Why no love for the Phase I winged tuners?

[Nick Gardiner]

I don't know! I really like the phase I tuners and really didn't like the phase 2 at all. Just seemed lower quality to me. There again, I do like Grovers on Les Paul so like heavy tuners. Phase 1s seem very well made and work very smoothly. The ratio may take some getting used to but try tuning a violin!

But if you google search almost everyone hates them with a vengeance! I don't understand it.

I find using the wing locks also very easy and fast to use. Very fast to change strings and never go out of tune. All of my PRS have them on at the moment.

 

[veinbuster]

There is lots of love for the winged tuners. We just don't talk about it much because we don't want to drive the price up. I just did a string change on one of my guitars with them. I've always like them.

 

[László]

They're great. Hard for some folks to use, though...

 

[DISTORT6]

I love mine. Get 'em set right and they are perfect. Christmas tree look is where it's at!
They're the #3 item that fixated me on PRS Guitars. #1 being the tops and #2 the birds.
My teenaged, pointy, fancy paint-job, 80's metal guitar mind was blown after the first PRS I saw at Sam Ash @1986.
They became the pinnacle from that point on.

 

[toothace]

I hate them. I'll be happy to take them off of anyone's hands and properly dispose of them...

 

[BrianC]

I love the way they look, but other than that the 2's are better and the 3's are WAY better.

 

[strat63]

Here's my opinion on winged tuners. Don't like them at all for a couple of reasons. They limit what strings I can use, the low E in a set of .10's doesn't fit on any of mine. I also find them hard to tune at this point because they gotten sloppy over the years. The ratio doesn't help with that at all. I'd gladly replace all of them with phase 2s or phase 3s if they'd go on without modification.

On the plus side they do look cool.

 

[veinbuster]

Here's my opinion on winged tuners. Don't like them at all for a couple of reasons. They limit what strings I can use, the low E in a set of .10's doesn't fit on any of mine. I also find them hard to tune at this point because they gotten sloppy over the years. The ratio doesn't help with that at all. I'd gladly replace all of them with phase 2s or phase 3s if they'd go on without modification.

On the plus side they do look cool.

Interesting. The strings I just put on were 10-46. I did have to seat the 46 twice for it to snuggle in nicely. First time I just caught the lower part of the string. As soon as I noticed I lessened it and tried again.

 

[strat63]

Interesting. The strings I just put on were 10-46. I did have to seat the 46 twice for it to snuggle in nicely. First time I just caught the lower part of the string. As soon as I noticed I lessened it and tried again.

I wish I could get a 10-46 set to work on a regular basis. Maybe I just don't know what I'm doing which is entirely possible. I've often considered going with a non locking tuner that was a direct replacement but it would look wrong. Oh well.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

I love them because they are so damn quick and easy to do string changes on. And much easier to "save strings" if you are dickin' around with stuff and have to remove the strings.

I do find them frustrating to tune as compared with Phase IIs and Phase IIIs. There seems to be some play and they are harder to make micro adjustments to. I have had a few get slippy over time as well, but I suppose that's a factor of age just as much as design.

BTW that's a helluva stable you have there....MmmmHMMMMMmmmm

 

[veinbuster]

I wish I could get a 10-46 set to work on a regular basis. Maybe I just don't know what I'm doing which is entirely possible. I've often considered going with a non locking tuner that was a direct replacement but it would look wrong. Oh well.

I had to look again after tuning to realize I hadn't properly set the fat strings the first time. I'll be more attentive in the future, but by just pulling the string out the far side it didn't lock on to the whole string. It was never a problem with 9 gauge which I still use on another winged guitar I recently swapped strings on. Try a little pressure on the nut side of the string to ensure it is fully seated.

 

[DISTORT6]

Interesting. The strings I just put on were 10-46. I did have to seat the 46 twice for it to snuggle in nicely. First time I just caught the lower part of the string. As soon as I noticed I lessened it and tried again.

I use a set of D'Addario EXL-140 Light Top/Heavy Bottom 10-52 with no problem

 

[Boogie]

Here's my opinion on winged tuners. Don't like them at all for a couple of reasons. They limit what strings I can use, the low E in a set of .10's doesn't fit on any of mine...

I have a set of 11s on mine with no issues. Mine is a2001, so maybe I got an upgraded version?

 

[gush]

I'm one of those that dislikes winged tuners. I gave two sets of them away. Phase 2s work best for me.

 

[strat63]

I have a set of 11s on mine with no issues. Mine is a2001, so maybe I got an upgraded version?

Mine are from 91 and earlier so maybe they are a little different. I'll give some 10s a try again next time I need new strings.

 

[Huggy Love]

I agree, my 408 has phase II and they don't stay in tune as well as the original locking tuners, plus they go out of tune with the slightest tap of a tuning peg.
I will admit they are the quickest string change I've done, but if that's the only benefit, I think the winged were better for the other reasons.
This is coming from someone that liked the 5-way rotary too.

 

[Jazzedout]

Love them!
Never had any issues with the tuners on my 513 (modified Phase II?)

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I'm one of those that dislikes winged tuners. I gave two sets of them away.

Gush is a f@cking champion.

 

[Furtive]

Sergio hooked me up with a single winged tuner collar for white 1988 CE #341 and by doing so, a small part of the world was made right again.

They're different and have a slight learning curve. I have one that is slipping on the Dog, but still haven't checked it out. imho, no tuning peg looks cooler.

 

[Mixstar]

I'm probably one out of thousands but I don't like any kind of locking machine head. I prefer old school non-locking machines and correct wrapping has always worked for me.