Broken Tuner on Warwick!

[dadofsix]

So, I'm getting ready for the morning worship service at our church. It's Easter Sunday! The place is packed and I'm ready to play!!

So I'm double-checking the tuning on my 2002 Corvette Standard fretless when the unthinkable happens. I hear a loud pop! At first I thought that I had broken a string but, upon giving it a closer look, I realized that the shaft from the tuner on the G string had just snapped off! . . Oh . . . My . . . Gosh . . !!! (That's not an exact quote, by the way. lol) Fortunately, I always keep an old Squier (what a great neck) on a stand behind the amp for just these unforeseen events.

So, has anyone ever lost a tuner in this way? I use this Warwick fretless bass all the time. This is certainly a first for me. I mean, what are the odds?? What possibly could I have done to have caused this? I'm wondering if I should contact the Warwick people. Did they have a bad run of tuners? Now I'm almost scared to tune the other three strings. lol

Anyway, thanks for your kind attention. Any advice would be appreciated.

Oh, by the way, Happy Easter!

<><Marc

Edited April 5, 2015 by dadofsix

[discreet]

Maybe it was a sign from the LORD, who obviously thinks you should be playing a Spector, which is the one true bass.
Seriously though, I've no idea. Metal fatigue..? Good job you had a spare handy.

[ahpook]

Could it have taken a knock in the past which started a crack on the move ? I suppose you'll never know, but as discreet said, good job on the spare.

Next time you restring you could dismantle the tuners to check they're OK, but it sounds like a bit of rotten luck to me.

Edited April 5, 2015 by ahpook

[warwickhunt]

Was it one half of the split shaft snapping? I've known two (i.e. I was asked to replace them as I had spares) go in the last 10 years but they were on older instruments. I suppose in the grand scheme of things a handful, even dozens isn't likely to be unheard of as they all take knocks now and again which could weaken them. I've heard of as many other brands where the tuners have stripped etc.

[timmo]

I would say that if you had a tuner from a dodgy batch, you would have found out quicker than 13 years later

[dadofsix]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1428247884' post='2739550']
Maybe it was a sign from the LORD, who obviously thinks you should be playing a Spector, which is the one true bass.
[/quote]

Man, you didn't happen to hear any rumbles of thunder close by when you wrote your Spector comment, did you?? lol

Thanks for all the comments on a somewhat frustrating situation. The entire shaft snapped off at the joint where it presumably joins with the tuner gear. It looks like the weld went bad on some cheap metal. I guess I'll contact Warwick and see how much a new tuner is going to set me back . :-(

Wish me luck! Ciao

Edited April 5, 2015 by dadofsix

[White Cloud]

I have known this to happen on other basses but have never experienced it myself.

It is just one of those things....a new Warwick tuner will not be too expensive, their hardware is very competitively priced.

[darkandrew]

I've always found Thomann to be very good for Warwick parts.

Edited April 5, 2015 by darkandrew

[ahpook]

[quote name='dadofsix' timestamp='1428251506' post='2739599']
I guess I'll contact Warwick and see how much a new tuner is going to set me back . :-(

Wish me luck! Ciao
[/quote]

Angle one for free if you can.....very disappointed, surprised, usually legendary relaibility, etc.


You never know !

[3below]

Warwick prices seem very competitive on a fair range of their hardware. The Tuner will cost less than the postage if my memory serves me (increasingly unlikely these days )

[dadofsix]

A quick question, though. While I'm waiting for a replacement tuner, do you think that I should loosten the remaining strings or simply leave well enough alone. Can the neck twist? I don't know how long it's going to take. It could be a day or two or a couple of weeks.

What say you?

<><Peace

[SteveK]

I would probably slacken the strings to avoid uneven tension. Although, in reality, I don't suppose there would be any harm in leaving the remaining strings for a week or so.

[neepheid]

When I acquired my Gibson Victory, one of the tuners kept snapping loose once string tension was applied - the screw that goes through from the back of the tuner had snapped inside the capstan. These things, while rare can happen.

