Vintage fender tuning machines

StringsOf4 · #1 07-15-2006, 03:05 PM

I'm going for a vintage look on my P-bass, are these any good?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...Set?sku=361386

Nick Ioannucci · #2 07-15-2006, 06:59 PM

are those the same ones on the 62 reissue? because if they are i wanna buy a set and put them on my jazz.

rotero · #3 07-15-2006, 07:00 PM

I have those on my relatively new Classic 60's bass and they are OK. The Hipshot model that matches them is a better piece of gear, but they lack the little round piece that defines the look from the front.

Just in case, the old Fender tuning pegs are sometimes refered to as Kluson style and they wind in the opposite direction of any other peg. The Hipshot has a better gear ratio and the action is WAAAAAY smoother and more precise. (I have a D-tuner on that bass so I get to compare them side by side.)

http://www.hipshotproducts.com/cart....oduct_list&c=2

You would be looking at the HB3 for the Kluson style, but notice the squared off end of the post, without the little round peg. It would not look 100% vintage from the front, but it would work like a Kluson and your hand would be much happier turning the smooth Hipshot. If you are retrofitting a non-vintage bass then this page will let you see the different sizes and shapes of the backplates for Fender-style tuning machines. You may be left with exposed holes if they do not match your old ones.

No, I don't work for Hipshot, just passing along information so you can make a choice between looks or performance depending on what you want. By the way, the Fender ones will do just fine, they just feel stiffer because of the gear ratio.

Good luck!

Ole Man Blues · #4 07-15-2006, 07:52 PM

They look like the same ones that are on my '97 Fender American Standard P Bass. Excellent tuners. Hold very nicely and stay in tune.....

OMB

rotero · #5 07-15-2006, 08:06 PM

Not trying to be contrary, but they are probably not the ones on a '97 American Standard. The Musician's Friend picture in the original post is at a steep angle, but the two "trademark" Kluson features are there: The little button on the peg and the curved corner on the "very wide" metal plate which then ends in a little pointed corner. The button may appear on other models (not sure), but the big plate is definitely old school Kluson era.

According to my info that is not what would have come on any American Standard in recent years (like the last 25 years or more). The one in the picture is definitely a reverse tuning head. The American Standard probably has a standard tuning head.

I may be wrong, I'm not claiming to be the definitive expert on tuners, but that is what I have found in my recent research into replacement tuners. Just take a close look.

Anybody have a more conclusive answer agreeing or disagreeing?

Nick Ioannucci · #6 07-15-2006, 08:32 PM

so those HB-3 are the same style as the 62 reissue? this thread confuses me a little

\
edit: after reading the description for the xtender of the same model, it is in fact the style of the pre CBS fenders. looks like ill be adding those to my upgrade list

StringsOf4 · #7 07-15-2006, 09:56 PM

Is that price on hipshot's site for each tuner, or a set of 4? The Kluson-style the one where the actual peg the string wraps around has a flat top and smooth sides, rather than round top and "caved in" sides as on a MIM standard? That's what I'm going for. Oh and by opposite direction, do you mean I'll turn the clover-leaf backward to tighten the string?? Because from the look of the threads on the back, that doesn't seem to be the case. The backplate is bigger than my current tuners so the old holes will be covered up. Thanks for the quick input, as long as they don't stick and they stay in tune well, that's good enough for me.

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Nick Ioannucci · #8 07-16-2006, 02:10 PM

probably a piece... looks like 88 for a set of 4. w.e quality tuners are always a good thing to have on a bass.

rotero · #9 07-16-2006, 05:13 PM

Yes, I do mean you would turn the clover leaf in the opposite direction. At least that is how it is on the original Klusons and on the Hipshot modelled after it. The gear threads on the post are angled in the opposite direction on those. There may be a piece on the market which looks like the Kluson from the front but is threaded the same as modern pegs, but I have not seen one.

Kluson style - clockwise turn to raise pitch.
Look at your neck from the back, the threads face this way: \\\\\

Standard style - counter-clockwise turn to raise pitch.
The threads face this way: /////

The Kluson style Hipshot D-Tuner has less of these \\\\\\ than the "Vintage" Fender machine \\\\\\\\ but it has much smaller teeth on the gear wheel giving it a much better gear ratio and noticably smoother action.

BUT, to repeat, it does not have the "vintage" button on the post, just below the clover leaf, so you would be trading looks for smooth feel. The Gotoh may give you the best of both worlds if you can find it.

The back plate is six-sided on the Kluson-era and four sided on most other Fenders. There is a smaller six-sided machine that G&L, Musicman and Fender also use. The link for the X-Tenders has a better explanation:

http://www.hipshotproducts.com/cart....oduct_list&c=6

StringsOf4 · #10 07-16-2006, 08:09 PM

Do all the hipshots have kluson-style pegs (the part string wraps around)? The HB1 would fit without drilling new holes and looks pretty similar the the HB3. I wish they'd show both sides of the part.

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CrazyArcher · #11 07-18-2006, 02:16 PM

Hmm, the vintage-style tuners is something I dislike about my Fender-P clone: the gears are exposed and sometimes the sharp edges hurt me/others. Can't complain about going out of tune, though.
So frankly speaking, if I had the money, I would replace my tuners with others having their back covered, even if they are in another shape (yes! The sacrilege!)

rotero · #12 07-19-2006, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StringsOf4

Do all the hipshots have kluson-style pegs (the part string wraps around)? The HB1 would fit without drilling new holes and looks pretty similar the the HB3. I wish they'd show both sides of the part.

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On my Jazz, the Hipshot X-tender's post is slightly taller than the Fender "vintage" tuners that came on it. The shape is slightly different, in that the rounded indentation (the small circular divot where you start to wrap the string around the post) is a little smaller than the stock Fender. You do not get a cosmetic match. I would assume that a matching set of Hipshot pieces would all have the same look, but I have a mixed set. It doesn't bother me.

The diameter of the post is identical, so it should fit into the large hole in the neck. The only difference would be where the small screws attach the back plate onto the neck.

The HB1 is quite a bit smaller than the HB3. I have a G&L and the tuners on that (which are the size of HB1's) have much smaller back plate than the Kluson. It is only slightly shorter, but much narrower.

Greg Clinkingbeard · #13 07-19-2006, 01:03 PM

These are the same style used on pre CBS basses. I just put them on a Jazz and like them. They don't come with bushings or screws. Need to buy those elsewhere.