Grangur Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Hi there, I've picked up an old Westone Thunder (are there any new ones?) The tuners are a bit crook, really and I'm thinking of replacing them all. I've seen the Gotoh and Wilkinson ones and other flashy brands. I've also seen the cheap Chinese ones on ebay. The price difference is significant. What would you go for? Do cheap ones stay in tune, or do they all fall apart? Any thoughts. BTW, I'm a compulsive doer-upper of basses. So there's no assurance that I'll keep it, so I guess that's a significant point of me, but I'm interested in folks experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 The tuners on the Westone are probably Gotohs with Westone logos on them. I would say cheap tuners are a false economy - there's a reason tuners are one of the first things that often get upgraded on cheaper instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 If you need a set Rich I have a set I ordered from Northwest guitars (I think) they are black if they are any good to you also I have a set of chrome ones I took off my Gretsch that are also new if you are interested fire me a PM and we can work something out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Wouldn't have cheap tuners anymore than I'd have a cheap bass........... but depends what you want the bass to do. Putting on great tuners might not really achieve too much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Great basses those Thunders. For the money, there was little to beat them at the time. Agree with others about avoiding cheapies. Gotohs great value for what they are. CD Guitars in SE London v good for Gotoh. Google will find them. Get all my bits from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Depends what you call cheap.. working at Whitby folk festival at the mo, and a Luther I know said he had a brand new Schaller seize on him. Generally, the more established brands will last better, but the Korean or Chinese ones will outlast most of our ownerships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Fair point, Hubrad, but at least you can get a refund if a name brand malfunctions. Good luck with that if you buy Chinese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Thomann supply Warwick tuners (made in Germany so I have my suspicions). The quality is super and they are cheaper than Schallers. They even have a W for Westone on then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 I can't help suspect that some parts, such as tuners, are like training shoes; they all come from the same factory, but with different stickers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 (edited) Well cheap tuners work, they do normally tune up ok and hold tune. But cheap tuners feel like crap to operate and can be a pain to get a good accurate tuning quickly. Also if weight is an issue they are normally not lightweight. Also they look cheap, up close that is. Cheap ones if your not bothered about the bass but want it to play. The best you can get if You care for your instrument. The westones had good tuners on I know my aria ones (same factory) are excellent. Edited August 25, 2016 by Twincam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 (edited) Ibenez just came out with and awesome line of reliced semi hollows, single cutaway. The ones I saw were priced at $650.00 so I guess you could talk that price down to $550. I don't own an Ibenez, but I have always liked them. Blue Edited August 25, 2016 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1472168283' post='3119152'] Ibenez just came out with and awesome line of reliced semi hollows, single cutaway. The ones I saw were priced at $650.00 so I guess you could talk that price down to $550. I don't own an Ibenez, but I have always liked them. Blue [/quote] Was that a copy and paste error? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1472145332' post='3118885'] Any thoughts. [/quote] Steinberger bridge and decapitation? (Okay okay... it's my "thing", I know). 40:1 direct pull tuners with a nut clamp for both DBE and standard strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 (edited) [quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1472274167' post='3119949'] Steinberger bridge and decapitation? (Okay okay... it's my "thing", I know). 40:1 direct pull tuners with a nut clamp for both DBE and standard strings. [/quote] It's a thought. I've only ever had one headless, but the strange shaped body felt odd to me and not "captured" under my arm. I guess its all a matter of what you get used to? I know Westones are "2 a penny", but cutting the head off an 80s bass feels wrong to me. Edited August 27, 2016 by Grangur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1472288094' post='3120028'] cutting the head off an 80s bass feels wrong to me. [/quote] So? Big hair was wrong too. Anyway, tuning from the other end was very much a thing of the eighties. Whatever you go for though I'd love to see photos of. Edited August 27, 2016 by SpondonBassed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Thanks for the interest. The rest of the bass is also in dire need of some attention too. So it could be interesting. I've not yet really got started, but I know the volume pot and the switches need replacing. The body wood grain is a bit rough in places and there's no output. Right now I'm off away for a few days, but when I get back I'll be getting started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1472288094' post='3120028'] It's a thought. I've only ever had one headless, but the strange shaped body felt odd to me and not "captured" under my arm. I guess its all a matter of what you get used to? I know Westones are "2 a penny", but cutting the head off an 80s bass feels wrong to me. [/quote] It can work nicely.. