Why Tune Down to Pitch on Guitar with Locking Tuners?

Question

Reading through Fender’s online instructions for property setting up a Stratocaster I found the following:

Remember—with most tuning keys, it's preferable to tune up to pitch. However, with locking tuners, go past the note and tune down to pitch.

The page provides no reason for this. I have locking tuners on my Stratocaster, and I’ve always tuned up to pitch with no problems.

Why does Fender instruct us to tune down to pitch with locking tuners?

Addendum: To clarify, I agree with everyone who says we should tune up to pitch. This is what I do, despite the aforementioned instructions to do otherwise. I would like to understand the logic behind tuning down to pitch with locking tuners.

Answer 1

Locking tuners do absolutely nothing for tuning stability. Their sole purpose is to make string changes quick and neat. So as Todd commented, the real issue that requires tuning up to pitch, nut or tree friction, is no different when you use locking tuners.

For interest I had a look at various experienced guitarist's blogs, and all said it was mostly nonsense. Haze Guitars, however, gave a possible reason:

The first piece of information (another piece in a minute) — and the one that’s repeated in different forums — is attributed to Fender Customers Relations and states, “That is just ensure that the string is stable on the tuning post, when you overwind the string slightly the grooves of the string can settle onto the post eliminating any ‘slippage’ during first time use.”

So, I think what they’re saying is that the string winds can settle onto/around the post.

Ok. I can see where they’re coming from. Over-tightening the string could compress the wraps a little and speed that process. That could certainly lead to a little extra stability. I’d argue that stretching will do the same thing.

And, here’s the thing: Even if you over-tighten and then back off, I really recommend still de-tuning lower than the note and tuning back up.

So, if you have trouble with your thicker strings slipping against each other, you could wind them higher, but I'd suggest the more usual technique for guitarists - where we pull on the whammy bar or pull the strings to do the initial stretch - is still your best bet, then tune up to the note as usual.

Answer 2

I emailed customer support at Fender with this question. Here’s the answer from one of their Senior Gear Advisors:

That is odd. I would disregard that suggestion. I never do that and have never had a problem.

So the answer, straight from Fender, is that there is no reason to tune down to pitch with locking tuners.

Carry on.

Answer 3

I agree with DrMayhem. In addition,

1. tuning down means over-tensioning strings which hastens their demise.
2. tuning down means releasing tension, and that relaxation is slower to reach a stable situation than when tuning up and increasing tension (the difference is relatively small and varies with string type). I'm not talking about brand-new strings, where one expects stretching to occur for a couple days.

I don't really buy the quoted part about settling the string onto the winding post, because you should be taking care to wind in a helical wrap to begin with. Us bowed instrument players learn to be fanatical about proper winding onto the pegs.

Answer 4

Locking tuners are also useful for keeping string stable while you do the fine tuning and intonation adjustments on certain terms. For floating bridges like a Floyd Rose you don't want the strings to move while you are getting the details of the bridge correct. You lock the tuners so that the strings don't move, you get the setup correct and then you lock everything down with the locking nut when everything is done.