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PING Greg: Hipshot D-tuner for bass
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From: Greg <gregedwa...@tiscali.co.uk>
Newsgroups: uk.music.guitar
Subject: Re: PING Greg: Hipshot D-tuner for bass
Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 05:47:50 -0700 (PDT)
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On 2 July, 10:30, "Jose de las Heras" <jose...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
> Hey, I think I read you mentioning you have these installed in at least o=
ne
> of your basses, is that correct?
>
> I'm considering putting one in my OLP, and there's a few songs I downtune
> the E string to D... and I'm getting away with quickly retuning between
> songs, but I'd love to do it by pressing a lever.
> Is it good? Stable? Does it require frequent readjustment?
>
> Jose
> --www.mcnach.com
> Richt Hoat Chillies:http://www.myspace.com/rhcpscot=A0- Bass: OLP MM2
> Conscious Route:http://www.myspace.com/consciousroute=A0- Bass: Ibanez SR=
400www.myspace.com/purplenoise68
> -
> Current favourite guitar: Fender 'Sambora' Stratocaster
> Current favourite bass: OLP MM2 (Stingray)
In a word, it's fab. I've al but stopped bringing a 5 string for
normal gigs nowadays, unless I really need one. The 4 string is so
much easier to manage (says the man who bought a 6 string a little
while ago). I have one on my main bass (the Attitude) and my spare
(RBX4-A2). It's also really useful and dead easy to down tune mid
song. Like at the end of Yankee Rose for example. I sometimes do it
for just a couple of passing notes in Black Velvet, and Just A Girl.
If you follow the installation and tuning instructions, tuning
stability is fine. There's a video on their website that explains it
all. IIRC, you tune the E, flip it down and up and retune. Then you
tune the D with the screw, then flip is back and and check the E.
Something like that. Bit of a fiddle to tune it at first, but once
you're used to it, it's not a problem, quite quick and holds it's
tuning throughout the set very well.
The only problem I had is with certain string brands. Where the
strings bends into the post, it has quite a sharp edge like most
tuners. Not a problem with regular tuners and I think you need this
to grip the string properly. I had some DR coloured strings on my
white Yamaha, and the winding on these ones stay tight all the way to
the end, most other brands have widely spaced winding past the nut,
maybe covered with silk. The sharp egde after a while managed to cut
through the winding after a few weeks and slid off the core. Result
in not being able to grip the post and stay in tune. I'd therefore
recommend you use strings with silk wraps to stop this happening.
I also use the Rotosound Billy Sheehan custom gauge too. These are
based on a standard gauge set with a slightly lighter top G and
heavier E string (.110). The heavier mass of that low E stops it
sounding too floppy when down tuned.
I've also heard that if you can't find one to exactly match the finish
or style of your basses tuners, you can send them your existing tuner
and they will convert it to a D-Tuner, for a fee of course. I'm
thinking about this for my RBX, as the tuners are a brushed metal
finish that they don't do as part of their standard range. I know
it's only a minor asthetic thing, but the shiny chrome Hipshot does
stand out a little.
So yeah, totally worth it. I don't think I could play a full set
without one nowadays. It's just so useful and convenient.
G
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