gsgbass Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 (edited) Which Machine Head Designs do you prefer. Not the brands, just the basic design, In-line tuners, or split line tuners? [color=#00BFFF][size=1][b]OR[/b][/size] [/color] Edited March 24, 2013 by gsgbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 No preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 On 4 strings I like 4 in line.On 5 and 6 I like em split Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 No preference, but it does depend on the design of the bass & the headstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1364044790' post='2021247'] No preference, but it does depend on the design of the bass & the headstock. [/quote] Yes, if it was a Fender I'd expect and prefer 4 in line. If it was a Rickenbacker I'd expect and prefer two plus two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 None of the above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Irrespective of the tuner layout, I do have some preferences for the tuners themselves. Now, looking from history forward, using the original "elephant ears" tuners was done simply because that is all that was available. Now, with Gotoh, Schaller, Hipshot, etc., there are top quality light weight tuners (I have three electric basses, one with each set). Irrespective of the tuner arrangement on the headstock, the lighter weight tuners should be used to prevent neck dive and ease up on the shoulder. For example, a set of four large elephant-ear traditional tuners weighs a little less than a half kilo. A set of the Hipshot Ultralights weighs a little less than a quarter kilo. That's a quarter kilo of unnecessary weight, and at least on my bass it is enough to cure neck dive, and it makes a three hour gig go much easier. As far as the tuner arrangement on the headstock: I definitely have an opinion on 5-string basses: 2+3 (B&E on one side, ADG on the other) as opposed to the more common 3+2 (BEA on one side, D&G on the other). The 2+3 arrangement puts the B tuner up the headstock farther from the nut so there is more room for the string leader to wrap around the post, so the string does not bind either around the tuner or over the nut, and the G string, usually being @ 45, doesn't need the room. Remember a standard guitar low E string is @ 46, and it is wound over a small standard guitar tuner, so there is no problem with binding the G string around the post or over the nut as with the larger strings. Rickenbacker were ahead of their time in this regard offsetting the E string on the headstock for the same reason, starting with the original 4000 series basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I like a split, side by side arrangement as I find it aids balance. As to actual design I really like the ones on my Gary Willis, not the most attractive things, but really slick to use and don't get knocked out of tune on stray mic boom stands or in gig bags [IMG]http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk344/ezbass/3df72aaf4d6840cbeef6ee436c60bbbe_zpsa0284a64.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Yes! Exactly! Indeed! this is what I'm referring to with the 2+3 tuner arrangement on a 5-string bass with lightweight tuners (in this case, Gotohs). I never considered the triangle tuner buttons; not knowing they are available. Where do these come from, and where does a player get a set? I think I'd like to do that for my Ibanez SRA305, which has the same tuner layout. [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1364061194' post='2021530'] I like a split, side by side arrangement as I find it aids balance. As to actual design I really like the ones on my Gary Willis, not the most attractive things, but really slick to use and don't get knocked out of tune on stray mic boom stands or in gig bags [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1364061194' post='2021530'] As to actual design I really like the ones on my Gary Willis... [/quote] Never seen those before, nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsgbass Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1364061194' post='2021530'] I like a split, side by side arrangement as I find it aids balance. As to actual design I really like the ones on my Gary Willis, not the most attractive things, but really slick to use and don't get knocked out of tune on stray mic boom stands or in gig bags [/quote] Wow! Very nice! I've never seen those before either. [IMG]http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u426/roadrex/Faces/4_17_206.gif[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 [quote name='iiipopes' timestamp='1364061865' post='2021535'] Yes! Exactly! Indeed! this is what I'm referring to with the 2+3 tuner arrangement on a 5-string bass with lightweight tuners (in this case, Gotohs). I never considered the triangle tuner buttons; not knowing they are available. Where do these come from, and where does a player get a set? I think I'd like to do that for my Ibanez SRA305, which has the same tuner layout. [/quote] I feel an email to Ibanez coming on about availability of these bad boys outside of the Gary Willis models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Since it's possible to unscrew the button from most of the more modern high-quality machine head designs, you should be able to fit whatever you want on the provided that you have the skills to make them (or know someone who does). Several custom luthiers in the past have offered their own designs. Personally I think that the majority of machine head buttons are considerably oversized from what is actually required to tune the string. I have a couple of basses that use guitar-size machine heads and I've never had any problem with those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1364048200' post='2021308'] None of the above [/quote] You mean you prefer these? I'm also liking those GWB tuners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1364081167' post='2021839'] You mean you prefer these? I'm also liking those GWB tuners. [/quote] Very good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsgbass Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 I'm going with the Fender In-line tuners. [IMG]http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u426/roadrex/Fenderbender/e912edad-f05f-4330-a25c-8eaf1ee7be33.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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