Replacement tuners

[jdyoung3]

I recently got a Jaguar because I really liked the neck and the way it looked, so I am slowly upgrading all of the hardware and electronics on it.

I just got 3 Hipshot HB2 tuners and a Hipshot BT2 Bass Extender and installed them using the stock bushing as per the instructions.

Everything seems to work fine, but there is a very slight bit of "grindy" resistance when tuning the strings and there is noticably more room between the string post and the bushing on one side than the other when looking at all of them.

Also, the extender's two plates are not perfectly parallel to each other and the nylon washer is not flush with the plates above and below it. There is probably a millimeter difference in the distance between the edges of the two plates above the string post as compared to below it.

I called Hipshot and they said that while the BT2 and HB2 are the correct parts for the Jaguar, I could use different bushings that they would send me free of charge.

My question is, how much play should there be between the bushing and the string post on replacement tuners? Should the extender's plates be more parallel than they are? How big of a difference would the changing of the bushings make?

[jdyoung3]

Update: A lot of the problem with the Extender was alleviated when I realized that the wave washer was supposed to go on the string post before you pushed it up through the headstock.

It is still a little uneven, but not as bad as it was before.

The wave washer is not mentioned at all in the printed or video instructions for installing the extender.

[mortzestus]

So did it all work alright in the end? I was waiting for a reply from Hipshot about the replacement tuners and xtender for my Jaguar Bass (not that I've been waiting for a long time, as I sent an e-mail just today) but it looked to me that HB2 and BT2 could be the right parts rather than the ones listed as replacements for MiJ Fender basses. Then I saw your post.

[jdyoung3]

Originally Posted by mortzestus

So did it all work alright in the end? I was waiting for a reply from Hipshot about the replacement tuners and xtender for my Jaguar Bass (not that I've been waiting for a long time, as I sent an e-mail just today) but it looked to me that HB2 and BT2 could be the right parts rather than the ones listed as replacements for MiJ Fender basses. Then I saw your post.

The HB2 and BT2 are definitely the right parts for a Jaguar.

They fit fairly well in the original bushings, not sure if the fit is quite as tight as the original tuners, but my bass doesn't go out of tune or anything. When I take out the string post and compare the original bushings Hipshot sent me to the stock ones, they look like they are the same size.

I don't think that the extra bushings they sent me after I talked to them about my concerns would fit in my headstock without modifying it, so I still have the original bushings in.

As for the d-tuner, the plates are still not very parallel with each other, but I am guessing that is normal. I'd love some confirmation on this.

One tip, though, make sure you have a decent amount of winding on the string post to force the string down further on the d-tuner post. It seems to help with keeping the plates of the d-tuner balanced well.

[mortzestus]

Thanks a lot for your reply and, for the record, Hipshot actually said the same thing to me: HB2 and BT2 (and their reply only took one day). I still have to think about it, I'd definitely get some use from the detuner but I'm not so sure about the tuners. The factory ones in my Jaguar are not the best and they barely manage to keep my bass in tune but I still don't know if I really want to replace them or if I can live with them.