Hipshot D Tuner Pro's Con's

[Quadzilla]

I've bought and tried them several times and ended up taking them off everytime. Basically, I can tune the E string up and down in a few seconds manually and there is not a whole lot of benefit to me.

The cons of the Xtender are:

- cost
- Makes the winding post shorter (can't get as many wraps on it)
- May incase neck dive slightly because of added weight to the headstock
- The tuninng post and mechanism can also sometimes be harder to turn that just a regular tuner
- May require you to modify your bass (drill headstock) in some cases)
- Accuracy: meaning that while they get close, they can sometimes make your tuning a little sharp or flat even after taking the time to "tune" it before the gig. This happens more frequently later into the gig when the temperature has changed, strings have loosened upm, etc.

With all of the above, they are just not worth the trouble to me. Like I said, I manually can tune it up or down in a few seconds flat most of the time...

 

[PaleMelanesian]

Michael Manring's Zon Hyperbass.

4 strings, 4 drop-tuners, and a multi-position bridge drop tuner.

 

[Fretlessboy]

Michaels bridge is the HipShot "Hyper" bridge. The bridge alone is capable of like 60 tunings alone

Michael Manring's Zon Hyperbass.

4 strings, 4 drop-tuners, and a multi-position bridge drop tuner.

 

[PaleMelanesian]

Yeah. It's only a 4 string, but it's WAY more bass than I could handle.

 

[Fretlessboy]

I am with you all the way

 

[Son of Magni]

Pros: surprisingly accurate drop D tuning, unobtrusive looks, simple to install, simple to maintain, easy to use.

Cons: may add a slight amount of neck dive to some basses because of the extra weight (that might be a pro if your bass is bottom heavy though), and I always wish things were cheaper so I'll say cost too but really, it's a marvelous little piece of engineering and will last a very long time so I think it's worth it.

As for the dude above who says you might need to give your string a tug -- if the nut groove is properly sized for the string and you put a spot of graphite on both surfaces you will never ever need to do that.

I have them installed on all my 4 bangers.

+1 for graphite
I use a regular #2 pencil to lubricate all my nut slots anyway just for better tuning...

 

[Tom Howland]

Pro - They are very useful and easy to work.

Cons - Drop D confuses me. I prefer a 5er for lower notes.

To each their own.

Me too.

 

[Angus]

Michaels bridge is the HipShot "Hyper" bridge. The bridge alone is capable of like 60 tunings alone

No, the Hyperbass bridge has nothing to do with Hipshot.

 

[kirkm24]

You could probably drop an E-string down to C or B even.

I bet the string would be really floppy if you went 2 whole steps down to a C.

 

[Mrdak]

Do the other strings stay tuned when you switch

That's the question I was looking for.

I've tried the Xtender on a couple of my P and J basses. If I check the tuning on all strings after flipping the E to a D, the other 3 strings are always a tiny bit sharp.
Not very much, but noticeable for sure. Same thing happened when I manually tuned down ta a D. When the string is brought back to an E, all strings go back to pitch.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[Would'e?]

Nope, but Fenders have a rep for flexible necks. My Millennium neck is graphite reinforced and pretty much never moves.

 

[Big String]

They are GREAT!

 

[Joe Nerve]

The cons of the Xtender are:

- cost
- Makes the winding post shorter (can't get as many wraps on it)
- May incase neck dive slightly because of added weight to the headstock
- The tuninng post and mechanism can also sometimes be harder to turn that just a regular tuner
- May require you to modify your bass (drill headstock) in some cases)
- Accuracy: meaning that while they get close, they can sometimes make your tuning a little sharp or flat even after taking the time to "tune" it before the gig. This happens more frequently later into the gig when the temperature has changed, strings have loosened upm, etc.

With all of the above, they are just not worth the trouble to me.

I haven't experienced any of the above except the "cost" one, and that one is exponential for me cuz after putting it on one of my basses, I want it on all of them.

The winding posts on mine are the same size as all the others.

I hate neckdive and was actually concerned about this when I first researched them. I doubt the hipshot adds more than an ounce to the weight. the balance on my basses feels exactly the same as before.

