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Double Bass tuner care

E

Edvin

Feb 25, 2010
254
0
Sweden
#1
hi! My tuners is in pretty bad shape. it feels like they kind of realease the grip to the wheels sometimes.
Their not hard to turn, but they feel quite unreliable. I can twist like half a lap without anything happens until
it suddendly drops a quarter tone (how do you say it?).
Is there any tricks to shape up the tuners or do i have to buy new ones?
I don't think oil is the thing, maybe a screw somewhere can do the trick..
 
#4
Floyd Eye said:
Take them apart, lube them and tighten the screws back down. If they still feel the same, buy better ones.
Click to expand...

curbowkid said:
Sometimes it's the nut catching the string. When you restring, use a graphite pencil and do a light scribble in the slots on the nut. Thats a guitar trick but I don't see why it wouldn't work for bass
Click to expand...

+100^

The graphite won't hurt (it's used to lubricate locks too) and the tuners (esp. open style) will always need the occasional clean.

I need to upgrade the tuners on one of my instruments sometime soon. The usual cheapo effects - stiff and won't hold tune. The fender modern player has open backed tuners and they hold tune perfectly.

There's a product called "nut sauce" which you can buy or make yourself... I haven't used it yet but it may be an ideal lube:

The guy's a colourful chap but seems to get things working (and get some LOLs) so I'd try it on my tuners!
 
#5
PlungerModerno said:
+100^

The graphite won't hurt (it's used to lubricate locks too) and the tuners (esp. open style) will always need the occasional clean.

I need to upgrade the tuners on one of my instruments sometime soon. The usual cheapo effects - stiff and won't hold tune. The fender modern player has open backed tuners and they hold tune perfectly.

There's a product called "nut sauce" which you can buy or make yourself... I haven't used it yet but it may be an ideal lube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHy_qAwa-sg&feature=plcp
The guy's a colourful chap but seems to get things working (and get some LOLs) so I'd try it on my tuners!
Click to expand...

As soon as you said colourful chap. I had a feeling you meant dave. He's awesome. Watch his video about setting up an 8 string guitar
 
#6
DON'T use oil! This will be absorbed into any surrounding wood thus weakening it. When you say 'they release the grip to the wheels' do you mean they suddenly slip and drop in pitch when tuning-up? If this is the case, the cogs may be badly worn in which case you will have to replace them. Bar soap is what I have heard works to lube machines.
 
#7
curbowkid said:
As soon as you said colourful chap. I had a feeling you meant dave. He's awesome. Watch his video about setting up an 8 string guitar
Click to expand...

I've seen most of his stuff, including the 7/8 string vids (LOL) and the Ric bashing - - :hiding:

I'd say he's a fender fan... judging by the fender playing for decades, and the collection of all of leos bass acheivements - fender,MM,CLF and G&L.

I haven't played a ric yet, let alone gigged with one so I'll take his comments with a pinch of salt. No doubt binding makes refretting more arduous a repair - Increasing the likelyhood of gooching!
 
#8
bassics1975 said:
DON'T use oil! This will be absorbed into any surrounding wood thus weakening it. When you say 'they release the grip to the wheels' do you mean they suddenly slip and drop in pitch when tuning-up? If this is the case, the cogs may be badly worn in which case you will have to replace them. Bar soap is what I have heard works to lube machines.
Click to expand...

+1 be careful with oil... esp. on unsealed fingerboards (rosewood typically). I'd say a good clean and some lube - soap, graphite (in tuners) or even petroleum jelly might work . . . they're your tuners... so EXERCISE CAUTION!
 
#9
bassics1975 said:
When you say 'they release the grip to the wheels' do you mean they suddenly slip and drop in pitch when tuning-up?
Click to expand...
No, it's the wings that don't grip on the wheel so it just floats around. It's no biggie, i just turn it a bit and then it grips the wheel and starts the tuning process. Do you understand? It's hard to talk about tuning machines when english is the second language!

THANKS for all the answers!
I think i have plenty of graphite in the nut (changed strings two-three months ago), but i could add som extra.
I will talk to my luthier here to see what swedish product he uses ;). Hopefully, i won't have to replace the tuners as it seems now. I like them!
 
#10
Hi.

Edvin, are You in the wrong side of TB or are a few of the other posters?

You don't NEVER, EVER use any lubrication on a DB nut made out of ebony, first because it doesn't need it, and secondly because the oil will seep into places it shouldn't.


As for the problem itself, you first have to determine where the slack comes from.

Worn gears do exhibit such behaviour, as does a loose worm shaft.
On a DB tuner, the need of precise support on the cold end of the tuner shaft means that if that support wears down, the shaft tilts and the shaft+wheel binds.
Sometimes the slack is between the worm wheel and the tuner shaft when the manufaturer has been less than accurate.
The list goes on, but it's all a guessing game until we see some PICS. ;).

BTW, are we talking about the "mystery" bass You posted a thread about a while back?

Regards
Sam
 
#11
T-Bird said:
Hi.

Edvin, are You in the wrong side of TB or are a few of the other posters?

You don't NEVER, EVER use any lubrication on a DB nut made out of ebony, first because it doesn't need it, and secondly because the oil will seep into places it shouldn't.


As for the problem itself, you first have to determine where the slack comes from.

Worn gears do exhibit such behaviour, as does a loose worm shaft.
On a DB tuner, the need of precise support on the cold end of the tuner shaft means that if that support wears down, the shaft tilts and the shaft+wheel binds.
Sometimes the slack is between the worm wheel and the tuner shaft when the manufaturer has been less than accurate.
The list goes on, but it's all a guessing game until we see some PICS. ;).

BTW, are we talking about the "mystery" bass You posted a thread about a while back?

Regards
Sam
Click to expand...
I believe a few others are in the wrong side of the forum.
Of course, i would never put lube on the nut except for a very very small amount of light mineral oil once every six months (mostly for the appearance + feel) and alcohol on a towel sometimes.

T-bird: it's not the mystery bass. I didn't get it :( i think it would've been a great deal..
Now i'm talking about my Wencel B. Wilfer bass, it's sooo great. I'll post some pics later when i'm in the practice room!
 
#12
Edvin said:
I believe a few others are in the wrong side of the forum.
Of course, i would never put lube on the nut except for a very very small amount of light mineral oil once every six months (mostly for the appearance + feel) and alcohol on a towel sometimes.

T-bird: it's not the mystery bass. I didn't get it :( i think it would've been a great deal..
Now i'm talking about my Wencel B. Wilfer bass, it's sooo great. I'll post some pics later when i'm in the practice room!
Click to expand...

No mineral oil in the nut - only pencil and wax.
 
#14
Here's the tuner + a picture of my bass.
The closer one is E&A side and the other one is: the other one.
 

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#15
Hi.

Edvin said:
I believe a few others are in the wrong side of the forum.
Click to expand...

Just checking ;).



Edvin said:
T-bird: it's not the mystery bass. I didn't get it :( i think it would've been a great deal..
Click to expand...

That's too bad, I do think it'd been a great deal as well.




Judging by the pics, I'd say that the U-clamps that hold the worm shafts in place have loosened up/bent/wore down.

As far as I can see, there's a gap between the U-clamp and the bearing surface(s) of the worm shaft and when You turn the leaf and the tuner shaft or the wheel jams for a reason or another, the worm just rides on the wheel without turning it until it makes contact with the U-clamp.

Disassembly, some tightening up and reassembly is all that it probably takes to remedy the situation.

Regards
Sam
 

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