Hipshot GT1 Grover-Style Guitar Xtender

[ADinNYC]

Good morning Bender Masters

Anyone use one of these drop-d tuning heads? If so, how do you like it? And, would it install ok along side Kluson style vintage heads? If there enough room?

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hipshot-...1-i1422172.gc#

Thanks,

Andrew

[Chet Johnson]

I used a schaller hipshot dropper for a while. It was ok. I was happier with the schaller d-tuner banjo peg I put on my bender tele for a while. Nothing I know of will work as well with kluson. Keys as a banjo tuner. You'll have to enlarge the peg hole to a modern size but could replace with a conversion bushing and the old key if you changed mind. Hipshot droppers require a hole for anchor screw on the back of the peghead.

[jmiles]

Why don't you get the Fender, (Klusen?) style extender. That's what I have on one Tele, and on my Baritone Strat. Really cool on the Baritone!

[ADinNYC]

Originally Posted by jmiles

Why don't you get the Fender, (Klusen?) style extender. That's what I have on one Tele, and on my Baritone Strat. Really cool on the Baritone!

Didn't know such a thing existed. Where do I find one? I did all kinds of searches for these things. Thanks

[jmiles]

Looks like they don't offer them anymore. Call and ask them. They may have one, or can point you to a vender that has one. Here's the one on my Baritone.

[J. Hayes]

I have one on my Epiphone Sheraton, my main Telecaster, my Epiphone Riviera P-93 and my Schecter Mercury Strat. Here's a front shot of the headstock of my Schecter Strat, it's actually the model made for a three on a side headstock and had the Grover peg but I changed the button out for a small Schaller type............JH in Va.

[Chet Johnson]

Originally Posted by jmiles

Looks like they don't offer them anymore. Call and ask them. They may have one, or can point you to a vender that has one. Here's the one on my Baritone.

Holy hannahh! Where did you get that!?

[jmiles]

It's been several years, but as I recall, I just ordered it from Hipshot. Here's the one on my favorite Tele. Schaller.

[J. Hayes]

Some gigs I do require a little more "bluegrass" playing so I use a Keith/Scruggs peg on my high E and low A string to get an "open G" chord. I already have one of the Hipshot pegs with the lever on my low E string so this works out well. I used to use three Keith/Scruggs banjo pegs on the guitar but in addition to being "heavy" at the headstock they were hard to use quickly on the low E and A strings as they were too close together! With the combination of the two banjo pegs and the Hipshot extender I can get to open G very quickly when needed. I'll take a picture of the back of the headstock in a little while and post it on here.........JH in Va.

[J. Hayes]

my Tele headstock......... I use the A string Keith peg a lot for a G drone on tunes like "Boot Scootin Boogie" and others. I use it a lot by itself and also with the Hipshot lever D-tuner for some stuff.... I've found that two Keith tuners side by side on a Tele or Strat just aren't easy to activate quickly but the combination of a Keith and a Hipshot are........

Also I use the Keith peg on the 1st string along with the others for the full open G chord and a lot by itself for slide guitar on the 1st four strings. Very useful!.......

I like the Keith peg on the 5th string for a lick where if you're in the Key of D and you're going to the IV chord (G) you just use the peg and then if you're going to the V chord (A7) you bring the peg back up to A and at the same time activate your B-bender which will give you a very nice lick....

Another tip with the Hipshot D-extender... You'll notice that when you activate it the low E string will raise in pitch a tad when you flip the lever before it starts to lower. If you'll look at the back of the headstock you'll see a small piece sticking up that the lever rests upon when it's not in use. If you'll get a pair of needle nose pliers and bend that little piece toward the lever a little it'll eliminate most of that "raise" so you'll get a smoother lower to D with it............JH in Va.

[coolbreeze475]

I just recently bought some Timara string drops (Tim's New Design) and they are really sweet. They work great and you won't have to modify anything.

