Guitar Setup
When placing an order you will be asked about your playing style, guitar setup preferences and special needs.  The guitar is then set up for you.  We closely set everything including the truss rod, string height, intonation and pickup height.

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String Height & Neck Angle
The Performer™ installation was originally designed to fit into crowned top guitars and was later modified for installation into flat top guitars.  As a result, the neck pocket of most flat top guitars, specifically Fender™ models, are milled out to add a small rake angle between the neck and body.  The added rake angle allows the strings to be raised in the bridge area from 3/8” to 5/8” to accommodate the installation of the tuning system.  This raising of the strings is very small but needs to be considered before purchasing an installation into any flat faced guitar.

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Guitar Neck Stress
Guitars that are tuned to alternate tunings subject their necks to stresses not normally encountered by the average guitar. Since selling the first systems over twenty years ago there have been no reports from our customers of any guitar necks showing damage as a result of the tuning installation.  This is because most tunings are a combination of tensions, and usually, some tensions are above and some are below STD tuning tensions. As a result, the neck tension on average is closer to STD more often than not.

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Lock Nut or String Lock
The strings are clamped at the nut to aid tuning accuracy and reproducibility.  Depending on the guitar’s headstock, either a Locking Nut or a String Lock style string clamp is installed.  Having the strings locked at the nut is important because this eliminates the effects of the string stretching in the headstock region and also eliminates the “sticktion” caused by the friction of the string moving through the nut.  The string clamp is an integral part of the tuning system and cannot be eliminated.

 

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Roller Bridge or Rocker Bridge
Frictionless bridge saddles are used to aid tuning accuracy and reproducibility.  Performer™ systems use frictionless roller style saddles while Performer™ systems with the Piezo Rocker Bridge accessory use frictionless rocker style saddles.  Having frictionless string saddles is very important because the strings are pulled from the ball end of the string and need to move effortlessly over the bridge.  In the absence of frictionless bridge saddles, the strings lurch over the saddles while the strings move during a tuning change.  A frictionless bridge is an integral part of the system and cannot be eliminated.

 

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Motor Noise
There is a very low level of motor noise that comes through the audio pickups during a tuning change. The motor noise is caused by the magnetic fields that are generated while the motors are powered.  The motor noise is louder on single coil pickups and also on pickups that are closer to the motors. The signal to noise ratio is high enough that the motor noise is drowned out while playing the strings.  Additionally, this noise can be reduced by using the rhythm pickup or tuning down the guitar volume while the motors are moving. Either option reduces or eliminates the motor noise to levels acceptable for use in live settings and in major recording studios.

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Audio Considerations
The installation does not interfere with the existing guitar audio circuits and the additional mass of the tuning tailpiece increases sustain.

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Weight Considerations
The installation adds about a half pound of weight to the guitar after the installation. This is unavoidable given the weight of the mechanical device and sub-assemblies.

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Tremolo
The Performer™ does not support a tremolo.

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Replacing Strings
Replacing strings on the Performer™ is fast and painless.  The proper string gauges are displayed on the LCD during system startup.  The balls of the strings slip into the tailpiece and the strings are terminated at the headstock much like a normal guitar.  After string(s) are replaced, String Align is performed to bring the system into perfect alignment.

 

 

Install Centers and Kits

We custom install every Performer™ system here at our shop.  We use special milling tools and a CNC machine to rout the cavities and a complex computer based platform during the setup and testing.  As a result, do-it-yourself installation kits are not available for the Performer™.

Time Needed

Installation normally takes 4-6 weeks. Times can be longer depending on the number of current orders