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Cheap Violin Bass tuning peg question

DodgeSpiritRT

DodgeSpiritRT

Inactive
Feb 18, 2017
244
86
#1
I have a Rogue VB100. As anyone who has a "Hofner Beatle bass COPY", many - if not all - of them have giant clunky chrome tuning pegs that cause major neck drive.
Recently, I came across a picture of an acoustic bass - a Hofner EAB65. These have the same style one screw at the bottom style tuners as many of our "copies". (See pictures) These tuners - if they fit - would lessen neck drive, (hopefully) would be a simple swap out and would provide the plastic buttons that Beatle basses should have. All this would be accomplished with no major "surgery" to the headstock! If if if.....
I was wondering if anyone tried to swap tuner from this bass onto their Rogue, Epiphone, Harley Benton etcetera etcetera Beatle basses.
Also I was wondering what the part number is and if they were still available from Hofner - any anyone could provide that info.
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yuecizoadekk1vydz4pt.jpg
 

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#2
I happen to have both a Rogue VB-100 and a Hofner; mine's a 500/2 Club Bass, though. It has individual open-back, worm-and pinion style guitar tuners; but, I know that some 500/1's have 2-on-a-strip tuners. You can certainly change your tuners if you think that will help. Personally, my Rogue has very, very little "neck dive". I do have some basses with really serious diving propensities - as in "I'll use this grippy strap to pull your shirt right out of your pants, and over your frickin' head" neck dive. In comparison, my VB-100 simply has what I call "a slight forward bias, weight-wise". Holding up the equivalent of a Wendy's double cheeseburger doesn't really qualify as "neck dive", AFAIC. But, it's your bass; YMMV, and all that...
As for replacing the tuners? If I was going to do the "faux Hofner" thing with mine, I'd be looking at what Schaller had to offer. TBH, they have some guitar tuners that look an awfully lot like the ones on my 500/2... The trick is going to be dealing with the big holes in the headstock that the bass-style tuners are going to leave. It can be done, but you might start to wonder if it's worth it before you're finished. Personally? I'd be inclined to consider some lightweight bass tuners myself, rather than mess with fiddly little guitar tuners. Which, aside from the headstock holes thing, come with problems of their own. Mainly, that most medium-scale string's leader wire's not intended to go through a guitar tuner's string hole. Some will - especially the handful that are intended for a Hofner - but, some of them won't. Unless you take a drill to the hole. Don't ask me how I know... Let's just say, some Danelectro's have guitar tuners, too...
In any case? You might want to take this question over to the VB-100 Owner's Club. I'm not big on modifying any of my basses, but... lots of my fellow members certainly are. They can tell you what will work fairly easily - and what will be... not so easy. Good luck with whatever you decide...:thumbsup:
 
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#3
Thanks for responding. By the way, I'd try cutting and sanding pieces of drum stick until it could be tapped into the headstock hole. Then, I'd re-drill the hole to fit the replacement tuners. The "trouble" that it would take to change the tuners is why I was intrigued by the Hofners on the EAB65 acoustic bass. The problem is that I don't have that bass, so I can't look at those tuners to see if they would fit. It "appears" that they might.
I am using a regular strap and - the headstock goes to the floor almost immediately. Thanks again for responding!
 
#5
I'm going to guess you have 14mm tuner holes in the Rogue. If that's the case, Gotoh Res-O-Lite GB350 tuners should fit and they only weigh 40g/ea. They have buttons that match the color of the tuner, though.

While I was considering the purchase of a violin bass kit, I thought about using open back tuners on a kit that was drilled with 14mm tuner holes. On the McMaster-Carr website, I found some rigid linen-reinforced phenolic resin tubing with a 14mm outside diameter and 10mm inside diameter that could be used to sleeve the 14mm hole down to 10mm. Then you could use Hofner tuners or Grover Sta-tite V97-18 tuners without having to drill new holes. After cutting the tubing (with a hacksaw) to a length equal to the thickness of the headstock, cut a slot in the tubing parallel to the axis of the tube to aid in installation. Orient the slot so that it is not inline with the direction of the string tension and glue it in place. I think a very thin CA glue would wick into the space between the headstock and the tubing. Use 10mm tuner bushings front and back as clamps (just finger tight) until the glue sets up.
 
#6
GAMerrill said:
I'm going to guess you have 14mm tuner holes in the Rogue. If that's the case, Gotoh Res-O-Lite GB350 tuners should fit and they only weigh 40g/ea. They have buttons that match the color of the tuner, though.

While I was considering the purchase of a violin bass kit, I thought about using open back tuners on a kit that was drilled with 14mm tuner holes. On the McMaster-Carr website, I found some rigid linen-reinforced phenolic resin tubing with a 14mm outside diameter and 10mm inside diameter that could be used to sleeve the 14mm hole down to 10mm. Then you could use Hofner tuners or Grover Sta-tite V97-18 tuners without having to drill new holes. After cutting the tubing (with a hacksaw) to a length equal to the thickness of the headstock, cut a slot in the tubing parallel to the axis of the tube to aid in installation. Orient the slot so that it is not inline with the direction of the string tension and glue it in place. I think a very thin CA glue would wick into the space between the headstock and the tubing. Use 10mm tuner bushings front and back as clamps (just finger tight) until the glue sets up.
Click to expand...


THANKS FOR RESPONDING. The tuners on the bass work well but they don't have the pearloid knobs like the Hofners have. That's essentially the problem. I was going to cut down a 14mm drumstick and tap that into the headstock holes then re-drill the holes to fit the Hofners. But it would be easier if I could just find plastic knobs strong enough to fit these Rogue tuners.
 
#7
If you're ok with drilling the new holes (getting them square and straight...tougher on an angled headstock), then the drumstick solution would be more economical. I offered the tubing solution in the event that you didn't want to drill. Good luck!
 

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