Installing new tuners on my Tele', Staggered or Not?

[Easto]

Hi,

I'm going to be installing a set of Sperzel tuners on my Tele' soon (or at least that's the plan) and I have a couple of questions...

1. Will a set of "staggered" height tuners still required the string tree on this guitar? The reason I ask is that I really don't want to remove the tree and have an exposed hole on the front of my guitar. I noticed that Graphtech sells a set of 2 different height trees so I thought I might purchase that set thinking that at least one of them would work.

2. I am also thinking of going with the Gotoh (510? model) that a lot of people here recomended. I realize that the Gotoh's will require an external screw to be exposed on the back of the head for installation. My question is... will the Gotoh's cover the 2 stock holes left from the Tele's tuners?

Thanks
Easto

 

[Light]

I would highly recomend Gotoh 510's (locking if you want them) over ANY other gear. Their build quality is much higher, there machining is far more precise, and they are much smoother. The posts have zero play (which means they last longer and stay in tune better), and you don't need to lock them, they do it automatically as you tune up to pitch.

As for the whole stagared thing, if you can get it, it's a good idea. Without it you MUST use string trees (try not using them, you will hear what I am talking about), though I don't have a problem with that.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[jpw23]

I have sperzels on my tele and I love them.......yes, go with the staggered otherwise you will have to use string trees........as far as quality differences between sperzel and gotoh.....I don't know, never used gotoh's but, any locking tuner is better than stock fender parts.

 

[Hard2Hear]

You can keep the string tree with staggered tuners, I did on my Strat. I used Sperzels. They worked great and I like them lots. I couldn't find the Gotohs for a decent price.
H2H