chinese machine head

[ctregan]

Has anyone tried these machine heads?

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-4-3-4-double-b...ht_5516wt_1167

[MPU]

I have something similar if not the exact same tuners. I see no reason why mine wouldn't work ok. Turn nicely, are not rattly or too loose.
Marko

[Paul Warburton]

Those machines are pretty much standard on most mid range contemporary basses. They are just fine. For higher end, fine hand made basses, the highest quality like the Soane's are somtimes used. But those are upwards of $500.

[thejumpcat]

Pretty sure those are the same type that came stock on my Shen SB100 that I bought new last August. I dig 'em. No problems so far.

[Heifetzbass]

I used them to replace a set on a Shen bass. Pretty much an exact match. The others had been beaten up pretty bad by a student and rattled. The screw holes even matched up.
BG

[drurb]

Gee, given that folks here have had good experiences with 'em, then for $74 with shipping, seems you can't go wrong!

[PB+J]

Shen calls those the "Suzhou" machines--you can see them here by clicking on "basses"

http://www.cscproducts.com/

I had them stock on my Shen SB-200. They were ok, but they always tuned a little rough and they developed a rattle I could not get rid of. Lots of backlash, so tune it up and nothing then it suddenly jumps, tune back down, same thing. I recently installed a set of Sloanes and can't believe how good they are--zero backlash, very precise, smooth. They ought to be, for what they cost. But it's a big difference.

Those are incredibly cheap if they really are the same tuners. They'll work, but expect rattling and backlash. Watch out for the screws--the wood screws on mine were really flimsy, and I replaced them with stainless steel.

[james condino]

$75 for a full set of machines- that's a lot less than many single strings that will wear out somemtime quite soon....

What is the gear ratio on those machines? I'm currently using a set of KC Strings machines and, to be honest, the 30:1 ratio is a little bit too much for me. They work beautiful, but bar gigs with gut strings means that I do a fair amount of cranking on them in a night. It is generally a lot easier to use some of the lesser gear ratios like the old 8:1 German machines. Usually a 1/4 turn on the fly works great on those, but the KCs need a full revolution or two. That s why I never bought a set of 50:1 ratio Sloans - seems like too much of a good thing.

j.

[PB+J]

I'm dreading changing strings with the Sloanes. I have one of those screw gun winder thingies so I can use a drill. It'll still probably take an hour. But the precision is really pretty amazing. It's like it does exactly what you want--no futzing. If I'm a little flat, I give it a little turn, and exactly what you want to happen happens, instead of "nothing nothing too sharp, turn the other way nothing nothing too flat"

I can definitely see you point about the gut strung bar bass though. Shen says they are 26:1. They always felt a little coarse to me.