Looking for replacement tuners for a 2022 MIJ Junior Collection Jazz Bass (short scale 30")

[Queue]

So, I've been upgrading tuners on my various basses with Hipshot Ultralite USAs. Then I came to my 2022 SS Jazz bass from Japan. The (unbranded) tuners look like Gotohs, and match the spec on the Hipshot GB10 replacement.

The holes in my headstock are about 14.8mm, and the shafts of the tuners are about 12mm. The headstock has the small routed places similar to the American Deluxe tuners, but I'm pretty sure those tuners would not fit (my research says they're 11/16). Strangely, the stock tuners do NOT have pegs.

Am I stuck with my stock tuners or Hipshot GB10s? I don't think there'd be much difference in weight between stock and the GB10s. I don't want to go to 3/8" posts.

I sent an email to Hipshot, but don't expect to hear from them until after the holiday.

Attached are pictures of the back of my headstock.

 

[BeMoreFrench]

I'm afraid an MIJ Fender bass will only accept GB10s. Now that being said, their tuning ratio is higher than the Gotohs, and to me they always looked more solid, with more features (the nylon washers for example). So I guess it's really an upgrade, not that much weight reduction though for sure, but you'll get better tuning machines overhall.

 

[Queue]

So, I got a little turned around here....


It is:
Gotoh GB10 and
Hipshot HB10

Mine are likely unbranded GB10s, as they have the 20:1 running ratio. Hipshot HB10 would be an upgrade with 27:1 (except when changing strings, LOL).

I was hoping for some weight reduction, but I may just stick with stock for now, unless someone here has a better idea.

 

[bakageta]

Mine are likely unbranded GB10s, as they have the 20:1 running ratio. Hipshot HB10 would be an upgrade with 27:1 (except when changing strings, LOL).

I was hoping for some weight reduction, but I may just stick with stock for now, unless someone here has a better idea.

Yeah, if you're after weight reduction, your only real options here are drilling new screw holes and/or widening the bushing hole, there's nothing lightweight that fits these as-is. If you absolutely don't want 3/8" tuners, that really cuts things down, virtually everything 1/2" lightweight is going to need a bigger than 15mm hole for the bushing. Pair that with the ugly routing holes behind the stock tuners, and I'm just sticking with the stock tuners. I've got a 30-year-old MIJ jazz with identical unbranded tuners that have held up great, there's no weight savings to be had here and I don't need 1:27 bad enough to spend the money on hipshots.

 

[manchego_eggo]

I have Gotoh GB350s in mine and love them! You can go with Gotoh GB528s as well if you want something more traditional looking. I've heard some folx encounter issues when going between some Gotoh and Hipshot models because of inaccuracies with Metric to Imperial measuring systems.

 

[bakageta]

You can go with Gotoh GB528s as well if you want something more traditional looking. I've heard some folx encounter issues when going between some Gotoh and Hipshot models because of inaccuracies with Metric to Imperial measuring systems.

I don't think I'd be comfortable going with GB528s unless you plugged the lower two screw holes on every tuner. The GB528's are 17mm between the screws, while those holes are 23mm apart on the headstock/existing tuners. IMO, that's too close to just drill new holes for the new tuner, they're going to be essentially overlapping the existing holes. I thought about going that path, but honestly that's a lot of work to still have the routing and screw holes at the upper portion of the tuner, and I have zero interest in trying to fill those routes.

I did get curious and pulled the old GB1 tuners off of my '93 MIJ, and it seems a lot more clear to me now why they put these routes in. It looks like the crimps holding the tuning key on don't seem all that flat, I'm betting they had a number of tuners that wouldn't sit flush over the years and they added the route rather than just torquing it down with screws.

Our stock tuners have a couple revisions/changes over the old GB1s, they definitely look like OEM GB10s to me, and with that, I don't see any point in replacing them.

 

[Queue]

Thanks for that, @bakageta, that's helpful to explain the routes. I thought I was missing out on some secret Fender/Gotoh/Schaller/Hipshot/whomever collaboration with pegs like on the American Deluxe tuners. Not even sure the GB528's would fit without a little reaming. My headstock bores are under 15mm, and the Gotoh site shows the bushings as 16mm.

GB350s would fit with a little extra around the bushing to stabilize 14mm vs 15mm holes. Would be lighter weight, but no upgrade when it comes to ratio, and I'm not a fan of those keys, prefer the traditional Fender clovers (or lollipop). I think I'll likely be keeping my stock tuners for the time being.

 

[manchego_eggo]

Thanks for that, @bakageta, that's helpful to explain the routes. I thought I was missing out on some secret Fender/Gotoh/Schaller/Hipshot/whomever collaboration with pegs like on the American Deluxe tuners. Not even sure the GB528's would fit without a little reaming. My headstock bores are under 15mm, and the Gotoh site shows the bushings as 16mm.

GB350s would fit with a little extra around the bushing to stabilize 14mm vs 15mm holes. Would be lighter weight, but no upgrade when it comes to ratio, and I'm not a fan of those keys, prefer the traditional Fender clovers (or lollipop). I think I'll likely be keeping my stock tuners for the time being.

The Gotoh GB1 is such an an annoying tuner in that sense - it is near ubiquitous on imports yet there are no easy replacements!

 

[Queue]

Never closed out the thread...

I went with the HB10s and a BT10 for the E string. Use original ferrules, unless you want to ream out your holes a wee bit to accommodate the Hipshot ferrules. Also, I used the original screws for the HB10s, as the Hipshot screws seemed a little smaller that the originals. You can't do that for the BT10, as they are flathead screws.

the better ratio on the HipShot tuners is great. The length of the shafts is a little shorter than the originals, but the clover part does not hit the back of the headstock. Overall, I'm happy with this mod.