Paul's Guitar SE - Alternative tuners

[powerpopper]

Hello all, after owning a veritable sh!t-ton of guitars over the years I decided to try a Paul's Guitar SE (Amber, thank you very much). It's a beautiful guitar and I find the neck to be very comfortable. It already has me wondering how great a US-made PRS would be, but I digress...

I can live with just about everything else on this guitar, maybe because I've never owned a PRS of any type before and don't have anything to compare it to, but my God the tuners are horrible. Does anyone have a suggestion of high(er)-quality tuners that can be dropped in? Are Kluson Traditionals a good way to go?

 

[J. Michael Henry]

I’m looking at these but want to make sure they drop right in. Anyone know?

Kluson Revolution 3+3 Chrome locking NO Collar tuners fits Gibson 59 reissue, 335 KRGLNC-3-CP
https://reverb.com/item/32838688-kl...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=32838688

 

[IRG]

I just bought a new SE Santana Singlecut Trem, and had Sweetwater install these SE Locking tuners right on it (they gave me a good price on the tuners), and they get very good reviews too, probably easy to do it yourself: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SELockTunSet--prs-se-locking-tuners-set-of-six

 

[Tim S]

You know there’s already a 4 page thread on this very topic in this very sub-forum.

 

[CandidPicker]

THE PRS SE Locking Tuners set are the correct replacement set. Several online retailers sell these, as well as the PRS West St. Accessory Shop on the PRS Guitars website.

You'll find several posts in this forum mentioning step-by-step replacements, and am sure YT has videos posted on these as well.

 

[Eddie kim]

The previous owner put these on my se. Gotoh vintage style locking tuners.

 

[Fireroadeddy]

As I stated in the other thread, get a set from John Mann, direct replacement

 

[grausch]

THE PRS SE Locking Tuners set are the correct replacement set. Several online retailers sell these, as well as the PRS West St. Accessory Shop on the PRS Guitars website.

You'll find several posts in this forum mentioning step-by-step replacements, and am sure YT has videos posted on these as well.

SE Locking Tuners won’t fit - they only have one screw hole and it’s in the wrong location. The SE locking tuners work for any SE that has non-vintage tuners.

 

[IRG]

SE Locking Tuners won’t fit - they only have one screw hole and it’s in the wrong location. The SE locking tuners work for any SE that has non-vintage tuners.

That, I hadn't realized, and is a very good point! Seems odd that they would spec out this one SE model (maybe there are others? to not be compatible with their own locking tuners, pfft.

 

[Eddie kim]

You can try hipshot open back tuner with ump plate. No drilling required.

 

[grausch]

That, I hadn't realized, and is a very good point! Seems odd that they would spec out this one SE model (maybe there are others? to not be compatible with their own locking tuners, pfft.

There are a few SEs that have vintage tuners, namely the Paul’s, the Zach Myers and the Bernie. It may have been an aesthetic decision - remember that this was before PRS had made the SE locking tuners available. Gotoh SD90s are also a good choice - as can be seen from earlier in this thread, they fit a Zach Myers. I know they fit on a Bernie, and I am guessing they would fit on a Paul’s guitar too.

 

[kipkohl]

I think John Mann makes a locking vintage tuner for SE's. Phase lll core tuners fit with a small amount of reaming of the holes on the back of the headstock.

 

[grausch]

I reamed the tuner post holes to fit the Phase III tuner bushings on my Bernie, but someone else reported success using the regular SE bushings. That being said, the Phase III bushings are much better than the SE ones and I don’t regret taking a reamer to make those fit.

 

[CandidPicker]

SE Locking Tuners won’t fit - they only have one screw hole and it’s in the wrong location. The SE locking tuners work for any SE that has non-vintage tuners.

Interesting. Why does PRS market SE locking tuners as a drop-in replacement for SE non-locking tuners, then? Are you saying that SE vintage non-locking tuners won't accept SE locking ones?

If yes, good luck finding SE locking replacements...sorry if this doesn't help the OP...perhaps a call to PTC would best solve his problem...

 

[grausch]

Interesting. Why does PRS market SE locking tuners as a drop-in replacement for SE non-locking tuners, then? Are you saying that SE vintage non-locking tuners won't accept SE locking ones?

If yes, good luck finding SE locking replacements...sorry if this doesn't help the OP...perhaps a call to PTC would best solve his problem...

This thread already has several viable options available though...John Mann modded tuners, Hipshots, Gotoh SD90 & PRS Phase IIIs using the original bushings. I am not sure if the Kluson Revolutions fit, but the others all fit.

 

[tyfu20]

You can try hipshot open back tuner with ump plate. No drilling required.

You can try hipshot open back tuner with ump plate. No drilling required.

Unfortunately the Hipshots require reaming for the SE Paul. Bought it for mine and did not for, ended up using then on my Chris Robertson which was a perfect fit.

 

[Eddie kim]

Unfortunately the Hipshots require reaming for the SE Paul. Bought it for mine and did not for, ended up using then on my Chris Robertson which was a perfect fit.

Have you tried to contact hipshot? They offer different tuning keys with different pole sizes.

 

[tyfu20]

Have you tried to contact hipshot? They offer different tuning keys with different pole sizes.

I haven't, they work well on the Chris Robertson and I actually haven't had any tuning problems with the SE Paul's. Gonna keep the original tuners.

 

[Draconomics]

My solution was to go with Gotoh SD90's. Theyre Kluson style so they'll cover the holes (chips in my case), and require only a small amount of extra routing to fit them. Decent price too.

 

[ScottR]

You can try hipshot open back tuner with ump plate. No drilling required.

Those are some REALLY trick looking tuners. I dig open backs, the aesthetic is cool af!!!