Are you still using the Stealth tuners on your builds? For the octave strings on 8 string basses? How have they been working out?
And again, thanks for the pics of the tuners on scales. This is really great information.
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And again, thanks for the pics of the tuners on scales. This is really great information.
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The stealths work fine since they're just used on the guitar strings. They are really expensive though, $140 retail for a set of six. Requires buying two sets to build one bass. They do make a big difference. You're welcome!
Have you tried the Carb-o-Lite bass tuners? Or the Carb-o-Lite guitar tuners for your 8 and 12 string builds?
Side note: the G8R 8 strings you have posted on your site are giving me GAS! The purple/blue (can't tell where it is on the color spectrum) 8-string is the bomb!
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I think the carbon-o-lite guitar tuners have too big a footprint...in addition to the expense. The bass ones don't make much sense to me. I just use Resolites on a traditional Fender neck and the much cheaper Allparts lightweights look right for the four strings I build.
Thanks! the three pickup one's Crown Royal Purple metallic.
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From another thread; Gotoh Carbon tuners
So; I got the tuners today and installed them. Surprising lite weight! Compared to the (already lite) Schallers I had (396 gr all pieces) they came in at 176 gr (see pics), thats 44 gr each with every little screw and the ferrules.
Front view; you need good light to see they are carbon, rear view you see they are different.
Very nice high quality feel. The tuning action was a bit hard for my taste, so I had to loosen the drag adjusters with the supplied allen key a little and now they are super smooth.
Is the sound different? No.
Are they cool? Yes!
Are they in your face? No, I will see if people even notice them...
But I think they are great
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Resurrecting a very old post...
I recently got the Ibanez Crossover SRC6MS (the multiscale version). It has a bit of a neck dive when I play sitting. I'm thinking of swapping the tuners with the GB350 Res-O-Lite. I weighed the stock tuners and they come about 58gr each. So the total weight reduction would be 108gr or 3.8ounces (assuming 40fr per GB350 tuners as stated by Gotoh). In your experience with the Crossover, did the change reduce the neck dive?
I also prefer HipShot UltraLites, but for more reasons in addition to light weight: durability, stability, reliability, consistency. Yes, most basses (especially Fender-style basses with traditional size tuners) benefit from lighter tuners, but we can't sacrifice durability, stability, reliability, consistency. HipShot provides those necessary attributes.
Resurrecting a very old post...
I recently got the Ibanez Crossover SRC6MS (the multiscale version). It has a bit of a neck dive when I play sitting. I'm thinking of swapping the tuners with the GB350 Res-O-Lite. I weighed the stock tuners and they come about 58gr each. So the total weight reduction would be 108gr or 3.8ounces (assuming 40fr per GB350 tuners as stated by Gotoh). In your experience with the Crossover, did the change reduce the neck dive?
Same. Just got the SRC6MS, and it has more neck dive than any of my other instruments. It’s always been something I have accepted and adapted to, but the thought of lighter tuners has crossed my mind. Now, I’m no scientist, but I do have an idea. If your math is correct, and the weight difference will be 3.8 ounces, would adding an additional 3.8 ounces to the other end of the bass simulate how the bass would balance with the new tuners? Find/make something with that exact weight, and tie it with a string to the bottom strap pin. I could be way off on this, but it seems to make sense to me.
Almost a good idea but the math is off. It requires significantly more mass at the "short limb" of a 1st class lever to balance things out. It will work as I've just described but will add quite a bit of weight to the instrument as a whole. I've seen people use fishing & diving weights. Personally, I'd go with the Res-o-lites as a first-line approach.
Archimedes was right.
Riis
Yeah, I figured there would be some catch. Stupid physics…
To clarify, my idea was only to test what the difference was before changing the tuners, not a permanent fix.
To clarify, my idea was only to test what the difference was before changing the tuners, not a permanent fix.
Take your largest pair of vise-grips and attach to the strap. That’s all I’ve got.
Riis
Meanwhile, I've not seen anything from Sperzel making bass tuners in a while. Their page is up, but last time I spoke with them, they were not making bass tuners due to difficulty getting raw materials.
Anyone else? I really like the sets I have on two of my basses.
Anyone else? I really like the sets I have on two of my basses.
Tungsten is much denser heavier than lead.
More weight for the same physical size.
Weights are available in many sizes and shapes.
Meanwhile, I've not seen anything from Sperzel making bass tuners in a while. Their page is up, but last time I spoke with them, they were not making bass tuners due to difficulty getting raw materials.
Anyone else? I really like the sets I have on two of my basses.
I’ve had 2 basses and several guitars with Sperzel tuners. They’re fine. The issue with the bass tuners is they need a smaller hole than even other brand sealed tuners so they’re more difficult to retrofit to something that already has tuners. Also, the shaft the string wraps around is a little small, you definitely only want the tapered part of the string on the post. It’s a moot point though if they’re not making bass keys anymore.
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Remove an original tuner or two and add weight s necessary to the headstock to get to where the weight of the replacement Gotohs would be.
Yeah, removing one of 4 standard tuners would be a similar experience to replacing heavy tuners with light ones. Removing the weight right were the lighter tuners would go seems like a fine way to estimate the difference.
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The specs say that the Gotoh's are 40 grams, and the Hipshots (3/8 Y key) are listed as 42. I have built a couple dozen or so basses with the Hipshots, and a few with the Gotoh's, and I weight everything when I build - I'm weight sensitive (and perhaps a bit OCD about it) - having data on what parts weigh is very helpful.
When you weigh them, the Gotohs come in right at 40 grams, and the Hipshots? They come in at exactly 40 grams as well - there isn't even a single gram difference in a set of 4 or 5.
That won’t work because the balance center is somewhere btween the two strap pins. Weight added to the headstock ha much more leverage than weight added to either strap pin.
So to simulate the weight drop at the headstock, roughly, you could:
- measure the distance from the center of the body to the center of the tuner group; lets call that A
- measure from the center of the body to the lower pin, call that B
- Wt = weight savings of proposed tuners
- Wp = test weight to be added to lower pin
- Wp = Wt times A divided by B
This is the kind of things I do. I weighed both the Res-o-Lites that went on Jade, the Hipshots that came off of Mouse, and the Sperzels that went onto Mouse (along with the extra string windings which were not required).
Res-o-Lites averaged 39.8 grams each
Hipshots averaged 43.4 grams each
Sperzels averaged 40 grams each
I fabricated plastic bushings to fit the Sperzels into the larger holes, and the weight of the bushing was offset by the 1.8 grams saved by the extra string winding which I cut off when I strung up with the Sperzels.
OCD? Yeah, you know me.
