groucho Posted May 27, 2005 Share Posted May 27, 2005 Long time - no post I have been experimenting with a Fat Finger on my Fender-ish basses, and reading a bit about headstock mass and the effect on dead notes (own a Kubicki Xfactor which is headless for that reason or so I read) I was wondering if anyone here has used the Hipshot Ultra Lite heads and what - if any effect that had on creating/removing dead notes on Fender style necks? As they would drop the mass of a headstock down quite a bit compared to traditional machine heads. if it ain't broke don't fix it... unless you need the overtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DONUT Posted May 27, 2005 Share Posted May 27, 2005 Thats interesting. My basses have those tuners and they have the same old 7th fret g string thing, but no worse then most others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groucho Posted May 28, 2005 Author Share Posted May 28, 2005 That kind of goes with what Phil Kubicki said in something I read some while ago - that adding mass was more effective than reducing it - as long as you have a fender headstock. He talked about experimenting with clamps as weights and such, but of course you end up neck heavy! Then he went the route of losing the headstock alltogether as in really reducing the mass, which is why the Factor basses have no headstock(but then strangly enuf he now makes those Factors with lil' headstocks and tuning keys up top now...) Seems to be a bass by bass/case by case thing what will help, if you have weak notes. Guess I will leave the Schaller BML's on after all! if it ain't broke don't fix it... unless you need the overtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster6550 Posted May 28, 2005 Share Posted May 28, 2005 I've been a user of Hipshot Ultra-Lites for a few years now, and haven't noticed a difference. FWIW, lighter tuners will work better on one bass, but not another. . . Some say heavier tuners will give you better sustain, etc. I myself haven't seen it. FWIW, my favorite set of tuners right now is a set of Schallers -- the carbon composite/boron composite "ultra-ultra light" ones. They're, IMO, as good as anything else out there. Plus they help keep a bass "balanced". I can't speak for most other basses, but it seems like "dead spots" are an inherent factor, especially on "vintage style" (i.e. Precision or Jazz) basses. Also, one responds better/worse than another, even if they came off the line minutes apart. But, I'll put up with it, as I love Jazz Basses. They each have their own little "personality", so to speak. All in all, I think it's more related to the density (etc.) of the wood your bass is made of (body and neck) than the tuners. But, I might be wrong, too. At least to me, that's a "workable" theorem, though. If I build a bass with a light body, I tend to use heavy hardware, and vice versa. I've built several, so I think that's worth something. In the end, it kinda ends up being a matter of experimentation, as well as "luck of the draw". Just my opinion, but I am trying to help. Unfortuntely, I'm not a physicist. . .Just a bass player. "When it comes to havin' a good time, nothing beats 'fun'. . ." -- Stefan Johnson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groucho Posted June 2, 2005 Author Share Posted June 2, 2005 Rooster thanks for the input I recall back in the 70's everybody going nutz over "heavy-er is more better-er" as in sustain and I remember guys coming into the store(I worked in)and hefting every Les Paul to buy the heaviest one! I have a super heavy shedua body fretless Fender - still has the dead-ish notes on the "G" string even with big Schaller heads a HUGE Fender custom bridge and that silly-ass heavy body. Go figure... I guess we gotta experiment with each Fender style bass from square one and see what shakes. You are NEVER "just a bass player" my man, you are LORD OF THE UNDERTONES the musical Atlas on which all else rests if it ain't broke don't fix it... unless you need the overtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Daddy from Motown Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 As far as dead spots go the Fat Finger does seem to help. I've had great luck with the newer Fender necks that have carbon fiber reinforced necks. American standards and up mostly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Did you say theorem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikertrash Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 I have a '82 Squire P....no DS I have a '82 walnut P special.....no DS I have a Sadowsky PJ5.....no DS I have a Sadowsky VJ5....no DS I have a Tobias Classic 5...no DS but MAYBE a sick spot when the strings get old. I also have a cheap TobyPro 5 with, you guessed it, No DS. They're out there in all price ranges..you just gotta find 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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