'. I have an Epiphone with Grover tuners and it is easy to get precise tuning with them. The HipShot seem like a tiny turn makes a bigger jump in the pitch. I believe these are 16:1. I can certainly live with it, I just need to get used to them. If you are looking for locking tuners, I would give these some consideration. They work great, the mounting system is awesome, and the price is fair. They feel good and solid.

The less good thing first - these will not drop into a Squier Telecaster. I bought the Squier to learn electric slide and the cheap tuners that come with it (I knew that) are a pain when you're going back and forth to Open D, Open G and standard.You're going to need a 13/64 or 10mm drill. You'll also need quite a small Phillips to get the old tuners off. You then need to pry out the cheap inserts for the stock posts. A narrow blade screwdriver will do that inserted INSIDE the insert. Just pry back and forth and when it's loose push it out from the back. Then clamp the headstock in something that won't mar it, an drill ought the holes. Once that's done, they're very easy to install and tune beautifully. Do expect to loosen the thumb wheels a LOT from the way they're shipped to get the bass strings in. All in all, great value for money. It's not Hipshot's fault that the Squier holes are undersized.

Ok, so there are many good reviews on these, and there's a very good reason. They are very good quality replacement machines for that guitar that just won't stay in tune. I installed a set (with staggered posts) on this cheap-but-good Slammer strat copy after making all other repairs. Holy smokes, what a difference! Now this $160 knock-off plays & sounds nearly as good as my $$$$ G&L! The 18:1 gearing allows VERY fine tuning and after setting the intonation, it NEVER. GOES. OUT. OF. TUNE. The mounting plate system is freaking genius, with NO SCREWS NEEDED to attach the tuners! And those quick-change spinny lock thingys...I mean shut up! I took a chance on these for about $50, and boy am I glad I did! Great value, and the instructions are clear. Now...a warning. If your headstock is thicker than 1/2" at the end machine, DO NOT BUY THE STAGGERED POST VERSION! Mine was 9/16" and (because I didn't want to have to return and re-order) I had to make a 9/16" countersink 1/16" deep to let the washer sit flush, buried in the headstock's wood. This was VERY tricky to do, but it was the only way to reveal the post hole for the string, since the last two posts are the shortest....and it worked perfectly! I do believe they offer an non-staggered model of these Hipshot tuners, in different configs (inline 6, or 3L/3R), so fear not! If you have a guitar that has good bones, but hate playing it because it won't stay in tune, GET THESE!

These tuners check all of the boxes: Relatively affordable, solid locking mechanism, smooth operation, look nice, and will be a drop-in replacement for A LOT of different guitars. I chose these tuners to replace the crappy stock ones on a Squier Affinity Strat. My one gripe with Hipshot is that their listings on Amazon are not particularly clear on what you are getting, as I was hoping to receive staggered tuners, but received a set that were all the same height. No big deal, as they were all a fair bit shorter than the stock tuners and allowed me to remove the string trees. Installation was a breeze using the Universal Mounting Plate. This extremely clever design removes the need for pins or screws to hold the tuner in place. This makes installation a breeze: simply drop the tuners in through the UMP, and tighten the washer and bushing on the other side. It took me five minutes or less. So far the locking mechanism does its job without issue. These are certainly a massive upgrade compared to stock tuners on cheaper guitars. The only thing you need to look out for is sizing to make sure they will drop into your headstock without modification. Make sure you measure the diameter of the holes in your headstock, and the thickness of your headstock to make sure they'll go through the way they should.

The tuners are very nice overall and work well. The look good, turn nicely and were super easy to install. I had to knock a star off for a couple reasons. One, which appears to be a blessing in disguise, is that I ordered the staggered tuners but the tuners I got were all the same length. I didn't feel like returning and waiting on Amazon's nowadays uber slow prime shipping that we should get reimbursed on so I just went ahead and used them. As it turns out, the tuning keys were just a bit above the face of the headstock. If there had been any staggered smaller they would not have fit all the way through properly. This is on a Strat parts build. So I'm glad I decided to go ahead and use these as I don't think the staggered one's would have fit when it came to using the smaller tuners in the set. The second is, and this is probably a me issue, is I thought and was hoping the back place would cover the screw holes from the old tuners. Alas, it does not. Not a big deal because they are obviously on the back but I was hoping. Anywho, all and all well worth it. Just make sure if you are wanting staggered tuners that they will fit through the headstock. At least on Fender style headstocks.

I have installed tuners on my guitars from just about every third-party manufacturer and these are far-and-away the smoothest, most precise feeling/operating tuners I've ever turned. I installed these on my new Squier CVC Tele replacing the Chinese-made vintage-style split peghead tuners that came stock. I didn't realize how bad the stock Chinese tuners were until restringing after the install. I did have to drill out the hole for the tuners to 13/32" (if memory serves) for the Hipshot tuners to fit. This is a relatively minor modification considering the massive improvement in function with these new tuners. Wow, these things are smooth and precise! If you're fighting to tune your Tele/Strat (or any inline-6 guitar, for that matter), DO NOT HESITATE to put the Hipshot tuners on your axe. My set came with universal mounting plates that made lining up and securing the tuners a breeze - 20 minutes worth of work and I was up and running again. If you're in the market for a tuner upgrade, these are one's you want!

2020 Squier Affinity Telecaster. This was a direct drop in upgrade, no reaming needed with newer Squiers. Stringing it up was a joy, very simple and it's holding all of the strings firmly. The tuning feel is night and day compared to the stock tuners. These are so smooth and precise. Read the instructions on the direction to install the brackets. I did mine wrong the first time, had to remove them and turn the brackets around. Added a vintage style round string tree and we are looking and sounding great!

I love Hipshot tuners. The ump plate makes installation a breeze. No drilling needed and holds tune well. The only problem I have had is you don't know if you are getting staggered or non staggered. I have ordered this exact set 3 times and twice I received staggered and once they were non staggered. As I wanted the staggered set, I now have a set of non staggered that are of no use to me. Maybe I will find a use for them on another build. You are taking your chances when you order these. You might not get what you want!