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Double Bass Mirror installed tuning machines?

B

B. Graham

Aug 11, 2002
4
1
#1
I've been wanting to ask about this for a while, but I keep forgetting to. Since my faculties returned today, here goes:

I've seen some basses recently with the machines laid out in a different way i.e. looking up the pegbox the order of ped shafts would be G, E, D, A.

Is this called a "mirrored" installation?

As much information as anyone would like to write back with would be great. I'm wondering about why, why not, how to, etc.

Thanks.
 
#4
Yeah, I don't know what the advantages would be, if any. From the angle of this pegbox, it looks like the A string would be making a substantial bend as it passed over the E string peg shaft.

I wish I remembered what the mirror set-up means. Of course, I could have the term completely wrong.
 
#5
Bill Graham said:
Yeah, I don't know what the advantages would be, if any. From the angle of this pegbox, it looks like the A string would be making a substantial bend as it passed over the E string peg shaft.
Click to expand...
Lot's of advantage! In fact, all of our Hybrid basses now come with individual tuners in the reverse configuration.
 
#8
Bill Graham said:
What are some of the advantages?
Click to expand...
Less break angle on the E as it comes over the nut. This will prevent some strings from premature breaking. It also lessens the upward tension on the pegbox wall and puts the load of the E more directly into the neck. The G string has less tension and less rigidity in the actual string...so make that string have the dramatic break angle.

You can also add an extension and not have to swap the E & A.

There are, I am sure, other good valid reasons to do so if I were to think more about it and was not in a rush to finish this post up and get down to the shop!

Clink, some updated pictures are due to be put on the site...two of my three photo bulbs are burnt out and I am just waiting for the new ones to arrive so I can shoot some new pics for the site...including the 5 stringer we just completed for a custom order!
 
#10
I've seen older basses with single tuners going either way. For a little while a couple of years ago the Paesold basses with single tuners were gettting them installed both ways. The distributor rep in Sun Valley raised hell with the shop in Germany and got them to install tuners only in the conventional E string low manner. The Paesold bass that I've played for 2 years has the E string tuner high and I like the easier string bend over the nut, particularly if I'm using one of the relatively stiff Dlugolecki E strings. The low postion G string tuner makes more sense to me as general strategy, but conventions carry a lot of weight!

Steve Swan
 

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