Why lefty loosey?

[M.R. Ogle]

This thread just got REAL funny!!!


spam...spam...spam....

[dmrogers]

Originally Posted by jweber76

Don't some vintage Chrysler products have "backwards" threaded lugnuts on one side too?

Yes they did, and I had one back in the '70's.

[Bruce Johnson]

If the direction that you have to turn the tuning keys really bothers you, all you need to do is reverse the direction that the string wraps on the tuner post. That is, looking from the top of the headstock, wrap the strings clockwise around the posts, rather than counterclockwise. The strings will no longer take a straight path from the nut, but that's usually not a big deal.

If you're building your own bass, you can lay out the headstock so that the straight path lines from the nut end up at the left side of the tuner posts. Then the tuners will turn right (Clockwise from the top of the key) to tighten. It's up to you.

So, why are most basses set up so that the tuners turn left to tighten? For the usual reason: Because Fender did it! And why did Leo do it? I assume because the tuners on most guitars up to that time (that had right angle machine heads) turned left, at least on the upper side of the headstock. Also, I think most old upright basses are set up to turn left (counterclockwise, looking from the back of the headstock, with the strings wrapping over the tops of the posts). An old convention from long, long ago.

[lug]

You are driving the shaft in the normal direction you would think to tighten something with a screw at 90 degrees. This means the screw goes in the opposite direction than the shaft.

[iunno]

It's like winding the string onto the peg, I think of it more as "tuning up and down" than "tightening and loosening" the strings.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by jweber76

Don't some vintage Chrysler products have "backwards" threaded lugnuts on one side too?

During college in the '70s one of my jobs was busting tires and those studs were marked "L" and "R" for left and right thread. We had to be careful keeping track of the lugnuts and be extra careful setting the air wrench correctly or a stud could easily snap right off when trying to remove a lugnut.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by agent77

OK, here's a dumb question that no one has ever been able explain to me: Why are tuners designed to turn lefty loosey when we tighten our strings? Why not righty tighty like every other screw based tightening thing in the world?

The original Fender basses were Righty Tighty.

[HaMMerHeD]

Becuase

[lowphatbass]

If you look at the orientation it seems to make sense, turning to the left pulls the string end to the left which tightens it, bringing it further from the bridge.
I've seen plenty of old Mopars that have had studs busted-off and replaced leaving the car at a state where half the wheel studs are LH and half are RH...that's a lot of fun. Also, fan clutches that screw onto the end of water pumps and steering linkage are a good place to find LH threads.

[JoZac21]

Wait... doesn't the OP mean "lefty tighty", since you turn the peg counter-clockwise to tighten the string?

Honestly, in twenty years I never noticed that it goes against this cardinal rule... now I'll never be able to stop thinking about it! (That, or more likely, Ill forget all about it in about an hour...)

[wrench45us]

steinberberger tailpiece/bridge goes clockwise tight/counterclockwise loose
seems natural enough

but I suppose it could be argued that that required locating the whole tuning mechanism at the 'other' end

[JTE]

I never think about it- two of my basses have "reverse" machines (Fender reproductions of basses made before 1963) and the rest have "regular" ones. I don't even think about it when I switch from one to the other.

As to why? The original tuning machines Fender got for the electric bass were from double basses, and they turned opposite to how guitar machines turned. At some point I imagine they decided it made sense that both the basses and guitars had machines that turned the same direction to tune up, and the company was in a position to spec exactly what they wanted.

John

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by hdracer

Being a mechanic all my life it drives me crazy!!!
I love my vintage reverse tuners.

Do you ever work with cutting tools? Nearly all the various types of electric saws I've used/owned tighten in reverse.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

Do you ever work with cutting tools? Nearly all the various types of electric saws I've used/owned tighten in reverse.

Yes I do. That is to keep the nut from un screwing.
Some times you have to use a reverse thread to keep the nut tight.

[Roadkill]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

If we adopted some modified headstock system where the lowest string's tuner is farthest away, we could reverse the system.

My new custom has a reverse headstock for that very reason - I was forever turning the tuners the wrong way . Also as it's a shortscale it allows me to use longscale "E" strings. I prefer a heavier "E" than most any shortscale set has. My normal "set" is something like 105/75/55/40 , these are GHS Pressurewounds 106/76/54/40

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by hdracer

Yes I do. That is to keep the nut from un screwing.
Some times you have to use a reverse thread to keep the nut tight.

I know that- but I figured it wouldn't drive you crazy if you have to use those sorts of tools on a regular basis.

[john m]

Especially the part about winding the string directly on the key.

Originally Posted by St Drogo

Because it's not a screw. When you tighten the string, you're not screwing anything into the wood. It's not a direct connection; when turning the key you turn a cog, which in turn rotates the actual peg. I'd compare it more to turning a dial to adjust something, than to fastening something with actual threads, like a bottlecap or bolts and nuts.

Keeping that in mind, I always thought this way makes more sense. When you turn the key so that the upper part rotates away from the headstock, you tighten the string. Almost like you're winding the string directly onto the key, like opening a can of tuna or spam. Lovely spam. Wonderful spam.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

I know that- but I figured it wouldn't drive you crazy if you have to use those sorts of tools on a regular basis.

If there is a reason for it I can understand.
But there isn't a reason why the change on bass tuners.
The original Fender tuners had it right.

[wideload]

Originally Posted by mrbell321

The real question is why anyone still uses the imperial system of measurement!
Ok, I know the answer to that, but I reject it because it's dumb :-)

In the U.S. we use the imperial system to be able to identify future drug offenders. Any child who excels at metrics will be tracked for the rest of their life!

[Chef]

Both my 51 reissue, and Jaco reissue had reverse wound tuners.....................