[Silverface]

I bought one of Tim's as well.

I have Schallers on one guitar, which I really prefer over the Timara unit, but Tim's unit is inexpensive, easy to install (using existing tuners) and extremely simple and accurate.

If you need one and will use it a lot I'd go with Keith tuners or the Schallers, but for periodic drops the Timara unit is more cost-effective.

The only negative is it's a riveted construction, and right out of the package it rattles like crazy (and seems to work loose after a period of time after tightening it up). I use a pair of pliers to squeeze the rivets just enough so there's movement with no rattle. It's something you can do in 30 seconds even on stage, but is a bit annoying.

[coolbreeze475]

I havent had any rattling with his new designed ones (With the old designed ones It did have a little rattle because the black cover of the extender arm would unscrew) but it never picked up through an amp.
But Silverface I think you are referring to the old designed ones. Not the new ones. His new ones are the real deal. I've got 4 on there right now and No rattles on this guitar.

[Guitarchops]

Originally Posted by J. Hayes

my Tele headstock......... I use the A string Keith peg a lot for a G drone on tunes like "Boot Scootin Boogie" and others. I use it a lot by itself and also with the Hipshot lever D-tuner for some stuff.... I've found that two Keith tuners side by side on a Tele or Strat just aren't easy to activate quickly but the combination of a Keith and a Hipshot are........

Also I use the Keith peg on the 1st string along with the others for the full open G chord and a lot by itself for slide guitar on the 1st four strings. Very useful!.......

I like the Keith peg on the 5th string for a lick where if you're in the Key of D and you're going to the IV chord (G) you just use the peg and then if you're going to the V chord (A7) you bring the peg back up to A and at the same time activate your B-bender which will give you a very nice lick....

Another tip with the Hipshot D-extender... You'll notice that when you activate it the low E string will raise in pitch a tad when you flip the lever before it starts to lower. If you'll look at the back of the headstock you'll see a small piece sticking up that the lever rests upon when it's not in use. If you'll get a pair of needle nose pliers and bend that little piece toward the lever a little it'll eliminate most of that "raise" so you'll get a smoother lower to D with it............JH in Va.

Hi there - are the banjo style tuners actually banjo tuners? I have a Hipshot Drop D on my Tele and I'd like to 2 more on for the E and A strings like you did. Where did you get them and how do you like them?

[J. Hayes]

Yes, they actually are Banjo tuners made to go on the 2nd and 3rd strings of a 5 string banjo. As to where to find them, I'm not sure anymore. Stewart/McDonald used to have them in their catalog but they haven't had them lately. The Beacon (or Bacon) banjo company make the original Keith/Scruggs tuners which are fairly expensive. The Schaller company makes a similar set for a lot less money. I have the Schallers on a couple of my guitars and they work well also......JH in Va.

[Martyfan]

I have a Hipshot drop D tuner with the Schaller style tuner on my Tele. I experienced the same slight raise in pitch when I dropped the lever. A few minutes with a flat file on the cam part of the lever fixed that. Just had to be careful not to take too much off.
The other thing I had an issue with was when I dropped the lever, it would swing down too far and make it more difficult to grab and swing back up in the middle of a song. I installed a small screw as a stop. All working perfectly now.

[J. Hayes]

an Epi Les Paul that I have. They all lower each string a whole tone except for the third string which I only lower from G to F# as part of the open D chord.......... With this set up I can get Open G, Open D, DADGAD, dropped D, double dropped D and sometimes when I'm in the key of C, I'll lower the 4th string D to C and the 5th string A to G and use those two strings as "drones" while soloing on the first three strings....... Also when in open G you can play banjo instrumentals such as "Flint Hill Special" using the tuners on the 2nd and 3rd strings just like a banjo player would.........JH in Va.

[DavidP]

Anyone know if the GT1 is a drop-in replacement for Grover mini-Rotomatic tuners on a Tele (actually its for a Reverend Buckshot)?