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How often have you had to replace tuners?
- Thread starter chaosMK
- Start date
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I have owned / built / modified countless dozens of basses ... I had to change some tuners, decided to change some tuners, and lived with bad tuners ...
the worst is the old Rickenbacker backwards tuners with the gunky finish
the worst is the old Rickenbacker backwards tuners with the gunky finish
Why are some of you acting so surprised that tuning machines need to be replaced here and there?
Sure, it's rare. But it happens.
This thread reminds me of my ex girlfriends reaction to her car having a bad tie rod. That can happen? But its metal, what can go wrong?
Sure, it's rare. But it happens.
This thread reminds me of my ex girlfriends reaction to her car having a bad tie rod. That can happen? But its metal, what can go wrong?
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I should have once, on a cheap Rouge bass. The tuner worked if I wrapped the string the opposite way. So I never replaced it.
Doesn't mean I won't replace them for higher quality or better looking machines.
Doesn't mean I won't replace them for higher quality or better looking machines.
I've been playing for a decent amount of time (maybe 16 years) and have had a number of basses and never changed any nor ever felt the want to. Only time i've ever purchased tuners was for a parts bass I was building from scratch.
I've worked on a LOT of guitars and basses, and can only think of maybe two times a tuner failed that wasn't directly related to it getting whacked or something physically abusing it. And, even then, I can't be sure they weren't damaged beforehand.
So, perhaps twice.
So, perhaps twice.
I change my tuners once a week.. maybe once every two weeks if I’m taking a break from gigs
I had to change one Gotoh on my Carvin when it got bumped hard through the gig bag. I also changed out a couple Schaller M4S that had broken gear screws from previous owners, though the tuner still worked.
I Have never changed tuners on any bass or guitar. Heck I even I hit the head of the tuner and broke it clean off my early 90’s Epiphone Les Paul. I pulled It off and welded a washer on it instead of replacing it. Lol fricken tuners are expensive!
Attachments
Twice. Both sets schallers. Both on the same LP. They use a method where the lug that holds the machine to its box is fastened by peening. Nice tuners but not robust enough. Many now go with gotoh copies that are braised instead of peened over. You can fix the schallers but peening isn't the go with these things. Sooner or later they work loose. It may be me. But the gotohs are superior and they put me in my place.
Go for quality, if you can, from the onset
Go for quality, if you can, from the onset
Never, although I do have a cheap NY Pro fiver that has one that's pretty stiff. If I played it more I might consider replacing it. I've owned probably a dozen basses over the years, cheap and not so cheap. Never HAD to replace a tuner.
The only tuners I've had to do anything with, interestingly enough, were both on those Peavey no-name Gotoh knock offs. From reading the posts in this thread, that little white plastic washer that acts as a bearing for the key seems to be the bane of these things. That was on a Sarzo from the early '90s. The other was the gold plating looking pitted, off colored, and ugly on a newer Cirrus. I replaced the whole set with genuine Gotohs. I think I'm in the minority, but in general I still prefer the Gotohs, even the Peavey knock offs, over Hipshots. They feel smoother to me.
Never had to on a bass, though on occasion I did by choice.
A couple of the buttons on my classical guitar broke, but they were such nice tuners I didn't want to change them (and I couldn't find replacement buttons). It took awhile, but I finally found a replacement set of tuners that had buttons that fit my tuners, and luckily mine were the type of buttons that were held on with a screw. So I bought the whole set just for the buttons. Until I found the replacement set, I had to keep one loose button to move around to each tuner that was missing a button in order to tune the thing.
A couple of the buttons on my classical guitar broke, but they were such nice tuners I didn't want to change them (and I couldn't find replacement buttons). It took awhile, but I finally found a replacement set of tuners that had buttons that fit my tuners, and luckily mine were the type of buttons that were held on with a screw. So I bought the whole set just for the buttons. Until I found the replacement set, I had to keep one loose button to move around to each tuner that was missing a button in order to tune the thing.
The only tuners I ever changed because of failure were on a two different 70's Univox Rickenbacker copies that had fake wavy Grovers. They looked cool but literally fell apart in pieces.
The worse tuners I ever felt and subsequently replaced came stock on my 1998 first run limited Japanese Geddy Jazz bass. I usually couldn't give an eff about tuners as long as they turn. Those effers were like trying to turn a rusted can opener brand new from the factory. The worst tuners ever put on any factory bass. I know they upgraded them later. They were super rough, didn't like to actually turn, and always felt like there were chunks of sand stuck in them. Complete pieces of poopycock.
Oh, almost forgot: I received a brand new mint green Ibanez Talman TMB-100 last year with a tuner whose ear was broken off in the box, just sitting there. There was no shipping damage. Weird. Ibanez sent me a new tuner.
As an aside, some of the best feeling, best turning, best action, and smoothest operating tuners I've ever come in contact with are the tuners that came stock on my lefty 1999 Squier Indonesian P-Bass Special. They look like the cheap generic tuners that come on current Squiers, but man it's like they were lubed by the lord himself! Some of the best feeling tuners I've ever used out of my 100+ basses. I don't get it, but I don't question it.
The worse tuners I ever felt and subsequently replaced came stock on my 1998 first run limited Japanese Geddy Jazz bass. I usually couldn't give an eff about tuners as long as they turn. Those effers were like trying to turn a rusted can opener brand new from the factory. The worst tuners ever put on any factory bass. I know they upgraded them later. They were super rough, didn't like to actually turn, and always felt like there were chunks of sand stuck in them. Complete pieces of poopycock.
Oh, almost forgot: I received a brand new mint green Ibanez Talman TMB-100 last year with a tuner whose ear was broken off in the box, just sitting there. There was no shipping damage. Weird. Ibanez sent me a new tuner.
As an aside, some of the best feeling, best turning, best action, and smoothest operating tuners I've ever come in contact with are the tuners that came stock on my lefty 1999 Squier Indonesian P-Bass Special. They look like the cheap generic tuners that come on current Squiers, but man it's like they were lubed by the lord himself! Some of the best feeling tuners I've ever used out of my 100+ basses. I don't get it, but I don't question it.
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