Tuning pegs — also known as machine heads, tuning machines, or tuning keys — are what holds your bass’ strings in place. These parts have gears that spin to alter the pitch of each string.
Basses generally stay in tune more easily than regular guitars, but you still want to check them often. Upgrading your tuners is a surefire way to ensure stability and reliability.
String Trees
String trees (also known as string guides or retainers) may not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think of a bass guitar modification, but these little components can make a big difference to the performance of your strings. They help maintain optimum pressure over the nut slot so that the strings don’t rattle and buzz within their respective slots, as well as reduce friction between the string and the neck’s peg and between the string and the string tree itself.
One of the main benefits of a string tree is that it can be sanded in height to allow you to customize the angle at which the string engages the neck’s tuning post. This can help to minimize friction between the string and the tuning post, which can contribute to problems with intonation, tuning stability and vibrancy.
The other benefit of a string tree is that it can also be installed with built-in rollers, which further reduce friction between the string and the tuning posts by creating a smooth, rolling surface where the string contacts the tuning post. This can significantly improve tuning stability and allows the strings to easily glide back into position after bending, trembling or tuning. Graph Tech’s new Black TUSQ string tree has been engineered to achieve this by using a synthetic material impregnated with a Teflon-like lubricant. These string trees are available in both a standard flat base and a more unique style with built-in rollers, which can be installed in the same way as the traditional flat version, or directly on your bass’s existing neck.
The standard flat string tree is often shaped like an hourglass with pointed arms, which creates a steeper angle between the string and the tuner post than a straight, un-tapered post. This can cause excessive wear on the strings, especially on the higher E and A string, as well as sonic artifacts such as a dull tone or a tinkling sound at the nut. Staggered-height tuner posts eliminate the need for a string tree by establishing the correct angle at the nut for the higher strings and eliminating these problems.
Staggered Tuners
The tuning pegs are an important part of any guitar. They’re often overlooked, but they can play a large role in the way your bass sounds. When they don’t do their job correctly, it can be impossible to stay in tune. Fortunately, most problems can be solved with proper maintenance.
First, consider whether your strings are being hung tightly enough. It’s also possible that the gears inside your tuners are getting worn down, and may need replacement. In addition, you should look at the number of turns it takes for a post to turn a full rotation. This is called the ratio, and higher ratios allow for faster turns and greater tuning accuracy.
If you have a flat headstock that uses six tuners in a row (like on Fender guitars), it might be time to upgrade to a set with staggered height posts. These give each string the proper break angle over the nut, eliminating the need for string trees and improving tuning stability.
Staggered posts typically have shorter posts for the B and E strings, while the D and G strings use longer ones. This allows each string to sit farther back behind the nut, providing better downward tension and a more pleasant tone. It can also eliminate whammy bar interference.
Another thing to consider is the type of tuners you’re using. Most tuners have a gear ratio, indicated by a two-digit number like 14:1. The lower the ratio, the less it will take to turn each post by one full revolution. Higher ratios make for faster turns, but can be difficult to get used to.
Many newer tuners are lighter and less cumbersome than older styles, but they still have the same function of holding your strings in place. Some even come with a slick-looking, slim locking locker that’s much more convenient than traditional tuners. However, these are usually not direct replacements for your old tuners, and they do have a significant effect on the mass of the headstock. Changing the amount of mass will alter how your neck responds to string vibration, and can affect tone in ways you might not anticipate in advance.
Locking Tuners
Locking tuners are a huge improvement over traditional machine heads and can be a big help for many players. To some guitarists they’re a must-have and can’t imagine playing without them. But to others they aren’t worth the extra hassle. It all comes down to personal preference and trial and error.
A locking tuner works in the same way as a regular tuning peg but with a special locking clamp inside the string hole. When you tighten the knob, the string pulls on the clamp and locks it into place, keeping the strings from slipping around the post. This means you can use fewer wraps around the post and change your strings quickly and easily.
With standard tuning pegs, each string requires a certain number of windings around the post to ensure that it has enough traction against the nut (see the image below from Jay Leonard J’s video thumbnail). With locking tuners, you can have fewer wraps and still have a good break angle over the nut. You can also have more wraps and still maintain a decent breaking point.
Another benefit of locking tuners is that they make restringing your bass on the fly a breeze. Instead of having to wait until you get home to change your strings, just loosen them up, do your maintenance or whatever else needs to be done, snip off the excess and tune back up! This makes restringing your guitar on the fly much easier and can be a lifesaver for gigging journeymen musicians.
On the downside, a good set of locking tuners will add some weight to your headstock end. For some guitars, this can lead to neck dive. Plus, they can alter the appearance of your headstock. They’re also more expensive than standard tuners.
There are two main types of locking tuners: open-back and sealed. Open-back tuners allow you to see the gears as you crank them and require more frequent lubrication. Sealed tuners don’t offer as much visual appeal, but they last longer and require less lubrication. In our experience, the best locking tuners are made by Gotoh, Grover, Sperzel or Schaller. They’re not cheap, but they do work well and look great on most bass guitars.
Electronic Tuners
If you’re a bassist who relies on electronic tuning pegs, it’s important to keep the tuners in good working condition. This will ensure that you can get in and out of tune without any problems, whether you’re playing on stage or practicing at home.
There are many different types of electronic bass guitar tuning pegs available. Some are designed to be used with a mobile device, while others work with a special microphone that’s built into the instrument. These tuners are usually easy to use and can help you get in tune quickly and accurately.
Other bass guitar tuning pegs can be installed on the headstock of the instrument. These can be used to change the pitch of the string a specific number of half-steps or octaves at the push of a button. This is very useful for bassists who often perform with other musicians and have to change their tunings quickly, allowing them to switch from standard E-A-D-G to drop-D in a few seconds.
You can also find electronic tuners that are attached to a pedal, which is activated by pushing down on the musician’s foot. These types of tuners are generally the most rugged and reliable, and have brightest displays, although you may need to purchase a separate power supply (or a battery). They’re typically best for musicians who want to be able to use their bass onstage or while other instruments are being tuned.
Most electronic tuners allow you to choose from a variety of reference pitches, including the standard bass tuning of E, A, D, and G, as well as other popular tunings such as open D, drop D, and jazz standard. Some of the more expensive models even support tuning to a range of Baroque temperaments, which can be helpful for some bassists who play period instruments at lower tunings than those that are commonly used on modern basses.
You should try to practice tuning your bass guitar by ear as much as possible, but it’s always a good idea to have an electronic tuner with you when you play onstage or in noisy environments. It’s a good idea to check the tuning of your strings frequently, especially after a long practice session. If you hear that a string is out of tune, tighten it to raise its pitch or loosen it to lower it.