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How many here use HipShot D-Tuners?

#162
tranceFusion said:
I am not much of a fan of the hipshot xtenders.

The biggest problem is the amount of extra time it takes to get both the D and the E properly tuned. Tuning the D with that little thumb screw just isn't my idea of a good time. Also tuning the E and having to guess how far it is going to slip the first time you detune/tune it is rather annoying. I realize it offers the benefit of frontloading the tuning to before the set, but I never really found it to be that big of a deal to drop down in between songs.

I also think the accuracy claims are a little optimistic. I think as long as you are using roundwound strings you are going to have little grooves that catch your string differently every time and give you some amount of variance. Yes, it gets pretty close, but my E never ends up exactly where it started.
Click to expand...
Exactly!!!:hyper:
 
#163
Hipshot is addressing the problem with my BT3 directly. I'll update my main post once we figure out what exactly went haywire.

Very prompt & great communication over at Hipshot. They make you feel like you have an artist deal, without having an artist deal!
 
#167
IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!!! to post #144 http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8835899&postcount=144

Bill, from Hipshot, was kind enough to respond very promptly to my problem via email. He sent a new baseplate to try free of charge. Time from contacting Bill, to recieving plate was less than a week! :)

The new base plate fit better, but not perfectly. However, I managed to make it work by slightly reaming out the tuning peg hole with my Dremel tool. Now everything is installed & works great!

There's just an ever-so-slight misalignment present at the tuning peg hole
with both factory baseplates I've received. The problem doesn't reveal
itself until more than 2 of the mounting screws are secured- then the tuning
post needs to be forced in at a very slight (yet important) angle. By just
barely grinding the hole out (not noticeably to the bare eye, more of a
'reaming'), I managed to enlarge it enough to prevent binding, but still fit
tightly enough not to wobble.

I would guess that either:
1) the headstock profile isn't perfectly parallel front-to-back on my
basses' neck, or
2) that the BT3 baseplates' peg hole is possibly milled at an angle not
perfectly perpendicular to the plate, or
3) that the peg hole on the baseplate is slightly off exact center in
relation to the screw holes.
I'm inclined to discard the first scenario as the identical misalignment
exists on 2 different instruments manufactured 7 years apart. Again, the
instruments are stock Fender American Vintage Reissues- a '62 Jazz and '57
Precision.

Anyway, I'm happy I got the BT3 to work with a minimum of modification on my
part. I'm having no trouble operating either the tuner, or the Extender
itself.

Thanks to Bill at Hipshot & our own Jauqo for their help! Hipshot is definitely putting their customers 1st!
 
#168
I had one on a Warrior I had a few year back, The biggest issue I had was my wanting to play something immediately on my standard E string after dropping the string and not having good enough technique to do it quietly. I know that nothing is radical anymore, we have graphite necked, active /piezo/lightwave equipped ERB 17 string 35-11/64 scale, 28 fret basses. But to me a dual hipshot feels radical. I was amazed to see how well it worked on Jauqo's bass. I think the larger lever and that its connected to the E/A strings seems to make it smoother
 
#171
Own two 4 string basses. One has the hip shot. My Ibanez with HS is used for all drop d and drop c songs, 1/2 step down stuff, and the one song that requires slap. The other bass is for standard tuning songs. A 5 string would be easier but I love my 4's.
 
#172
Well, I fitted one of these to my main bass last week, and overall I'm pleased with the outcome. It took a bit of fiddling with to get it to work as intended, but now it seems like I can tune to E accurately, flip it to D accurately also, and have it come back up to pitch okay when I flip the lever again. It was useful on a gig I did last Saturday for a couple of tunes. So thumbs up from me if it keeps working the way it is at the moment.
 
#174
I have one on my Ray and love it. Yeah, you have to be awake when you first tune it after putting on a new string, but from then on it's normal. I've never had to touch the D since the original install about a year ago. Set the E, release the tension, retune and move on.

I must use it a half dozen times a day and the bass stays in tune for weeks on end.
 
#175
bassybill said:
Well, I fitted one of these to my main bass last week, and overall I'm pleased with the outcome. It took a bit of fiddling with to get it to work as intended, but now it seems like I can tune to E accurately, flip it to D accurately also, and have it come back up to pitch okay when I flip the lever again. It was useful on a gig I did last Saturday for a couple of tunes. So thumbs up from me if it keeps working the way it is at the moment.
Click to expand...
This has turned out to be a real winner for me - I've found myself using it a hell of a lot on recent gigs. It hasn't needed a single adjustment since I first set it up, works perfectly to drop to D and get back to E every single time.

It's surprising how much difference having that bottom D can make in some keys. I own a 5 string, but much prefer my fours for several reasons, and the Hipshot really adds something so I'm totally pleased with it. I wish I'd got one sooner. Thanks for the input to Jauqo and others in this thread. Best gadget I've bought in a while.
 
#178
vibhas_2310 said:
What kind of nut do u guys have ? I'm planning to put a graphtech nut with the detuner when I addd it to my bass . Also , Is it possible to go from Eb to a B or from E to C in the detuner ? Thanks
Click to expand...

I use a graph tech nut and it works great with the detuner. I never have problems with switching back and forth.

I only ever use it to go E to D, but according to the website, it can go E to C and sometimes E to B. So you can do E to C, Eb to B probably will depend on your strings.
 
#180
I have two Fender Jazz 4 strings right now and both have the D tuners. I play bass in a country band and I need the drop D to play a bunch of the tunes. There is one tune where I switch back and forth multiple times. I've been a guitar player for 35 years, so I just can't wrap my head around a 5 string and I like the smaller neck of the Jazz (I'm new to playing bass). I'm adding a third bass to my stable (might sell the boner) and will have to add a D tuner to it as well. Last bass I want is an EBMM Sterling and I'll add one to that as well.
 

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