Machine heads recommendations

[ryan1mcq]

Morning all, I have just got myself and Ibanez AX120 and would like to put new machine heads on it as i struggle a bit with fune tuning, i know its a bit of a cheaper guitar so not sure which brand of MH to go for. I'm fairly new to guitar but I've dabbled over the years but I'm far form super knowedgable. 

 

And recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys

 

 

Ryan

[ezbass]

Welcome to the forum.

 

My normal recommendation for replacement hardware is Hipshot, but a set of those would be almost half the value of your Ibanez. I would probably go with Wilkinson tuners for your AX120 as they’re good quality and reasonably priced.

[Dad3353]

36 minutes ago, ryan1mcq said:

...And recommendations would be greatly appreciated...

 

Ibanez tuners are made by Gotoh. To change, it would be best if the replacement tuners used the same screw configuration as the originals. The precision of tuning depends to a great extent on the 'ratio' (number of turns it takes to increase string tension...). The 'flagship' Gotoh tuner that would probably be a straight swap for your originals would be the Gotoh SGL510, which has the same screw positioning and barrel diameter. These tuners are used on some of the higher-end Ibanez guitars such as the George Benson models. There are a few cosmetic variations of these tuners, concerning the 'look' of the tuner buttons; that's a matter of personal preference. Thomann stock these tuners; the price for a set is £60 currently; they have a gear ratio of 18:1.
There is no real reason why your present tuners don't give stable tuning. Fine tuning is also a function of other factors, such as the nut material and quality, the way the strings have been wound on and pre-tensioned, the correct tuning procedure (always tune upwards; if you're too sharp, tune flat and come up to pitch from there, never the opposite...) and more. Ibanez make excellent guitars, in all of their price ranges; you may find that swapping tuners does not, in itself, solve your issues.  Just sayin'.
Is this a new guitar..? How much experience with electric guitars in general do you have..?

Hope this helps; meanwhile...

 

Have a great day

 

Douglas

[ryan1mcq]

Thanks so much guys, much appreciated. Yeah the guitar was not too expensive which is why i didnt want to go crazy with the tuners Thanks again!

 

@Dad3353 Ive dabbled with the guitar since the 90's on and off and this is like my fifth maybe electric, i try not to spend too heavily at the start in case a certain guitar is not for me. I have always been more of an acoustic strummer and only really play rhythm stuff. The guitar its slef was bought brand new from  gear4music in the uk, do you think i should start by taking it to a local tech for a once over maybe? At firs ti thought itr a temperature thing due to being in trasnit from the shop, just feel super sensitive to try get the tuning bang on

 

Edited September 22, 2022 by ryan1mcq

[Dad3353]

13 minutes ago, ryan1mcq said:

...just feel super sensitive to try get the tuning bang on

 

Are the strings new, or fresh..? Have you changed them..? If they are old (depends on usage, but over a year old I'd call 'old'...), they may be due for a change.
When changing strings, my tip is to be careful when winding onto the tuners to get the first wind near the bottom of the hole, then make sure that the next few winds start from the bottom of the post, crossing over the first wind. This helps block the winds in place. Once wound onto the tuner post (three or four turns is quite enough...), I tune the guitar up to pitch, lay the guitar on the bench (or table, or on the bed...), then take each string in turn and gently lift the guitar up by this one string. It's perfectly safe; the string won't break, but it will bed down at each end fully. I then tune up to pitch. Always tune 'up', never 'down' to the note. If the note is too sharp, tune down to flat and bring it back up.
I use any tuner (headstock, PC-hosted DAW, whatever, but cross-check with fifth-fret and octave harmonics from string to string. I start with the 'A' string, and check it again once all the others are done. It helps that I use Elixir strings, which hold their tuning much, much longer than others I have tried (for years I used Fender Bullets; Elixir now get my vote on all my guitars...).

I have never had a tuner (machine head...) issue, ever, on any guitar, vintage, old or new; maybe I've just been lucky. I'm not maniac, either, about tuning to 1% precision; fretted temperament inaccuracy is greater than that, anyway. I sound out my chords, and if they sound OK, the tuning is OK. The tuner is a guide, but it's one's ear that has the final decision, not the needle.
Yes, a decent set-up is always the starting point, and a competent guitar tech can do the job, but it would be very useful to learn the basics oneself (how to adjust intonation, String saddle height, check for neck bow, when (and when not...) to adjust a truss rod etc...). I doubt that the moderate temperatures we experience in these climes would affect tuning, or the guitar set-up, to any noticeable degree, but a set-up is always a good starting point. Better value than a set of tuners, anyway, as a first move.
Hope this helps. 

 

Douglas

[Axe2Grind]

Well, if you are getting tuning stability issues, it could be you're not stringing your guitar well and getting string slippage so if that is the case, there's plenty of videos on youtube about stringing with non locking tuners. If you're a lazy git like me, who has locking tuners on all my guitars, then there are plenty of locking tuner options across different budgets. 

Although Ibanez fit excellent quality Gotoh tuners on their prestige and premium models, they do not on the standard range, Gotoh are my favourites and I fitted 3x3 locking Gotoh's on both my single cut guitars, removing the non-locking grovers that were on them. I got them from North West Guitars online and were not too expensive at around £50-60. I have hipshot locking tuners on my strat but they were quite pricey at £80. Also, be sure to measure the size of your tuner holes, not all tuners will fit and you don't want to waste money buying a set that won't fit and need a guitar tech to make adjustments to your guitar. 

[FrankAtari]

As mentioned by others, try to make sure your set up is good before you buy something useless. You need to test the guitar with fresh strings, and lubricate nut and string trees.

 

Also, if the guitar is new, there a possibility that the neck is adjusting to the new environment in your house.

 

If I were you, I would give the guitar a good month before modding it.

 

Hope this helps.