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The official "Show your basses" thread part 19!

#16,061
My two long-scale Fender projects. The J is an MIM Geddy Lee body with an American Special J neck, Kent Armstrong pickups, and Hipshot tuners (way more precise than the stock ones they also put on MIMs.) The P is my take on the recent Vintera P. I love the look but cannot deal with the thick neck. This one has a Vintera body and a Warmoth slim J neck. It has a Lollar pickup, Albridge bridge, and Gotoh Vintage reverse-wind tuners. I strongly dissuade anyone from buying these Gotohs...they are not flush with the back of the headstock, and you have to rout a bit to make them so.....Even after doing that they are harder to turn than they are unmounted. I should have returned them and gone with Fenders instead of ruining the back of my headstock (you can't see the routes unless you remove the tuners.)

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#16,071
halfwound121 said:
My two long-scale Fender projects. The J is an MIM Geddy Lee body with an American Special J neck, Kent Armstrong pickups, and Hipshot tuners (way more precise than the stock ones they also put on MIMs.) The P is my take on the recent Vintera P. I love the look but cannot deal with the thick neck. This one has a Vintera body and a Warmoth slim J neck. It has a Lollar pickup, Albridge bridge, and Gotoh Vintage reverse-wind tuners. I strongly dissuade anyone from buying these Gotohs...they are not flush with the back of the headstock, and you have to rout a bit to make them so.....Even after doing that they are harder to turn than they are unmounted. I should have returned them and gone with Fenders instead of ruining the back of my headstock (you can't see the routes unless you remove the tuners.)

View attachment 4525392
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Frankly the Gotoh's are made that way to replicate actual vintage tuners with exposed tabs. On post '64 vintage Fender head-stocks, they were specifically drilled from the factory to allow for a flush mount. Gotoh makes good quality RI tuners that work as they should if installed correctly.

upload_2022-1-7_0-3-57.jpeg
 
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#16,073
JIO said:
Frankly the Gotoh's are made that way to replicate actual vintage tuners with exposed tabs. On post '64 vintage Fender head-stocks, they were specifically drilled from the factory to allow for a flush mount. Gotoh makes good quality RI tuners that work as they should if installed correctly.

View attachment 4532493
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Thanks for the insight. I've used Gotoh products for a variety of things and never had an issue before. However, there was nothing in the ad or the packaging to indicate the routings were required. If a buyer doesn't know about the original design they will be miffed like I was. Regardless, thanks for the photo. I did the routing a bit differently which is probably why they still don't turn freely.
 
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#16,074
halfwound121 said:
Thanks for the insight. I've used Gotoh products for a variety of things and never had an issue before. However, there was nothing in the ad or the packaging to indicate the routings were required. If a buyer doesn't know about the original design they will be miffed like I was. Regardless, thanks for the photo. I did the routing a bit differently which is probably why they still don't turn freely.
Click to expand...

Being from the factory, I presume they used a drill-press and a rounded "bullet-point" bit. As long as you get the placement & void depth correct it should sit flush and work as it should.
 
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#16,075
JIO said:
Being from the factory, I presume they used a drill-press and a rounded "bullet-point" bit. As long as you get the placement & void depth correct it should sit flush and work as it should.
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I agree...getting the placement is the trick. I put ink on the tabs to try to mark their position, then used a Dremel to remove enough maple to allow a flush fit. I think I need to widen the holes a bit, but the tuners are serviceable as-is, now that the bass is strung.
 
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#16,078
God's Favorite Bass said:
That's sleek.:thumbsup:
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:) Thanks! I just got back from rehearsal playing it. Body is a mahogany Teisco Del Rey ss from the mid '60s that I repurposed into a 34" scale using an Epi Goth neck, Guild Dark-Star/Bi-Sonic pu, Hipshot KA Bridge, vintage Teisco knobs and Gotoh tuners with a Hipshot Drop-D on the E tuner. I have the tone pot wired backwards like Teisco did it then. Kinda makes more sense really; full up "more bass". :bassist:

upload_2022-1-9_16-43-22.jpeg
 
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#16,079
JIO said:
:) Thanks! I just got back from rehearsal playing it. Body is a mahogany Teisco Del Rey ss from the mid '60s that I repurposed into a 34" scale using an Epi Goth neck, Guild Dark-Star/Bi-Sonic pu, Hipshot KA Bridge, vintage Teisco knobs and Gotoh tuners with a Hipshot Drop-D on the E tuner. I have the tone pot wired backwards like Teisco did it then. Kinda makes more sense really; full up "more bass". :bassist:

View attachment 4536002
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Very classy. :cool:
 
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