No mods have been necessary for me and I believe unless it's a custom or unusually rare bass that's a non issue.

Tuners feel the same on all the ones I've had.

They've all been dead accurate.

No disrespect Quad - felt I needed to post this because I was almost discouraged by a similar post in the past and found that for me this stuff was simply not true.

Also - I buy all mine from this guy Link Removed . It's the best price I found. If anyone knows any lower please do tell.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I love 'em. Had a bass with four of them on it- only gave it up because I gave up four strings.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
You can make interesting song parts when you alter the notes mid-song by using them- Manring does it all the time.

 

[Quadzilla]

I haven't experienced any of the above except the "cost" one, and that one is exponential for me cuz after putting it on one of my basses, I want it on all of them.

The winding posts on mine are the same size as all the others.

I hate neckdive and was actually concerned about this when I first researched them. I doubt the hipshot adds more than an ounce to the weight. the balance on my basses feels exactly the same as before.

No mods have been necessary for me and I believe unless it's a custom or unusually rare bass that's a non issue.

Tuners feel the same on all the ones I've had.

They've all been dead accurate.

No disrespect Quad - felt I needed to post this because I was almost discouraged by a similar post in the past and found that for me this stuff was simply not true.

Also - I buy all mine from this guy Link Removed . It's the best price I found. If anyone knows any lower please do tell.

No disrespect taken at all. In let me add some addl detail to my statements:

- cost:
No need to comment here as we all are aware of this

- Makes the winding post shorter (can't get as many wraps on it)
Depends on the model of Hipshot. FOr instance, I bought one for my F Bass which has Gotoh tuners on it and the winding post was substantially shorter. I assume that this varies model to model depending on how it has to be construction in conjunction with the original tuner parts and whether or not a longer post may be required from the original manufacture to make it work and if the tuner manufacture will even make longer posts for Hipshot to use.

- May increase neck dive slightly because of added weight to the headstock
This may or may not be an issue depending on how bad the neck dive is on the bass to begin with and how much weight the particular model of detuner adds.

- The tuning post and mechanism can also sometimes be harder to turn that just a regular tuner
This item just seems to be more of an issue of keeping everything oiled properly on the Hipshot. I did notice that on my Gotoh Hipshot (with the shorter post) that if I had too many string wraps, it would cause a significant issue here

- May require you to modify your bass (drill headstock) in some cases)
This is more in the case of Hipshot not making a direct replacement for your bass application and you having to use something close. Mods may include drilling new screw holes for the plate screws or increasing the diameter of the peg hole, etc...

- Accuracy: meaning that while they get close, they can sometimes make your tuning a little sharp or flat even after taking the time to "tune" it before the gig. This happens more frequently later into the gig when the temperature has changed, strings have loosened up, etc.

I still stand by the above statement. I've seen this occur more in the second set+ once the bass has adjusted to the room humidity, temp, strings have stretched (if new), etc, etc. So if you set the tuner up when you first get to the gig, you sometimes have to also do it again in between sets. And it can be a bit of a pain (to me at least) to flip, tune, flip back, tune, flip again, tune, flip back again, tune, etc, etc.

Just my take. Again, I can drop or bring the tuning back up in a couple seconds flat manually. But for some, these are great. As they say, to each their own...

 

[Would'e?]

If you order directly from Hipshot they will give you one with a longer post if you request it.

 

[biobass]

I have a Hipshot D-tuner on my '65 Jazz. No problems at all, as long as you follow the directions for setting intonation for both the standard and the detuned pitch. In the few cases where I've helped players who have problems with pitch stability, I have found that they are not following the directions correctly. Once set, I find that the Hipshot D-tuner is just as stable as any of my other tuners, meaning that once I tune it is good for the rest of the show, often times for days to weeks. I play everyday and check my tuning regularly with a StroboFlip tuner.

I often use it to detune within a piece if I have a measure or so of rest, and only sections of the piece require the lower notes. In that case I wouldn't have time to detune any other way. Note that my primary gigs are musical theater and orchestral.

