LeftyBassist.com

Greetings fellow masters of the bottom end,

I am in need of a set of fender lefty tuners for my MIJ jazz bass neck.

If you've got them in a box collecting dust, I want them on my bass winding strings.

If you've only got three, I'll take them.

I'd like to buy a B10 extender key for it as well.

Stay low, Chuck

Without meaning to doubt your research: What model MIJ Fender are you intending to put them on?
Fender Japan used and still uses many different kinds of tuners.

For example, a '57 reissue P or an Aerodyne Jazz (or generally speaking nearly every MIJ Fender bass with a basswood body) will require the Hipshot HB10 and BT10. But a '62 Jazz reissue will require the BT3 even though Hipshot says those are for pre-CBS USA-made Fenders. And on a '75 Jazz reissue you'll need the BT2 even though the Hipshot site will tell you those are for USA-made Fenders from '67-'82.

Thanks for your helpful insights, Jeroen.

The neck is a fretless, mid-80's, MIJ, E series, 62RI.

Not to doubt your expertise, but how do you know that it is the B3 I need and not the B10?


2 Silly Questions:

Do the mounting holes not line-up evenly ('62RI neck + B10)?

If the holes do line up, would the B3/B10 choice be dependent on the cosmetic appearance of the other three tuners that I install?


Thanks for your thinking.

Not silly at all

I'm not sure about the positions of the screws lining up or not. I think the BT3 is wider though. I do know the BT10 has a thinner shaft than the BT3. The BT3 has an 11/16 inch shaft, whereas I believe the BT10 has a 9/16 inch shaft that won't match the diameter of the holes in the headstock if there were originally larger tuners on it.

And to be honest, I don't know for sure if it's really the BT3 you need instead of the BT10. But I don't think the smaller tuner (Fender calls it the MHB-FB1) was around back when your Jazz Bass neck was conceived

Hi Guys,

Thanks Jeroen! I feel I should apologize for the discriptions on our website. They are out-dated and it is my fault, but it is almost impossible to keep track of all the tuners and in many cases I have to have people send me pictures.
I have seen 5 style of tuners offered on Fender Japan basses starting in the early 80's. There may be more! Each tuner has a different mounting hole pattern and in some cases a different string post size. Most are made by Gotoh and are-

GB1 - Large tuning key small string post
GB2 - Also used by Yamaha
FB3 - Fender 70's style
GB640 -Fender/Kluson style with reverse winding

The last one not listed above is the Schaller Licensed tuners which are also used on the MIM models.

One of the four Gotoh tuners should be the model for your bass neck. Check out this site for the dmensions-

http://www.hosco.co.jp/HOSCO_ENGLISH/Pages/Gotoh.html

Please feel free to contact me if you need help figuring out the tuners for your bass.
Thanks!

Bill

Hey Vegas,

Not sure why, but my PMs to you (3 in fact) will not leave my outbox. They just sit there...

Still looking for those pics of your MIJ bass. Please include a pic of the bridge if possible.

Thanks and I am still interested in trading the Thunderbird clone.

Jason

They sit in your outbox until Vegas opens them. That's the point of the outbox, it lets you know what's been read or not.