[TimR]

Yes. Same happened to me on an Ibanez. They're cast aluminium. Rubbish.

I ordered a new one but they come in packs of 4.

I'd offer to send you one of my old ones as I swapped them all out but I suspect they're different. PM me if interested and you want to try. Don't think they were expensive anyway.

[spacey]

Beats the normal one, shutting the case with the strap over the pots and bang, the pot snaps the wood underneath and falls in.
Loverly basses but almost made out of glass.

[ribbetingfrog]

I bought my Warwick, ten years old off eBay.

Two days later, same thing happened.

Seems from forums Warwick tuners aren't great and often wear out.

I bought a complete New set from Thomann to make sure it didn't happen again mid gig.

[cytania]

Had this happen to my Spear S2 but the tuners always struck me as cheap. Replaced them all with Gotohs and I'm pretty sure the tone/feel has improved 😀

[3below]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1428336430' post='2740354']
Beats the normal one, shutting the case with the strap over the pots and bang, the pot snaps the wood underneath and falls in.
Loverly basses but almost made out of glass.
[/quote]

Ouch - I seem to recall seeing a picture of a similarly damaged Warwick many years ago. Reminds me to take care (and think about strengthening the cavity).

[dadofsix]

An update: I emailed the folks at Warwick on Sunday explaining my situation and asking for some information on how to replace the tuner with a Warwick part. I got an email from them today apologizing for my inconvenience, and advising that a replacement tuner is on the way -- gratis, and giving me a tracking number.

To say that I am impressed with Warwick's customer service is a HUGE understatement. I mean, it's only a tuner. They could have simply pointed me in the direction of a company selling replacement tuners like some of the folks on this site did -- thanks, by the way! :-) But the Warwick folks clearly wanted to put a smile on the face of someone who loves playing their basses. And they did! :-D

<><Peace

[Lw.]

Yes another win for customer service - they were brilliant when I dealt with them too (despite the problem being completely my fault).

[BigRedX]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1428336430' post='2740354']
Beats the normal one, shutting the case with the strap over the pots and bang, the pot snaps the wood underneath and falls in.
Loverly basses but almost made out of glass.
[/quote]

Wh puts a bass away in its case without taking the strap off first?

[throwoff]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1428477704' post='2741545']
Wh puts a bass away in its case without taking the strap off first?
[/quote]

People who don't play basses mostly made out of chrome pipe

[ahpook]

[quote name='dadofsix' timestamp='1428458617' post='2741501']
An update: I emailed the folks at Warwick on Sunday explaining my situation and asking for some information on how to replace the tuner with a Warwick part. I got an email from them today apologizing for my inconvenience, and advising that a replacement tuner is on the way -- gratis, and giving me a tracking number.
[/quote]

Thought they might

Shame about the tuner - I'm surprised as to how many people this kind of thing has happened to.

Glad it turned out OK.

[spacey]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1428477704' post='2741545']
Wh puts a bass away in its case without taking the strap off first?
[/quote]

People that use them as Tools of a trade and expect them to be robust enough for the job.
Why I do not play warwicks anymore, they are just not robust enough, lovely instruments to play, but a machine head snapping mid gig is not my idea of a reliable instrument.
That and the wood around the pots it's very soft and thin.

[SteveK]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1428493570' post='2741740']
People that use them as Tools of a trade and expect them to be robust enough for the job.
Why I do not play warwicks anymore, they are just not robust enough, lovely instruments to play, but a machine head snapping mid gig is not my idea of a reliable instrument.
That and the wood around the pots it's very soft and thin.
[/quote]
That's interesting! I've used Warwicks regularly for 30 years. They've been subjected to all kinds of "on the road" stress and treatment. The only wear & tear "fail" that I recall is a strap-lock giving up mid gig.
However, I do have a rather interesting old Streamer that has a neck that looks like it's morphing in to a lizard... but that's down to a big footed stage tech!