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/44673-ibanez-roadster-megacustom/page__hl__megacustom but I'd be more inclined just to put fresh tuners on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 [quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1472318995' post='3120358'] It can work nicely.. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/44673-ibanez-roadster-megacustom/page__hl__megacustom but I'd be more inclined just to put fresh tuners on it. [/quote] Thanks to Thunderbird I've actually got some tuners on the way to me. So I hope to fit them in a week or two as I'm away from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1472145332' post='3118885'] Hi there, I've picked up an old Westone Thunder (are there any new ones?) The tuners are a bit crook, really and I'm thinking of replacing them all. I've seen the Gotoh and Wilkinson ones and other flashy brands. I've also seen the cheap Chinese ones on ebay. The price difference is significant. What would you go for? Do cheap ones stay in tune, or do they all fall apart? Any thoughts. BTW, I'm a compulsive doer-upper of basses. So there's no assurance that I'll keep it, so I guess that's a significant point of me, but I'm interested in folks experiences. [/quote] You never know you have good tuners until it comes to replacing them, and you replace them with rubbish ones that feel more like grinding than tuning when you use them. I've had Wilkinson tuners before. Very good tuners, and won't break the bank, as a happy medium. Lots of the really cheap stuff is rubbish. I can't tell you how many tuners I've replaced on cheap classical guitars, simply because the little gear gets worn out and then it gets all chowdered up and when you turn the knob, it just jumps right over the gear. Bass tuners are unlikely to ever have that problem, as the gears used are significantly bigger, so it's hard to have a level of play in them that allows the worm gear to jump over the top of the pinion gear. However the quality of material used and how well it's all put together will determine how accurate it is as a tuner, and how long it was last for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 [quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1472318995' post='3120358'] It can work nicely.. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/44673-ibanez-roadster-megacustom/page__hl__megacustom"]http://basschat.co.u..._hl__megacustom[/url] [/quote] Thanks for that. Looks grand. Can you point me to any recordings online where I can hear it too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionn Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 I literally just bought a set of modern-style tuners on ebay, new, for just over £6 (Inc postage). They're for a cheapish bitsa project bass. I'm accustomed to high-quality tuners, so it will be interesting to compare. They should arrive here within the next couple of days, or so. I'll let you know how they work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 I have also just bought some cheapo £6 tuners for a friend's budget 1980s acoustic. They seem ok, nothing more, better than what it has at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 [quote name='3below' timestamp='1472154313' post='3119000'] Thomann supply Warwick tuners (made in Germany so I have my suspicions). The quality is super and they are cheaper than Schallers. They even have a W for Westone on then [/quote] I've got a set of these for a bass that's waiting to be built, and they do feel like decent quality - they have less play in the gear than some of the generic cheapies. They look like they'd drop into the Westone without any modifications too. I'm not certain they're really made in Germany though, despite the stamp. Surely they would cost more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1472661121' post='3123048'] I've got a set of these for a bass that's waiting to be built, and they do feel like decent quality - they have less play in the gear than some of the generic cheapies. They look like they'd drop into the Westone without any modifications too. I'm not certain they're really made in Germany though, despite the stamp. Surely they would cost more? [/quote] My thought was that Warwick purchase them in bulk and thus get OEM pricing which is passed on to customers. The quality seems good and they work well enough on Warwick basses which is why I also have a set waiting to go in the current bass build. Now what can I call it that begins with W? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 [quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1472382058' post='3120645'] Thanks for that. Looks grand. Can you point me to any recordings online where I can hear it too? [/quote] Cheers! Click on the Myspace link in my sig, and The Gift and When It's All Over are on that bass. Crumbs.. recorded over 8 years ago! Rather like this one as well, although glad to report I've had a haircut since! [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3AfKFkErR4"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3AfKFkErR4[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.