Avoid string breaking on old tuners with small diameter

[deirfloo]

I have a couple of old shortscale basses of the early 70s and there is an issue.
The e-string tends to brake because of the short diameter of the tuners.
If i use normal length strings the strings are very thick when I wind them on the tuners.
Is there a trick to for example pre-bend the strings somehow?
I like the harley benton flats, because the are very affordable and decent strings but they are only available in long scale.
Any ideas?

 

[Jon Moody]

If i use normal length strings the strings are very thick when I wind them on the tuners.

That's the issue; not the tuners. You need to get strings designed for short scale instruments.

 

[deirfloo]

DIY: Making Short Scale Strings out of Long Scale Strings

I just found this.
Has anyone tried that on flatwound strings?

 

[HaphAsSard]

I have a couple of old shortscale basses of the early 70s and there is an issue.
The e-string tends to brake because of the short diameter of the tuners.
If i use normal length strings the strings are very thick when I wind them on the tuners.
Is there a trick to for example pre-bend the strings somehow?
I like the harley benton flats, because the are very affordable and decent strings but they are only available in long scale.
Any ideas?

If one of them is the short-scale bass the Defil Rytm in your December thread, you could find a shorter trapeze tailpiece, so that long-scale strings fit.
As for your "new" Mars solid-body, or any others you have, a similar getaround would probably involve drilling through-body holes at appropriate positions, if at all possible.

On the other hand yes, Harley Benton's 15 euros for a set of flats is hard to beat, all the more by a hypothetical short-scale alternative. You could try the Höfner HCT1133B: it's 29 euros from most online places, winding length (ball to thinning) at or around 86cm. Judging from online reviews it is not a well-received product, with regard to tone, but you might like them.