Fender "vintage" split tuners: the tuner of kings?

While changing the strings on my "fifties" Mexican Fender Tele (bought in '98) I was struck by the now outmoded tuning pegs, which look like the ones in this picture:

The post of the tuners has a hole cut vertically down into the post.  So there's essentially a small hole in the middle of the post where the string goes down, then you thread the string through a slot that crosses the post, and you just start tuning it up.

This differs from the design that Fender adopted later on, which is the design common to almost every other electric and acoustic guitar manufactured in the last thirty years - a post with a hole through it, accessed from the side.

There's something almost aristocratic in the way that the end of the string is hidden from view.  There is basically no risk of poking oneself with a string end on a guitar with these tuners.  But the downside is that it takes longer to put a string on than with the modern design.  You have to put the string through the body, get it to go taut then add 2-3 inches, cut it (or just bend the string back and forth quickly until it breaks) and stick it all the way down in the hole, then hold it in place while you tune it up, because the string loves to jump out.  Especially the high E.  It just happened to me when I was changing my strings

So I can kind of understand why this design fell out of favor.  It pretty much sucks having to change a high E string on this guitar on stage, which forces me to always bring a backup guitar when I have an electric guitar gig.  Sometime in the sixties Fender changed to the (Gibson) post design.  But no less an authority than Hamilton luthier George Furlanetto declared his devotion to the vintage tuners in my presence back in the nineties.  He thought that they were a better design, and simple and fast to use.  So maybe it just takes some practice.  But I have had this guitar for twelve years now.

From a guitar forum (http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=507536):

Here's the skinny direct from Fender's Mr Gearhead:

Vintage keys. For these, you'll want to pre-cut the strings to achieve the proper length and desired amount of winds. Pull the sixth string (tautly, remember) to the fourth key and cut it. Pull the fifth string to the third key and cut it. Pull the fourth string between the second and first keys and cut it. Pull the third string nearly to the top of the headcap and cut it. Pull the second string about a 1/2" (13 mm) past the headcap and cut it. Finally, pull the first string 1 1/2" (38 mm) past the top of the headcap and cut it. Insert into the center hole in the tuning key, bend and crimp to a 90-degree angle, and wind neatly in a downward pattern, being careful to prevent overlapping of the strings.

If the high E is giving you grief stick a round toothpick in the hole till it's tuned.

If you have a guitar with these tuners, read the whole forum.  There are some good ideas for dealing with the pitfalls - I'm going to try some of these techniques myself at my next string change party.