I have a mim fender squire. I'll be playing my guitar and over a short time my string tension loosens. I just put on some new (used) locking tuners and a better bridge. What else can I do to fix this problem?
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Guessing this is a Strat. version, rather than a Tele?– TimCommented Jan 10, 2018 at 11:24
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2 Answers
If strings slip, even without locking attachments, first thing I'd look at are the machine-head windings.
If they're perfectly aligned, done carefully, they won't slip, ever.
Pic... Me
If it looks like an explosion in a wire factory, your chances are commensurately lower.
Pic from Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar
The entire page at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar shows you how to achieve this - though it really isn't hard to figure out for yourself how to do it properly. No-one taught me, I just arrived at it through common sense.
On a strat without tuning locks, then dipping the trem can make strings go sharp, as it allows the strings to slip at the nut.
My 'fix' for that has always been, you either tune strings by bending then checking, or you do it by dipping the trem then checking. You can't have both.
That way, if a string goes out as you're playing, you correct it depending on your initial method, either dip the trem or bend the string.
Personally, my choice to eliminate that entirely is to screw the trem hard to the body & never touch it again ;)
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Locking nuts do totally work. I have one guitar with one and it stays in tune when I dive bomb the trem. But I never play that guitar because trem is so 80s hair metal. Keeping the nut slots lubricated (and cut to the right size) helps a lot but enough trem action will detune anything. Locking tuners, a lubricated nut, and strings that are fairly set in will generally stay in tune after compound bends of more than 3 half steps on my guitars. YMMV. Commented Jan 10, 2018 at 22:10
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1Man, I love that last pic; I've seen that more than a few times ;)– user39614Commented Aug 22, 2019 at 16:32
It is also possible your tuning pegs are don't bear the tension well. On my guitar the pegs have screws that allow you to adjust the peg tension. Mini-squires have cheap pegs that don't allow you to do this.
If nothing else works replace the tuning pegs although I would be inclined to just buy a better guitar.
