Replacement of tuner knobs?

[Deacon_Blues]

Hi,

I have a CIJ Fender Jazz Bass '62 Reissue that I bought last year (new), and I must say I'm not very keen of the idea of having only vintage style stuff on it. I hate the tuning knobs, and I know there's nowadays much better tuners available.

What good tuners are there that I can change to without sacrificing the vintage fender vibe? The new ones should also preferably have a similar base so I don't need to make new holes.

Also, would such a change have a good or bad impact on the resell value? I'm leaning towards the first alternative as it's only a reissue.

Here's a pic of the back of the headstock, btw:

[lonote]

Okay, I'll bite...why do you want to change out the tuners? Does your bass go out of tune or do you want something "cooler"? If tuning stability is your issue, 99% of tuning problems are caused by strings binding in the nut; something that has absolutely nothing to due with the tuners. If that's your problem, try lubricating the slots in the nut with graphite (a pencil works fine). I hope this helps.

[Deacon_Blues]

Thanks for the reply. The problem is not tuning stability or that I want something cooler, I actually think the originals are the coolest...

I want to change them because the movement isn't smooth at all - it takes probably 100 times more power to tighten them than to loosen them and it makes the tuning process difficult. It also prevents me to quickly tune down to drop D if I want to and back up again. My old Warwick, which I sold when I bought this J bass, had a zillion times better tuners. It was easy to tune up and down. I could switch to drop D in one second and it took me perhaps two sec to tune back up to approx the right pitch. These tuners feel like some crappy cheap ones and I'm not happy with that.

Suggestions?

[Phalex]

I put these on my MIM P bass: http://www.hipshotproducts.com/cart....t_detail&p=261

Direct replacement. I put in three tuners and a D-Tuner on my bass in about 30 minutes. Piece of cake, and they are noticeably smoother than the originals. The posts aren't tapered, not sure if you care about that or not. Doesn't seem to make any real difference.

[Zooberwerx]

You might want to try a little lithium grease or graphite lubrication. Its cheap and may improve the situation to some degree. If you're bound and determined to go the replacement route, get Hipshot Ultralites.

Riis

[Deacon_Blues]

Thanks Phalex. I think they would fit straight on my fretless squier VM jazz, but not on this one as the screws are differently placed. So I searched if there was another model and there was one, the HB2 tuner. I checked the dimensions on these, and they're the same.

I'll see if I can find a place in Finland where I can get them, or if Thomann musikhaus have them. In the meantime, are there any alternatives to these I should consider?

EDIT: saw your reply Zoob. The ultralites are probably good but they would leave ugly screw marks on the back of the head. Or are they significantly better than the HB2's?

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

EDIT: saw your reply Zoob. The ultralites are probably good but they would leave ugly screw marks on the back of the head. Or are they significantly better than the HB2's?

My bad! I keep forgetting that the Ultralites are not direct replacements for the Fender (large mounting plate) tuners. Still, the Hipshots you've selected are perfect! FTR, all nine of my 5 bangers now sport the Ultralites so I'm a bit biased.

Riis

[Deacon_Blues]

Hmm, I think the Hipshots seem to be a reliable choice. Just saw that they are used on most Lakland models as well and they're great basses. I think I'll go for the Hipshot HB2's.

Thanks to all of you for your help!

[Deacon_Blues]

Update: I finally got the new tuners (Hipshot HB2's) and they work wonderfully. A zillion times better than the originals! They cost me €90 in total including freight, and they were definitely worth that. I'm not getting angry at my tuning pegs anymore.

Thank you again for recommending the Hipshots!