Changing Strings with GOTOH Locking Tuners and a FLOYD (7 String Guitar)

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**Leave a comment on this video with any suggestions or tips, and I will consider adding it to the blog post above and link back to you!
In this video, I'm showing you all of the steps to changing strings on a 7 string guitar that has both a Floyd Rose and GOTOH locking tuners!
I've been avoiding this for...uh, like a year and a half now!!! This is my first time changing strings on a guitar with Gotoh locking tuners, so I was afraid of screwing things up because the setup of my guitar is perfect!
The guitar I'm changing strings on is my ESP E-II Horizon FR-7. I've had it for about a year and a half and bought it to record the guitar tracks for my album Masterpeace.
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You'll also hear what my guitar sounds like with the old strings. That's in the very beginning of this video!
And I play some after I finish changing the strings so you can hear the difference! Although I'm personally not a huge fan of playing with brand new strings...I like them more once they've been on my guitar for several weeks!
The string I'm using are Elixirs, and the gauges are .10 - .56. I believe this guitar came with Cleartone strings, and I actually may like those better for my 7 string guitar. I've been using Elixirs for many years now, and they're great strings too.
Oh, and as I mentioned in the video, please post any advice, suggestions, little tricks you have for changing strings for guitars that specifically have the Gotoh locking tuners and a Floyd! We're all learning together in this metal family!
Keep it Metal,
Jason
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[@Jinnuksuk]

Man, some great tips I never thought of! I was going to order the locking tuners (actually did thorough comparisons) but then I realized I'd rather be able to have some headroom on my strings in case they snap. I do the overlap winding even though I have a locking bridge but now I will be leaving the lock loose on the bridge until a day or so later. Keep these awesome tips & tricks coming!

[@jasonstallworth]

🤘

[@avidshirker8460]

Hey first time watching you because I just got a seven string with this same setup and it was fun learning with you yo.

[@jasonstallworth]

🤘

[@TaylorRodCarter]

I switched the runners on my guitar to locking tuners don’t have it back yet because of getting new custom wound pickups put in I can’t wait to have locking tuners on my guitar so excited

[@jasonstallworth]

They're awesome and I wanna put them on every guitar now!

[@spawnkiller9779]

Just got enough downtime to set up and renew my 87 rg 550 with gotoh trem. After cleaning polishing conditioning and filing down the frets and guitar all I got left is to put the gotoh back. I set it up a little different. I put the strings in first and have the gotoh trem sitting while the fret board dries after conditioning them.

[@jasonstallworth]

Nice dude, I really need to file the frets on my LTD...those things are pretty worn!

[@CyberSoulLover]

Good video man. Always fun to watch your videos! Found your videos when was looking into a 7 string. After watching your videos definitely gonna buy one now :). Keep up the good videos man

[@jasonstallworth]

That's awesome to hear! You'll love the 7!

[@VERSE20009]

Best video out there just change mine and it was simple to change don’t be scared guys and gals.

[@jasonstallworth]

Much more simple than I thought it was when I first got the guitar!!

[@Justic3h]

Good video. I love my locking tuners. Your install was perfect.

[@jasonstallworth]

I love them as well...just wish I didn't have the Floyd sometimes! lol

[@valeroharold]

Thanks for your guidance. Nice Axe. Enjoy it

[@jasonstallworth]

🙏🏻🤘

[@Benp9248]

Wowser. Dont usually see locking tuners running with a floyd rose. I use the same brand gauge strings on my floyd rose guitars. I have changed gauges and set up accordingly ie i used much heavier gauge strings once and found an extra spring was needed too combat the heavier gauge. But i do the same one at a time system and i also chock the floyd so it does not sink back. Now i will say this. Floyd systems can be a pain in the butt wen changing strings. But. This is the price for having such a beastly device that gives you great tone. This is a big part of your tone Jase. The little bends vibrato etc all sound diffrent than a fixed trem. I know they can be a pain but god damn they sound killer. Anyway dude another great video. And also for planting the seed of i need a new seven string guitar. Lol.

[@jasonstallworth]

You bring up a great point...why have locking tuners if you have a floating bridge or vice versa? Yeah, the Floyd is a huge pain!!! Lol ...but you're right, it gives you those little nuances that make up your signature sound!

[@OTCRock4one]

Jason, I've had guitars with tremolo systems on them and of course, at the nut there are locking screws, so why would you have GOTOH locking machine heads? Its already locked at the nut?

