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Hipshot Drop-D Bass Extenders?

#41
I use my detuners pretty much non-stop. My band plays in so many different tunings that it's much more convenient to have the detuner than to swap basses or continuously try to transcribe to a 5 string (which is way more difficult trying to pedal off a drop d tuning the guitarist is using).

If all you ever play is classic rock/pop/blues, in standard tuning you may never need/use one, but if you play modern metal, modern country (where a lot of drop D/drop C tunings are used), or just like 4 strings compared to 5 strings, having one is great be having to stop and retune the bottom string every couple of songs. My band plays in pretty much every key from standard all the way down to drop Eb/A#. Between detuners and pitch shift pedals I can get everything I need with one 4 and one 5 on stage.
 
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#43
buldog5151bass said:
My first one lasted 30 years before the cam lever snapped. Note it now says lube the point where the cam rests.

I often make the switch during a song when I want that low D.
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I had heard about this happening to someone else, so now, I travel with the non-Xtender in the bass case.

I've had a few basses with Xtenders, but never broke a lever. I've been using a very light lithium grease on that point for several years.
 
#44
Geri O said:
I had heard about this happening to someone else, so now, I travel with the non-Xtender in the bass case.

I've had a few basses with Xtenders, but never broke a lever. I've been using a very light lithium grease on that point for several years.
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Even if the cam lever breaks, you can just retune the e string and leave it as is for the night. A lot quicker (and just as effective) as replacing the tuner.
 
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#47
buldog5151bass said:
Even if the cam lever breaks, you can just retune the e string and leave it as is for the night. A lot quicker (and just as effective) as replacing the tuner.
Click to expand...

Likely story.
What If it "explodes" (which I've recently been made aware of) and takes the rest of the tuners (and headstock) with it?. (and possibly a hand, if the "explosion" was just as the lever was being 'flipped'). 🤔 (Not out of the realm of possibility, if you've ever seen an explosion, I'd fathom).



I'm just playin. Let's not get excited.
:bassist:
 
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#48
Bassdirty said:
Likely story.
What If it "explodes" (which I've recently been made aware of) and takes the rest of the tuners (and headstock) with it?. (and possibly a hand, if the "explosion" was just as the lever was being 'flipped'). 🤔 (Not out of the realm of possibility, if you've ever seen an explosion, I'd fathom).



I'm just playin. Let's not get excited.
:bassist:
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Yes, it could explode. And your bass could spontaneously combust in the middle of playing "Fire", or "Burning Love".

The only thing that could reasonably happen is the cam could break, as it probably is made from pot metal. Mine lasted three decades of regular use. Them the tuner simply rotates down to the lower position, and you finish that song with the low D.
 
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#50
buldog5151bass said:
Yes, it could explode. And your bass could spontaneously combust in the middle of playing "Fire", or "Burning Love".

The only thing that could reasonably happen is the cam could break, as it probably is made from pot metal. Mine lasted three decades of regular use. Them the tuner simply rotates down to the lower position, and you finish that song with the low D.
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The cam is not made from pot metal.
 
#52
I have Hipshot Xtenders on 4 of my 4-strings... and ordered another for my Ibanez Soundgear 5-string multi-scale....

hipshot1.jpg
 
#53
FluffyDog66 said:
So, I bought a used 4-string bass guitar that has a Hipshot Bass Xtender (Drop-D tuning) installed in it.

I have successfully tuned it properly and flipped it down a few times without a problem.

Not sure how I would use it in actual playing. Any suggestions? Demo videos? Discussions of how best to incorporate it into my playing?

Thanks.
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You can also tune to D Standard if you need the D1 and Eb1 notes all the time. I did this because I can't play the same in drop tunings. With the Hipshot Bass XTender, you can go as low as C1 (in Drop C tuning).
 
#55
I just remembered the one downside to a Drop-D tuner; one day, I glissandoed a fast note down the E-now-D-string and discovered I hadn't flipped the lever all the way down when I jammed it right into the meat between my thumb and forefinger! (my face at that moment = 😳) Lesson learned, the hard way…always make sure that lever is pointing all the way down!
 
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#56
logdrum said:
On one bass it has been there since 2004 and I use that a lot, -- no issues

Assuming your split of a second is 250 ms or 330 -- I highly doubt you are in tune in that time and if you add your tuner verification 2 seconds is higly optimistic. It's not even that quick with the Xtender, (And yes it also not dead center in tune but I 've lived with it )
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Ok, ok... I timed it. Best of 10.... almost 1.5 sec... it's an old P and admittedly the E gear is well used and lubed with parrifin.
 
#58
FRoss6788 said:
I don't believe you.
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That's odd...
I broke a D string during a gig in a very peculiar spot on the string. I had a spare bass that night, barely missed a beat with 3 strings, finished the song and switched out. Nobody noticed. Just like nobody noticed when the D-tuner blew apart... or when I detune now.

I never used a d-tuner since, and I never used that brand of strings either.
 
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