What happened to Grover and Reverse tuners?

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 7:53 pm

That's it, just wondering if anyone had any info as to why both of these tuners went out of production? I like both of them, the Grovers are cool looking and I like the reverse tuners, it is easier to turn the keys backwords (to me anyway) than forwards. and then when I play my 4003's I turn those backwards instead of forwards to tune.

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 8:01 pm

I love the 2nd-generation wavy Grovers too.
Am even contemplating getting a new set of Schallers and have my local metal workshop professionally bend them "wavy" !

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 9:36 pm

Bob Young-- It's amazing how much you & I are alike in our "Old School" preferences!! Pyramid and Thomastik-Infeld flatwounds, and now reverse tuners! I bet a lot of the youngsters here at the forum are starting to view us as the resident "Old Farts"! ~LOL~

For years, the only bass I played was my '66 Fender Precision (still have it and wouldn't part with it.) I've gotten so used to the pre-CBS reverse style Kluson tuners that the "normal" ones on my other basses still seem foreign to me. I love the high quality of the current Rickenbacker tuners, but it sure would be nice if they were available in the classic, "Old School" reverse winding style.

Paul Yan-- If you discover a cost-effective way to convert the current Rickenbacker tuners to a reverse winding, please let us know. However, I talked with the owner of Hipshot about this very subject within the past year and he didn't think it could be done. He claimed that he was the *ONLY* one now producing reverse winding tuners, the Hipshot American Classic Series direct replacements for pre-CBS Fenders. He actually stated his personal preference for the reverse style but said the demand for these peaked about 22 years ago. Very few people, other than hardcore old timers like me and Bob, and equally hardcore vintage collectors, actively search these out now. The younger players coming up either don't know about reverse wound tuners, or don't care. Bob, you and I are fading dinosaurs, friend.

My experience with Grover tuners is zero. But I've heard from some folks that the older Grover stuff is mediocre quality and not all that reliable.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 6:40 am

The Klusons on my 1979 4001 LH wind in a clockwise direction to tune up, whereas all my other basses (which are lefties too) wind counter-clockwise to tune up. The pots are also wired to turn counter-clockwise.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 7:29 am

Hi Jeff from one "OF" to another, yeah I always liked reverse and probably always will, and I like my basses to sound and play like a bass, I love those Pyramids, just the right amount of tension and love that sound, just the right amount of growl. For you young whipper snappers, reverse tuners tighten your strings turning them clock wise. John I guess your 79 has reverse reverse tuners, haha, are all the new LH basses like that? A normal counter clockwise tuner on a LH bass would be reverse tuners for a lefty bass correct? Or do they make special tuners for LH basses? Or was I on the Magical Mystery bus too long when I was young? I have both 78 and 79 4001's and both have reverse tuners on them. I have had two basses with the old Grovers (still have one), and yeah they seem to wear a little more quickly to me.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 7:41 am

One more thing, I don't really like the newer slow ratio keys (or whatever you call them), when I started playing there were no electronic tuners and I got used to tuning on the run (between songs and even during songs) with these slow ratio tuners you must turn them quickly to hear the difference with noise going on, unless my ears are burned out. I didn't even own a tuner until about 3 or 4 years ago. Incidently I got so good at tuning like that when tuners first came in I could tune as well as a tuner, I did it (and still do) by listening for the beats, dissonant vibrations between two different notes, the less per second the more in tune you were, if you eliminated them you were in tune. I would get the A in tune with a guitar or a record and then hit the first octave on the D string and eliminate the beats and so on, then go through the whole thing again, this is why to play with old records you must constantly tune up and down a little, and it's a PIA with the newer tuners. It's good practise though for the ears.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 9:24 am

Ive only been playing a couple of years, and im in fact only 18, but i always tune by ear - mostly cos the tuner i have is junk, plus i feel a bit stupid staring at a tuner whilst on stage. I always get the G in tune with the guitar, or if im at home i use a tuner to tune the G. Then i tune the bass to its self backwards, so that the E is the last string i tune......works for me.

Bob - i know what you mean by the "slower" tuners, you have to turn the tuners a lot to make a difference on my 4003. More so than a Fender i own.