Machine Heads
Also called tuning gears, tuning pegs and a variety of other names, the machine heads on an electric guitar may be loosely divided into two types; the ones that suck and the ones that don't suck. Most guitarists prefer the "don't suck" variety.
Okay, that description might be a little vague. Specifically, most of the best tuning gears are cast out of metal, then machined to tight tolerances. The gears themselves are sealed in grease so they tune smoothly and will likely outlast the guitar. Although, there are some good quality machine heads with exposed gears, most often, this is a sign of a poor quality set of pegs. To follow are descrifollow are descriptions of several of the more popular machine heads available.
| This is a very common tuning gear of very high quality. Many manufacturers offer this gear as standard of their better guitars. Today, even entry level guitar can often be found with this cast, sealed tuner. | |
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| This is an exposed gear tuner. A few of these are of good quality (like this one) but, for the most part, gears constructed like this are just cheap. Sometimes, they are all connected, either 6 in-line or 3 per side. | |
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| Gears like this one are basically the same as the one above but with a pressed, sheet metal cover. The cover may keep some foreign material out of the mechanism. Still, the sealed type are better. | |
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| This is a gear found on many vintage or vintage styled guitars. It is pretty good although not as smooth as the sealed ones. It also won't last as long since the mechanism isn't truly sealed. Over time, the plastic buttons often become brittle and prone to breakage. | |
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| This gear has a locking mechanism. Turning the thumb wheel pushes a pin into the sting locking it into the post. Originally offered as an alternative to a locking nut, these are intended to keep the string from slipping. The reality is that most tuning problems are caused by the nut, not the gear. However; these are very good gears and make string changing a breeze. | |
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