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Peavey Cirrus Tuning machines

C

Columbian73

Nov 12, 2019
23
10
#1
Hello. I just signed up here, and this is my first post. Hoping this is the right place to get help. I have a beautiful Peavey Cirrus 4-string fretless that I bought in about 2004. I had to stop playing for a few years, but I pulled it out last night and, while tuning up, one of the "Hipshot" tuning pegs broke. I finally remembered that this had happened back when I was playing and I'd ordered and installed a replacement from Peavey. But when I called them this morning, they said they didn't have that part anymore. So I think I need to replace the whole set with something that won't break. This is a beautiful, long-scale (35") bass that I love playing and I need to get this right.

I looked all over, but didn't see anything about this happening to anyone else. I'm not the most experienced bassist on my block, but I can't imagine what I might be doing to make this happen.

Thanks for any help.


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2
 
#2
Mine did that too earlier this year. Mine is a stock tuning machine, not a hipshot. As I was so consumed with the new guitar I bought it went down the list of priorities. Curious as well to know where to source one (or a set from). Mine is a 5'er if that matters.
 
#3
viper4000 said:
Mine did that too earlier this year. Mine is a stock tuning machine, not a hipshot. As I was so consumed with the new guitar I bought it went down the list of priorities. Curious as well to know where to source one (or a set from). Mine is a 5'er if that matters.
Click to expand...
Hey, Viper. Thanks for the note. The fellow at Peavey told me they used Hipsots on all the Cirruses, and that they are considered very good, and they haven't any record of complaints about them. So I'm really at a loss here. Is it possible the length of the neck puts extra stress on the pegs?
 
#4
Personally, I doubt it is a failure due to bad hardware. Mine is an early 2000's era, so it held up pretty well IMO. I called earlier this year and I thought the CSR said it was Gotoh that was on mine as original equipment (didn't write it down). For reasons I cannot remember fully I didn't pull the trigger then.
 
#5
viper4000 said:
Personally, I doubt it is a failure due to bad hardware. Mine is an early 2000's era, so it held up pretty well IMO. I called earlier this year and I thought the CSR said it was Gotoh that was on mine as original equipment (didn't write it down). For reasons I cannot remember fully I didn't pull the trigger then.
Click to expand...
Yes, I've also seen on various web pages that the Gotoh was the stock peg, and I mentioned that to the Peavy guy. He still maintained they were hipshot, and that hipshot was stock on most of their guitars/basses. I have no idea who's right. I just want the damn things to stop breaking.
 
#6
viper4000 said:
Personally, I doubt it is a failure due to bad hardware. Mine is an early 2000's era, so it held up pretty well IMO. I called earlier this year and I thought the CSR said it was Gotoh that was on mine as original equipment (didn't write it down). For reasons I cannot remember fully I didn't pull the trigger then.
Click to expand...
Mine is also from that general time. Everything about the instrument is fantastic, except for the pegs. If it's not the strength to the metal, what is it?
 
#7
I just got offf the phone with a very helpful guy from Hipshot, who said the did not supply the tuners for the Cirrus. I sent him pix of my tuners and he said they were knock-offs of the Gotohs--without the Gotoh or any logo on them--probably a "hang ching" (sp?) from Korea, made from cheap (no s##t) metal. He said hipshot's were made of machined aircraft grade aluminum and modelHB6 - 3/8" Ultralite® Bass Tuning Machine would work on the Cirrus:
<HB6 - 3/8>
They're $40 a pop at hipshot, but he said they're available elsewheere for street price, which I'm about to look into now.
Hope this helps other Cirrus players out there.
 
#9
Thanks, Zoober. I finally figured out that my original tuners were actually Gotoh knock offs, and it's really crappy of Peavey to do this. I bought my Cirrus new, and for them to put such proven crap is bad juju. FWIW, I finally bought the Real Gotoh's, they seemed as good as the hipshots and are half the price.
 
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#11
Columbian73 said:
Thanks, Zoober. I finally figured out that my original tuners were actually Gotoh knock offs, and it's really crappy of Peavey to do this. I bought my Cirrus new, and for them to put such proven crap is bad juju. FWIW, I finally bought the real Gotohs, they seemed as good as the Hipshots and are half the price.
Click to expand...

Warwick has been using garbage tuners on their high-end stuff for years, also. Their reasoning: customers will just swap them out anyway. Yet, they dress them up with wood pegs and all...why?

The stock Cirrus ones are decent. As long as there are at least two bushings between the peg and shaft, then you shouldn't have many problems. Gotoh seems to like one big thick bushing, but most good tuners are two little ones. The ultimate cheap tuners were used on the G and G-V basses. Those were complete garbage. At least one tuner's bushing would snap with every G-V bass that I had.
 
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#12
5 years later, and I'm having the same issue (tuning peg snapped off). I bought and tried to install some Gotoh GB707 tuners thinking they were essentially the stock ones. Unfortunately there were two issues:
  1. The bushing on the new Gotoh tuner is wider than the stock tuners, and it doesn't fit in the headstock's hole.
  2. The bushing on the new Gotoh tuner has threading on the inside while the stock tuner bushing has threading on the outside.
If my measurements are correct, the hole on the headstock is 9/16", the diameter of the old stock bushing is 7/16", and the diameter of the new Gotoh bushing is 9/16".

I emailed Peavey asking where I can buy replacements, and they said they no longer stock the part but that allparts has them. They linked me to TK-0794 Single Economy Sealed Bass Key, which is for "TK-0794 Single Economy Sealed Bass Key" (SKU TK-0794-002) (screenshot attached). But these look very similar to the Gotoh tuners, and I'm concerned they will also not fit.

Images 5 and 7 show the stock tuner, and images 8 and 9 show the Gotoh tuner.

I just replied to Peavey and am waiting to hear back. I figured I'd share here in case anyone has suggestions and to hopefully help the next person.

Screenshot 2024-03-25 at 9.51.26 PM.png
5.jpeg
7.jpeg
8.jpeg
9.jpeg
 
#13
Yes, the threads on the inside of the bushings are smaller diameter and that would be bad fit and probably not work properly.
I myself used "W" tuners from Ali Express. They fit properly instead of stock Peavey tuners. I do not have Cirrus, but the tuners look the same. Previously, I had tried the Gotoh and they did not fit, they were too small.
Here is the link to W tuners. While these fit properly instead of stock ones, the pegs are actually larger diameter and not only stronger, but also I think tune better. The unfortunate part of these are they available only in chrome. Not sure if that is to your liking, but these tuners feel premium despite the price

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPoXF0I

Also you can buy Cirrus tuners on eBay if you are open to pay higher price for a lesser product ( but they are golden)

Bass Guitar Tuners - (SET OF 5) Used On Some Peavey Cirrus 5 | eBay
 
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#14
kgbeast said:
Yes, the threads on the inside of the bushings are smaller diameter and that would be bad fit and probably not work properly.
I myself used "W" tuners from Ali Express. They fit properly instead of stock Peavey tuners. I do not have Cirrus, but the tuners look the same. Previously, I had tried the Gotoh and they did not fit, they were too small.
Here is the link to W tuners. While these fit properly instead of stock ones, the pegs are actually larger diameter and not only stronger, but also I think tune better. The unfortunate part of these are they available only in chrome. Not sure if that is to your liking, but these tuners feel premium despite the price

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPoXF0I

Also you can buy Cirrus tuners on eBay if you are open to pay higher price for a lesser product ( but they are golden)

Bass Guitar Tuners - (SET OF 5) Used On Some Peavey Cirrus 5 | eBay
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
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