Would you switch to the new tuning buttons?

[flatfeed611]

I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on the new tuning buttons. If your guitar currently has the Gen 2 or Gen 3 Phase tuners, would you consider making the switch?

For me, it would really depend on whether there’s a noticeable improvement in tone. That said, I’m skeptical that a change in tuning buttons alone would make a big difference. Plus, I really love the look of the Phase tuners—they have such a sleek looking design. The new ones, at least for now, just don’t appeal to me visually.

What’s your take? Are the new tuning buttons worth it, or are you sticking with the trusty Phase tuners?

 

[Rider1260]

I like the larger buttons of the phase 3 tuners enough I changed my Fiore to a full Phase 3 set. back in the day I used to change my Gibsons to Grovers ( 70s-80s ) because they were much better tuners.
My NF53 has the new buttons they are fine and disappear next to the Maple neck, sometimes wonder if neck dive might be an issue with heavier tuners on such a light guitar.
I don't really think a tuner button has much effect on tone at least with my meager skills , it also wouldn't stop me from buying a guitar I do like the Larger Phase 3 buttons and open gear tuners best tho.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Nah, they still look “wrong” to me.

Maybe in ten years.

 

[ElrytNamrogo]

I didn't care for the look at first, but after getting a guitar with them, I've grown to like them.

Ever since seeing the faux bone on the DGT, and then the plastic ones on my 35th Anniversary, I've grown to favor plastic. To me, they feel better....metal and nickel get slick at gigs if my hands are sweaty, and I just don't have that problem with the plastic ones.

All that being said, it's a very, very minor aspect to me and I wouldn't go out of my way to change anything one way or another. Nor will it ever effect what I will or will not purchase....just my two cents.

 

[Birdsofprey]

Aside from changing pickups, and speaking of components you can change on a set neck guitar. I’d say anything you change could effect tone but how much depends what components your changing or even modifying/adjusting. Many small changes could collectively change the tone. Experimenting is the best but not always most cost effective way. I seem to do this with pedals. Btw love the newest version with the wide buttons, easy to grab and very light weight.

 

[veinbuster]

Nope.
I think the probability of noticing a difference is too small to be bothered.
If I ever want to change buttons I’ll use the spare ebony or cocobolo ones Paul Miles made for me,

 

[László]

It's true that the metal buttons are noticeably heavier.

If the guitar already has plastic (including faux bone) or ebony buttons, there'll be no aural difference, since the weight is about the same, and my electric PRS' have faux bone or ebony. So no.

However, I do like the look of the new tuner buttons. I think they're distinctive and therefore more interesting.

I'd certainly keep them on a new PRS if I got one.

 

[Greywolf]

I wouldn't switch to them , but wouldn't change them out .. they are just buttons .. no big fuss for me

 

[Juan Luis Vidal]

Someone in this board screwed me big time regarding the new buttons: he/she (sorry, can't remember) said that they looked like Mickey Mouse gloves, and that's all I can see now when I look at them.

So no, I would not change in the foreseeable future

 

[BrianC]

no

 

[andy474x]

I wouldn't switch to them , but wouldn't change them out .. they are just buttons .. no big fuss for me

Same here.

 

[bodia]

Negative

 

[Stephen J.]

I recently bought some Phase III Ebony buttons. If the new Wing Buttons had been available in black, I would have considered them. For less money I probably would have bought them over the ebony.

 

[rwandering]

Switch to them? no. Make it a deal-breaker on a guitar? no.

 

[JasonE]

I wouldn't go out of my way to switch the buttons. I am not a fan of the new tuners with the new buttons that are molded right on the shaft. I don't really have a strong opinion of the new buttons if they are held on with a screw like old buttons were.

I had the opinion from the pictures I have seen and new guitars I have seen pictures of from listings that all of the new buttons were directly molded to the shaft of the tuners. When I did my factory tour this month, I saw a decent handful of the new buttons that were held on like the old buttons were. This way you could change them if you didn't like the look of them. I just think the ones that are molded directly on the shaft look really cheap / low quality.

 

[MarcWink]

I’m not especially fond of the newer Phase III tuner buttons. I prefer the ones that are on my 35th Anniversary Custom 24. The faux bone buttons with the older shape just looks better to my eye. I’m not sure that my ear is good enough to detect any perceived tone difference.

 

[DBedard]

I bought a ‘24 Paul’s guitar in August with every intention of changing them out to hybrid metal Phase III like one my SC594, but I’ve grown to love them. Same with my ‘23 Silver Sky. I don’t know how they make plastic feel “elegant” but they do. I do wish they would have kept the locking tuners on the Paul’s Guitar though, even though I don’t use trems, I’ve become spoiled doing string changes with locking tuners.

My 594 is a limited run EXP2018 Semi Hollow model (profile pic), and it came with the “tweaked phase III” tuners, which have a set screw which engages the tuners when you turn them but leaves them loose when you’re not tuning, thus lowering the mass on the string post. I think it was a step along the way to the plastic tuners. I find it funny that Stratocasters made bigger headstocks to increase mass for “tone” and Fender sells a little weight clamp to add mass for tone, yet PRS has taken the complete opposite approach.

 

[Sardocasm]

No chance. I just cannot get on with how they look.

 

[PRSconvert]

Reviving an old thread, but I wanted to inject my two cents. I don't like the look of the wing tuners, first of all. Second, I think their width would make it more cumbersome to use a tuning-peg wrench--wouldn't you have to have an adjacent peg in a vertical orientation to keep the wrench from hitting it? Third, on many PRS guitars, the weight distribution is such that you would want more weight on the peghead to balance the guitar, especially when playing seated. I think that would outweigh (pun intended) any tonal benefit of the new tips, especially compared to other plastic tips, which I prefer over metal tips.

I suspect that these tips will contribute to a drop in sales for PRS, and may at least partly account for the discontinuation of the 594 SC in 2025. I purposely shopped for a 594 SC with the older keystone tips, and I bet a lot of Les Paul fanatics would also prefer those to the wing tips.

 

[László]

I suspect that these tips will contribute to a drop in sales for PRS, and may at least partly account for the discontinuation of the 594 SC in 2025.

If the buttons were a problem, a drop in sales would occur across the board, not just with one model. Why would it be unique to the SC models? There's no way it would.

I sincerely doubt that the tuner buttons were even remotely a cause of the 594 SC being out of the lineup. You don't see the other models using the new buttons failing to sell, the factory is back-ordered last I heard.

It's probably got a lot more to do with the fact that it's harder to sell a heavier Singlecut guitar than the usual PRS shape that's lighter and offers easy upper-fret access. PRS makes what the dealers order, and when something doesn't sell as well for any reason, it's out of the lineup.

On the other hand, I prefer the SC. The tuner buttons wouldn't be at all relevant to my decision re: whether or not to buy one. If they are to you, no problem, but I suspect you're in the minority (of customers, not necessarily folks on this specialty/geeky forum - of which I'm proud to be a geeky member. ).