Help! String breakage with locking tuners on Ultra Stratocaster

When I was trying out my Elite Tele at the store, the high E broke at the tuner when I was tuning up the guitar. The store replaced the string, and it's been ok ever since. No broken strings since.

 

I’m envious, I’ve been waiting a long time for mine and now it’s been b.o. for another 6 months. Sorry about the bad tuner , with an eminent gig . Go into the hole the other side you know what I mean and or move that tuner up to a big string. Then next week delve into it, possibly replacing . Good luck and congratulations

 

I don’t have an ultra so no real advice. Most hardware on the era is interchangeable , so possibly any strat. modern tuner would do for the weekend.

 

I once had an issue where the tip of the pin that tightened onto the string acted like a cutter and ‘chopped’ through the string as I tightened it. I discovered that it really didn’t need to be too tight to hold the string. I did, though, use a round needle file very gently in the string hole to smooth tip. I then swapped the tuner from the problem top E position with the G. I figured that, being thicker, it would be less susceptible. These three actions solved the problem.

 

the high e string and B string needs at least half a wrap at the tuner post to prevent string breakage at the tuner.

follow Fender's guide on stringing with locking tuners:

"Locking tuning keys. Picture the headcap of the neck as the face of a clock, with the top being 12:00 and the nut being 6:00. Line the six tuning machines so that the first string keyhole is set at 1:00, the second at 2:00, the third and fourth at 3:00, the fifth at 4:00, and the sixth at 5:00. Pull the strings through tautly and tighten the thumb wheel, locking the string in. Now tune to pitch."

make sure to insert the high e string at the 1:00 position which almost quarter wrap already.

 

Are they staggered? Swap the High E tuner with one of the same height tuners. I think it would have a more difficult time breaking the string on a thicker string.

 

My first time changing strings with locking tuners, my high E broke off at the tuning peg while tuning it up for the first time. After looking at it a bit, I realized I had probably overtightened the lock. So I've made sure to turn it tight but not stupidly tight and haven't had any more breaks since, and that was a couple years ago now.

 

It happens

 

Mines not an ultra just a lowly Hw1 but I insert the 9 ga. high E & B strings into the post of the thumb screw locking tuners then loop them back around and reinsert in the same post hole before locking them down. This seams to give the locking pin more surface area contact of the strings plus I don't over torque the thumb screw, haven't had one to break there yet kow.

 

Yvw, hope it helps. As was also mentioned in this thread the tip of the thumb screw may be too sharp and needs a tad of polishing/sanding but be gentle if going that route.

 

Maybe not related, but my understanding is that you shouldn't have to do any windings around the post with locking tuners. You should be able to just pull the string somewhat tight and lock the string in and tune it, and not have to worry about winding the string around the post.

 

I have had this issue with almost all my new locking tuners. I loop the high string through the ice, at least for the first couple sets. After a while it doesn't cut anymore. If there is a continuing problem, I swap places with another. It's not just Fender locking tuners. I have a reoccurring problem with a set of Hipshots. I have never had this issue with Grover locking Rotomatics.

 

I use sandpaper or micro mesh around the burr.
I use the same sandpaper that I use for polishing frets.
Very lightly and sparingly.

there is something called abrasive cord that might work better, but I don’t have any.

 

That's what i thought too before. And I don't understand why fender recommends different positions on the tuner holes when stringing. But I came to realize that the half wrap on the thin strings distributes the tension force to a bigger area of the tuner post as oppose to no wrap where the tension is concentrated on a small area where the string bends at the tuner hole.