Also, my '65 Jazz seems to have a very stable neck. I've only had to adjust the truss rod maybe half a dozen times in the 35 or so years I've owned it. I know other players with vintage Fenders who have the same experience. So, I don't know if newer Fenders or other basses would have a problem with the other strings going flat.

I do lubricate it regularly with a graphite based lubricant.

I have tried detuning to a low C and find that with a 0.105 E string it is too floppy. Maybe it would be better with a larger gauge string, but I haven't tried.

Hope this helps,
Dennis

 

[JTE]

As a long-time fan and user (since they first came out in the '80s), I have some comments about the list of "cons" in quadzilla's posts.

1. Cost- not a big deal for me after you amortize it over the life of the bass. I got my first one for about $40 I think so it cost me about $1.50 per year.

2. Shorter winding post? The only one I had was the Schaller replacement for the Hamer Cruise Bass. That still had plenty of post to get all the windings I needed on there. You don't need a lot of winding, and in fact too much winding on the post causes tuning problems (more slack to equalize) in general, not just with detuning.

3. Neck dive? I didn't figure the weight of the small additional metal and the nylon washer added any significant mass difference to any of my basses. I don't know how one would be able to tell that the little weight changes things appreciably.

4. Mods are only needed if you have something they don't make, and it's a mod. To say it's a con of Hipshots in general is a bit much to me. Given the huge number of styles HipShot makes, it's more often a lack of communicating with HipShot than actually NEEDING to moddify your bass. I had to call them for the Schaller gear on my Hamer, but after I sent them a picture of the stock machine they were able to supply a direct replacement in two days.

5. None of the ones I've had or have installed have ever been stiffer than the stock machines. YMMV of course, but it's not been an issue for me in 25+ years. If they are, I'd verify that it was installed correctly and everything's bolted together correctly.

6. Accuracy- Well, my Peterson VS-1 tells me the Hipshots on my two Laklands and my 26 year old Fender VS Precision gets just about dead on in pitch, and the necks are stable enough that the other three strings don't go out of pitch at all. My Boss TU-2 tuner says the HipShot drops exactly to D and pulls all three of those basses back to E exactly. And my ear confirms that they're in tune. The one on my fretless (with a much skinnier neck) does what it's supposed to, but the other three strings do change pitch enough that the Peterson catches them. Again it's not a noticable difference to the ear, and it's realy easy to compensate for on the fretless anyway.

I don't have the Hamers nor the pre EB StingRays any longer, but the Hipshots on them worked perfectly on stage without having to retune after using them. Of course, I always check and tweak the tuning at the start of each set.

I've been a guitar player and a guitar tech for decades too, and I've learned some things setting up guitars with Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, and Bigsby trems that are valid points for Hipshots as well. The key is to eliminate friction, and allow things to equalize the tension across the whole length of the string (ball end through tuning machine).

If you follow those guidelines, get the right part for your bass, install it correclty, and tune up properly, for most people the pros far outweigh the cons in my opinion and experience. Depending on what you're doing in the band they can be cool or critical. For me, it's often been critical that I can change tuning on the fly without having to fiddle with it. If you have the time to drop the E to D and check your tuning audibly before the next song starts, or in the middle of the song the you're in a different gig than I am.

jte

 

[Mrdak]

I just tried it today with the AV-62RI P that I now have, and I'm just doing it manually, but there's not much of a change going from E to D on this bass. It may have been the humidity or something causing the problem before.

 

[deaf pea]

...I highly recommend these goodies and keep them on every 4 string I've owned...

I've got a Hipshot D Tuner on ALL of my basses . . . 4-strings AND 5-strings . . .

...It takes a bit of tweaking to get the dropped D to be in tune (and your E to still be in tune when you flip back) but once you get it, the screw stays in place fairly well. I generally only have to adjust mine once a month or so.

I only need to tweak 'em when I change the strings . . .

All pros and NO cons...

Agreed . . . FWIW, I've paid around $50 US for each of mine . . . they'll (Hipshot Products) give a hefty discount if you buy 2 or more at the same time . . .