Warwick Machinehead/Tuner size and Ultralites

[P-T-P]

Can anyone tell me the size of the Warwick tuners, are they 3/8" or 1/2" (or something different) and has anyone got an idea of thw weight?

I'm thinking of replacing the tuners on my Thumb as there's a hint of neck dive about it and I reckon a set of Ultralites might just do the job. Anyone done this, did it make a difference?

[BassBod]

If its a four string I wouldn't expect it to make much difference, but on a five or six it may be noticable? I'd suggest taking off a tuner and weighing it, then compare that to the ultralight. You could multiply the difference (x4 or 5) then hang that weight on the headstock - I know that's adding the weight and not taking it off, but it should give you a feel for the difference?

My guess is its not worth the cost, unless you've got a dodgy tuner to replace anyway...

BB

[Alpha-Dave]

They save just over 1/4 of the weight, so to decide if it was worth it on my 7 string I removed 2 of the tuners (the equivalent of the saving), and it balanced much better. Try doing the same, and you'll know if it's worth it or not. You can then also measure the shaft size to see what size you need.

Note that the thickness of the headstock and the diameter of the shaft are important, so you don't end up with your replacements either: too loose/won't fit in the hole (diameter); or the top of the shaft (head thickness) is barely above the surface so you'll have trouble getting the windings round.

[Mottlefeeder]

[quote name='BassBod' post='55777' date='Sep 5 2007, 10:45 AM']If its a four string I wouldn't expect it to make much difference, but on a five or six it may be noticable? I'd suggest taking off a tuner and weighing it, then compare that to the ultralight. You could multiply the difference (x4 or 5) then hang that weight on the headstock - I know that's adding the weight and not taking it off, but it should give you a feel for the difference?

My guess is its not worth the cost, unless you've got a dodgy tuner to replace anyway...

BB[/quote]
I went that route for a Corvette 5 - take the hipshot weight for 5 or their units, and take off and weigh one of my units. It turned out that the weight saving was pretty close to one Warwick tuner, which is easy to model, but did not cure the neck dive. For £125, I passed on that option.

An alternative is to put 12 oz to 16 oz of washers, or lead, into a padded phone case, and hang that on the body end of the strap. It's cheap and it works.

My final solution was to extend the horn. Several bass players have played my Corvette, and few have noticed the modification.

Edited September 5, 2007 by Mottlefeeder

[P-T-P]

Thanks peeps, quite liking the bag of washers idea as a short term solution until I decide if the bass is a total keeper or not.