Tuner upgrade for Modern Tele Bass?

[Telesavalis]

Anyone got a suggestion for tuner upgrades on a Modern Players Telecaster bass? Just picked up a used/mint MPT bass for cheap and might want to change out the tuners if they end up needing replacement. (according to several reviews from actual owners of this bass the tuners are pretty cheap-hey it IS a low priced Chinese made bass so I guess that should go without saying)

Hipshot HB-1 and HB-5 look to be very close but wondered if there are others I should check out.

[Immo]

Fender Vintage Reverse tuners would be most "canon":


I have those installed in my TB.

[Cadfael]

Schaller is always an excellent choice ... BML or BMFL ...
Schaller machine heads were installes on many Fender instruments (and Fender labeled).

[Martinp]

I like the Hipshot Ultra lights, they look kinda traditional from the front at least.

[Anchoret]

After working on basses for over forty years, I don't recall any properly-maintained modern Fender-style machines that hadn't been damaged in installation that would have benefited anything substantially by replacement.

You may remove a little slack. So what?

There may be some junkers on $99 basses I haven't seen, but everything I have seen would have been a waste of time and money to swap out.

"Tuners" [sic] are erroneously blamed for more problems than any other instrument component...and it's ten times worse with guitars.

I personally dislike the Hipshots on the current American Standards, BTW.

[Immo]

Originally Posted by Anchoret

(...)
"Tuners" [sic] are erroneously blamed for more problems than any other instrument component...and it's ten times worse with guitars.

Funny you mention this. As I observe the Polish bass player forum, tuners are practically NEVER blamed unless it's stated there's something wrong with'em (eg. "jumping" gear or very light tension). If the bass sound is bad, smart*sses from the forum usually recommend installing hi-mass bridge like Badass or replacing pickups.

The tuners themselves... well, I guess they need to fit tight and be screwed to the headstock properly, thus giving proper sustain to the neck. I remember some experiment (can't seem to find it now) proving that even if you press the string against 20th fret, the vibration measured on the adjoined tuner was still decent when string was pulled traditionally.

As we speak about it, I'd say more than 33% of sound is the pickup, more than 33% - the neck, about 20% - the hardware and the way everything in bass is installed and connected (eg. whether is there a lacquer between neck heel and body, are the tuners and bridge connected tight and properly) and the rest would be body (of course if we're speaking about solid body bass).

So the tuners matter, but I nonetheless don't understand the obsession with changing them even more than obsession with putting this damn Badass bridge on every Fender bass.

[Rich_S]

I'll be watching this thread. I tracked the rattle I described in this other thread here down to the E tuner. Its handle/shaft/worm gear is rattling in the mount. Same tuners the OP showed above. If I can't figure out how to tighten the rattle out, I might be looking to upgrade.

[Immo]

Originally Posted by Rich_S

I'll be watching this thread. I tracked the rattle I described in this other thread here down to the E tuner. Its handle/shaft/worm gear is rattling in the mount. Same tuners the OP showed above. If I can't figure out how to tighten the rattle out, I might be looking to upgrade.

First, dismount the tuner, disassemble it and check the lube, then assemble it back, tightly. Maybe it's a lubrication problem or a screw isn't tight enough.

[Telesavalis]

Well, FWIW, so far there's no need to replace the tuners on the Modern Tele Bass I bought. They work just fine and I'm having no tuning hold issues with the bass. Am really digging this bass too. The previous owner did replace the pots with CTSs, which is about all it may have needed. It's playing and sounding great.

[BigDaveyTwinkle]

Stewart MacDonald sells a very nice, generic, open gear, "elephant ear" style tuner for very little change. Or just buy Schallers. Sehr gut !

[rip_topaz]

If you're gonna replace them, Hipshot or the vintage reversed Fender tuners are the way to go.

I have Hipshot on my 2011 MIA P, and they're incredibly solid.

[oldmark]

I'd stick with the originals...just give them a little lube and tighten the screws occasionally.

I played a '70's Tele bass for years in bar bands, and never even thought about the tuners...they were just there, and they worked.


mark

[4mal]

I like Hipshot ultra liters a lot! Yeah, you'll have some holes to fill but that is easy enough with toothpick and glue..,