Upgraded tuners- why?

[bassix]

I have a cheap SX bass that I have been steadily upgrading (pickups and bridge) but is there any practical or discernible difference when upgrading the tuners or am I just wasting my money?

[discreet]

The main reason is that cheap or inferior tuners will allow your strings to slip slightly and won't hold the bass in tune. You spend the extra money for peace of mind, knowing that your bass will stay in tune. Better tuners are also nicer to use, they are generally much more solid and work more smoothly.

If your current tuners do their job there is no reason to change them, except for cosmetics.

Edited January 29, 2012 by discreet

[chris_b]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1327840367' post='1517412']
....If your current tuners do their job there is no reason to change them, except for cosmetics....
[/quote]
+1

[BigRedX]

On a Fender-style non-angled headstock with string retainers and the the need to wrap stupid amounts of string around the machine head post to get a decent break angle over the nut, the reasons to upgrade the machine heads is less compelling. I'd only do it if:

1. The original machine heads are so crap that there's play in mechanism even with the strings tuned up to pitch.

2. You need lighter machine heads to improve the balance of the bass.

3. You want machine heads with different tuner buttons for aesthetic reasons.

Otherwise I wouldn't bother.

[Jerry_B]

There's nothing wrong with the SX tuners. If they ever start to slip, it's easy enough to take them apart. They have a small plate underneath the cog (you can see the black plastic covers they have when the tuners are still on the bass). This plate provides friction for the screw part of the elephant ear. Give the plate a small amount of bend and it will work again fine. You can do this with alot of other Fender-style elephant ear tuners.

[bassix]

Thanks for the replies. I've had no issues with SX tuners, just interested as to whether it would be worth upgrading but it appears not.