Kluson Backlock Mechaniken 6R 45° Nickel

This is my third set of Kluson locking tuners, this time non-staggered. As a left hander, getting any hardware in a left handed format is a challenge, so hats off to DVD247 and Music Store for making products available for left handers. There is some confusion in the German labelling as these are 6R for left handed, but 6L for right handed. My guess is that this is based on the 3-a-side tuners 3L + 3R, where on a left handed guitar, the tuner bodies and thumb wheels are located on the Right side of the headstock as you look down the guitar neck when playing, whereas for a right hander they will be on the Left side of the headstock.

These are mid priced tuners in the £55 to £75 price band, and on a par with Gotoh's 381 Magnum locking tuners. I specifically wanted the oval tuning peg heads and the Kluson models are the only ones in the this price bracket. I can make direct comparisons with Schaller M6, Gotoh 381 Magnums, Axesrus Aluminium, Wilkinson/Vanson SP-05 locking tuners, as I have installed these on other guitars. While the Klusons don't quite have the finesse of the Schaller M6, we are talking of a tiny difference in feel, and at half the price the Klusons hold their own and will not disappoint. It doesn't make viable sense to spend £115 on left handed Schaller M6 tuner's for a tiny improvement in feel over the £65 Klusons. The Schallers are only 15:1 or 16:1 ratio, whereas the Klusons are 19:1 which offers greater precision over the more expensive Schallers.

All three sets (2 left handed and 1 right handed) are installed on Yamaha Pacifica 112 guitars to replace the stock tuners. You will have to drill a 1.5mm pilot hole for the mounting screw if upgrading a Yamaha Pacifica or Squier, as these guitars use mounting pins on their tuners. In use the Klusons are rock solid, as you would expect from Kluson branded tuners. If you want a bit more refinement over low cost, unbranded locking tuners then these are worth considering, but don't expect a night and day difference in feel and build quality, as there are some excellent low cost tuners out there. These Klusons are my go-to locking tuners in the mid price range in terms of function, fit, feel, build quality, precision and tuning stability.