[@jasonstallworth]

This guitar came with all of that. If anything, it makes changing string a little easier

[@jackofallstrings]

Man this is the reason I’ve always wanted a floating bridge guitar but never bought one. Haha so far it’s just hard tails for me. But I might take the plunge… I feel like I’m missing out.

[@jasonstallworth]

It’s worth getting a guitar with one!

[@scottdickinson7156]

Mate I hated Floyds after I got one when I was around 14 and didn’t have a clue what to do with them and now I have 5 with Floyds. They aren’t as bad as people make out and restringing them I find therapeutic 😅

[@Stretchwreckedem469]

Aye, elixir strings!!!!

[@etenbroeck]

Thank you for posting Jason. E

[@jasonstallworth]

etenbroeck You’re welcome!! I hope this helps some folks!

[@Greenstang511]

Why clip the ball end of the string? Just install the string backward using the other end.

[@A.D.D.O.C.D.T]

Guitarist Kirby Man you just blew my mind ,I’m a beginner but clip that ball each time. As soon as I read your comment I felt so dumb ! (Not the first time in my life and not the first time guitar related dumbness). Cheers mate ,another arrow in the quiver.🤙🇦🇺🎸🔥

[@jeffrasmussen7462]

Steve Vai does this too, I do it too, it works great.

[@peaner083]

Well goddamn... never thought of it either 🤔

[@awkljfrbgksehgkljd]

I bought the exact same guitar as you, except mine doesn't have "made in japan" written under the serial number. Is that a sticker that was possibly removed, or is my guitar not japan-made?

[@jasonstallworth]

I'm not sure. But I believe this series is made in Japan. To me, all that matters is if the guitar plays well

[@DoomOfConviction]

Has anybody bad experience with the attachment of the locking nuts? The Floyd instructions said you should always drill trough the neck and use the long screws to fix the locking nut but I never saw a manufacturer like LTD, Ibanez, Schecter and Co do this instead they use the small wood screws to fix the nut. In theory this is not good but if even a E-II has the locking attached like this it can’t be that bad? has anybody experienced a teared out locking nut ever?

[@jasonstallworth]

I personally would never try to install this myself…take it to a pro to set it up and install

[@darthdurkelthewise320]

Beautiful guitar from the folks that refuse to allow us the dignity of the ESP badge on a top tier instrument (sorry, that still pisses me off as an owner) However, I can see why it took you while between string changes with all the obstacles (FR, locking nut, tree, and locking tuners). 🤣 Imagine if you didn’t have the locking tuners. Good lord I have the E-II NT7-B and I love the string thru body w/locking tuners. String change you = 1 hr String change me = 10 min Good video and 👍🏻

[@jasonstallworth]

Yeah dude, my next guitar with not have a floating tremolo!

[@dav_e98]

Am i the only one here who block the floyd and then clean the fret and then put the 6 and 1 string watching for bzz and then i put the others? 😂 i have a question is the guitar stay better in tune with locking tunners cz i was about to buy gottoh locking for my rg550pn

[@jasonstallworth]

Some say it doesn't make a difference but from my experience, it does help

[@dav_e98]

@@jasonstallworth thank u for your reply

[@VafaMottahedin]

My best tip, don't get a guitar with a floating trem 🤣

[@jasonstallworth]

Dude, my next guitar will NOT have a floating trem!

[@azuraug8693]

@A. D.R. Nah, it's a great tip.

[@DoomOfConviction]

I had the same attitude but then I realized that you can modify your Floyd to your liking, the floating part ain’t a must. I locked my Floyd in the directions of the springs with parts for 2$ and set the spring tension a bit higher that I don’t have any tuning issues and can still divebomb to my hearts content. I love the Floyd rose string spacing so much more too.

[@luishernandez-dz9zw]

leave my comment in the post death metal manda mi amigo Greetings from Venezuela

[@jasonstallworth]

Thank you Luis, my friend!! I will check the post!

[@JeroenLagae]

Is your guitar a 25.5 inch scale? I left my guitar with the luthier, and told him I'm not sure whqr string gauge I should use. On my standard B guitars I use a 60 set and a 62 set. He recommended me a 7 string set (56-46-36-...) and I was like "Ok,. Well see... 🤨". Now I see your also using a similar set. Isn't it to sloppy? Greetings 🤘

[@jasonstallworth]

It's not sloppy at all. I use lighter strings though, that's just my preference. 10-52, I think

[@Serhio79]

Супер!

[@leojahuey8608]

The person who took off the strings already 🤬

[@jasonstallworth]

🤣 I've made that mistake more than once!