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Anybody used the Jenz machine heads yet?

A

Attackofmike

Guest
Feb 24, 2013
39
0
Orange County, CA
#1
So I just found out about these "new and innovative" tuners today while searching around for hipshot ultralite and gotoh resolite reviews. I'm looking for some lightweight tuners to put on my new warmoth neck.
Gotoh's are super expensive so those probably out of question but I can get hipshots for 75 bucks, about 10 bucks more than the Jenz. However, the Jenz keep that old vintage look, like the Gotohs. In addition, the improvements they claim to have over traditional tuners interest me, especially the claim that a string retainer wouldn't be necessary :hyper: .
It appears that its a fairly new product and I'm kind of iffy on buying them without hearing any reviews first :eek:
So does anyone have any experience or any knowledge about their quality? Thanks! :D
Linky: Link Removed
 
#2
They're all cast pot metal, even the plate, unlike HS which are sheet plate, machined post, welded bearing, etc. So IMO they are overpriced considering you can get cast tuners without the funky posts for half that price. Being cast they are going to be heavy compared to Ultralights.

HS makes more that ultralight. Can't get more classic than this: http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=99

For ten bucks more HS are the ticket. I don't get that you say they are not vintage look; Hipshot makes exact shaped and fit tuners for every era of Fender production. The difference is the welded on bearings which you will not notice other that saying "wow, these are awesome." There are other minute differences that you can't see from two feet away.
 
#3
96tbird said:
They're all cast pot metal, even the plate, unlike HS which are sheet plate, machined post, welded bearing, etc. So IMO they are overpriced considering you can get cast tuners without the funky posts for half that price. Being cast they are going to be heavy compared to Ultralights.

HS makes more that ultralight. Can't get more classic than this: http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=99

For ten bucks more HS are the ticket. I don't get that you say they are not vintage look; Hipshot makes exact shaped and fit tuners for every era of Fender production. The difference is the welded on bearings which you will not notice other that saying "wow, these are awesome." There are other minute differences that you can't see from two feet away.
Click to expand...

I actually just messaged the guy on their facebook page and he said that each individual aluminum machine head is 62 grams. So they're definitely not cheap, heavy pot metal.

Yeah those Hipshot HB3s would be ideal but all the vintage styled ones are way out of my budget. The cheapest and only Hipshots I can afford are the Ultralites, no American Classics.:bawl:

These tuners are going on a sonic blue P bass that will have a late 50s theme going on. :bassist:
So anyone tried them yet?
Or better yet, does anyone know a place to get a set of the vintage fendery hipshots for under 90 bucks?
Thanks!
 
#4
Attackofmike said:
Yeah those Hipshot HB3s would be ideal but all the vintage styled ones are way out of my budget. The cheapest and only Hipshots I can afford are the Ultralites, no American Classics.:bawl:!
Click to expand...

Where are you getting your prices from? A set of Hipshot UL's are more expensive than a set their vintage style tuners.

Just in case you're seeing the UL's for around $30...that's per tuner. You need 4 of em'
 
#5
Yeah I stand corrected. The posts are brass or aluminum. Depending on the model, the plates are sheet steel or cast like below. ImageUploadedByTalkBass1361844412.922908.jpg
 
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#6
#8
Look at the photo I took from your link. You can see the casted ID in the lower plate. Also the bearings for the worm are solid blocks. Now go back to the main page and go down to the Mexi style (500 series) tuners look at those pics. You can see the plate is stamped sheet and the loops the worm is retained in are bent.
 
#10
Attackofmike said:
Musiciansfriend has an entire set of ultralights for 75 bucks in chrome.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/hipshot-hb6c-1-2-bass-tuning-machine-set
:eek:
This is the cheapest I've found lol. Too bad they don't also sell sets of the other models.
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Yeah, that's cheap.

Just keep in mind that you're going to need to drill one small hole for the screw that holds the tuner in place. There will also be the other 4 holes from the old tuner visible. It wouldn't bother me, but it does bother some.

There's nothing late 50's themed about UL's though :ninja:
 
#11
Btw there's nothing wrong with stock CV tuners except for the pesky tapered posts. Just don't trim your trunks and get enough winds to push the strings to the bottom of the posts. Start the winds at the narrowest part of the barrel and go down. Once it's all tensioned the string can't move back up because the first wrap in at the narrowest point. Same effect no money. Some guys have cut short oops and used nylon cable ties on the narrow part and wound the string below that.
 
#12
Oh I'm getting a new set of tuners for an entirely new warmoth neck that I have coming in March so drilling new hole positions aren't a problem for me :).
96tbird, the CV tuners are actually pretty great but I'm probably just going to sell them off along with the entire neck I'm replacing (I see you own a CV bass too ,they rock :bassist:!).
I'm looking for light weight tuners because my 60s CV bass is around 9LBs stock and I'm thinking the warmoth neck would increase that weight due to all the steel rods inside of it lol. Maybe some neck imbalance could happen if I just used standard tuners too.
What do you guys think?:confused:
 
#13
Aluminum posts certainly will help l; there are threads here about the jenz tuners I found when googling. Other than that for classic open frame it's hard to save weight. Hipshot have thinner ( very thin)steel plates and elephant ears than standard so they might be lighter but they have BIG spur gears that probably add weight.
 
#16
Attackofmike said:
In addition, the improvements they claim to have over traditional tuners interest me, especially the claim that a string retainer wouldn't be necessary :hyper: .
Click to expand...

I've accomplished the same thing by simply making sure the string comes of at the bottom of the post right next to the headstock bushing. I've done that with all tuning machines I have with straight sided posts (Schaller/Fender, Hipshot ULs, Gotoh 350 Res-O-Lites).

I removed the string retainer from those basses and never looked back.

BTW, Musicman and G&L have tapered tuning posts that force the string low on the post.
 
#17
mongo2 said:
I've accomplished the same thing by simply making sure the string comes of at the bottom of the post right next to the headstock bushing. I've done that with all tuning machines I have with straight sided posts (Schaller/Fender, Hipshot ULs, Gotoh 350 Res-O-Lites).

I removed the string retainer from those basses and never looked back.

BTW, Musicman and G&L have tapered tuning posts that force the string low on the post.
Click to expand...

Yeah I found that out after doing a bit more research. So having the grooved posts aren't really a plus for me anymore. I'm just interested because the posts are aluminum. Other than that and the fact that the back plate looks like the standard fenders, these seem like the average tuner like tbird said.
 
#19
After receiving two sets of the Jenz tuners and installing them, I can tell you that they are VERY good tuners. The grooved posts allow a little more ease with string changes but the tuners themselves are crazy smooth and as high quality as I've ever seen. I like them very much.
 
#20
I would like to send a free set of JENZ to 96tbird to try, I read what he had to say and I would rather have you test them then just pick them apart. The Posts are machined from either brass or Aluminum and I use all the same parts as standard FENDER basses just because they are direct fits. The cost to make one Machined post is almost $4.00. Actually many dealers say they are too low price. They also function like a locking gear in a way because here are no string wraps. So 96tbird send me you address and if you want brass or Aluminum posts. By the way I was overseas checking various machine head companies to fund the best ones and I found HIPSHOTS being made at one company. I was thinking they for OEM products but I could not see any big difference between them and the ones I paid $30.00 for one gear.
 

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