Tuners on Your custom shop dream bass

[Boodang]

Graphtec Ratio tuners. A neat evolution in tuner design where one turn equals one tone on each string.

[BigRedX]

16 minutes ago, Boodang said:

Graphtec Ratio tuners. A neat evolution in tuner design where one turn equals one tone on each string.

 

Surely this only works for a given scale length, string type, string gauge and tuning?

[Boodang]

4 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

Surely this only works for a given scale length, string type, string gauge and tuning?

Yes, but... (and this according to Graphtec!), we're talking standard tuning, standard 34" scale, with medium string gauges, one tone is an approximation. 

What they're really saying, and which I think is quite neat, is that each string has a different gear ratio as it makes sense to do this if you can be bothered. Which if you were having a custom bass done you might be. Actually makes tuning the E string easier.

[NigeJ]

My favourites are Sperzels, but in the real world Hipshot Ultralites....

[Nail Soup]

16 hours ago, Boodang said:

Graphtec Ratio tuners. A neat evolution in tuner design where one turn equals one tone on each string.

What is the physics behind that?

Not that I will necessarily understand the answer 🙁.

[BigRedX]

1 hour ago, Nail Soup said:

What is the physics behind that?

Not that I will necessarily understand the answer 🙁.

 

Each machine head is geared differently so that turning the tuning peg 360° will turn the post the required number of times to produce a 1 tone change in pitch of the string. However, to accomplish this on the bass version they require a scale length of 34" medium gauge strings and standard tuning intervals between the strings. Changing the scale length or string gauge while losing the 1 turn per tone ratio, should mean that same amount of turning produces the same pitch change per string, but those of us who use non-standard tuning intervals (such as always having the lowest string dropped an extra tone) will lose some of the benefit.

 

Guitarists who regularly use all sorts of different tunings won't really see any benefit at all.

[SamIAm]

If I was going for headstock tuners then I'd love a set of Graph Tech Ratio

 

However the dream/concept bass I'm working on is a headless system so ...

ABM 3901b Single Bridge Tuner

 

with these at the head

 

 Graphtech Ghost PN-8364-00 Piezo Pickups  (To mix in with magnetic pickups) which they sell as compatible with the ABM 

 

Tho ... cost is prohibitive; I'll probably end up building my own tuners, I've seen others take the same route.

 

[Skybone]

Again, whatever the maker of the bass recommends, however, if you ask for a de-tuner/extender, then they should take that into account when sourcing the tuners.

[Bleat]

Schaller M4. It's a shame they stopped making these. I have a set plus Xtender on my *non-custom shop* dream bass though. I like Grover machine heads too.

[Bolo]

On 17/05/2022 at 18:19, Bolo said:

I'd go with hipshot again. Although the quality of the plating is abysmal they are the most steady tuners I've come across.

I have to amend my original statement. I'd still go with the hipshots probably but last night I used my Spector euro lx5 at rehearsal for the first time in three or four months. It was still perfectly in tune! Not a cent out! 

It's got Gotoh tuners on it.

[Bolo]

On 17/05/2022 at 18:19, Bolo said:

 

edit: double post

Edited May 20, 2022 by Bolo

[LeftyJ]

On 19/05/2022 at 10:46, Smanth said:

However the dream/concept bass I'm working on is a headless system so ...

ABM 3901b Single Bridge Tuner

 

with these at the head

 

I love them on my Status basses. There's just one thing I don't like about it: the claw that holds the ball end slides freely over the finish of your bass body. The saddles lay on a brass base plate, but below the claws. I wasn't aware of this until I had to remove one because the spring between the claw and the tuning wheel had an annoying resonance I wanted to get rid of.