Reverse Vintage tuners problem

[ghostjs]

i got Fender Reverse Tuners for my MIM jazz bass but apparently they have these little bits of metal that dont allow me to install the tuners correctly. I was told by my guitar tech that it was best for me to find new tuners that were FLAT on the back of the plate... but i love the looks of the vintage reverse tuners. So are there ANY tuners that have the long stems and small clover look that can fit into my MIM jazz bass?? i saw Lakland had hipshots one their Joe Osborne Model bass but i dunno what model that is... so can someone help?

[RBrownBass]

If you look at the back of a Fender headstock that used these tuners, you'll see two round shallow routs for each tuner, about the diameter of a thumbtack and about 2-3 mm deep. The bits of metal go into those little routs when you install the tuner so it sits flat. You could take a Dremel or a very sharp knife and carefully remove wood from the same area of your neck if you're certain you won't want to change back the tuners later. If you want a flat tuner base, then the Hipshot HB3s will work. They are (nicer) copies of the reverse tuners you have, but IMO they do not look vintage from the back, what with the really nice finish and machining and the logo stamp and all.

[ghostjs]

thanks!

[Willicious]

ghost,
if you really want to retain the vintage reverse tuners, but don't want to drill the headstock relief holes for the pinch tabs on the stock tuners, Gotoh's GBR640 Res-O-Lite tuners are the ticket, as they're backsides are smooth. The only caveat is, they're $110 a set (but they're awesome tuners).

does the headstock on your bass accept the 11/16" bushings?