The Best Bass Tuners – Laying the Groundwork for Great Bass Sound

Aftermarket hardware upgrades are an ideal way to improve the feel, stability and tone of your favorite bass, adding new life to a beloved instrument. When it comes to hardware, new pickups and bridges are often seen as the best ways to upgrade your bass, although don’t overlook the impact that new tuners can have.

Put it this way – you could have the smoothest neck, the hottest pickups and the most stable bridge around, but if your bass is out of tune, anything you play will sound awful!

A good set of bass tuners will increase the reliability of your instrument, while also offering you more accuracy and convenience. They can even give your bass a completely new style!

There is plenty of scope for upgrading your tuners, with loads of options from familiar brands. However, this choice can lead to confusion, especially if you have never considered aftermarket tuning machine upgrades before.

That’s where we come in! This article is here to guide you through everything you need to know about bass tuners and detuners, including the leading manufacturers to look out for and the general features that you should consider ahead of a purchase. This is all wrapped up with an FAQ section to tackle some of the most common questions that buyers have.

What are Bass Tuners?

First things first, it’s worth defining exactly what we mean by bass tuners.

Glance up at the headstock of your bass and you will find your tuners, commonly known as tuning machines. On a four-string bass you’ll find four; on a five-string bass you’ll find five, and so on. Each string has its own individual tuning machine, and turning the key of the tuner alters the pitch of this string.

In addition to actually tuning the bass, tuners play a big part in holding the tuning in place, which is important – nobody wants to be retuning their instrument after every song.

Going further, you can also buy ‘detuners’ – a tuning machine with a small lever attached, serving the purpose of instantly dropping one of the strings to a preset pitch (from E to D, for example). This makes it quicker and easier to change your tuning for individual songs. A detuner won’t be essential for every bassist, but those using altered tunings on stage will find them to be a priceless addition to their instrument.

Types of Bass Tuners

Having made the decision to purchase a new set of tuners for your bass, you can now look towards certain styles that appeal to you. The good news is that there are many brands out there all offering a wide range of tuners.

We begin by taking a look at a few of the most respected and notable manufacturers to see what they bring to the table.

HipShot

HipShot is a highly-respected American hardware brand offering an extensive catalog of aftermarket bass upgrades, including several high-quality tuning machines.

Their American Classics are a great go-to set if tuning accuracy is important. Available for all kinds of bass, this series features tuners with an exceptional 27:1 gear ratio, offering incredible tuning precision.

Meanwhile, if you struggle to combat head dive or just want to lighten the load a little when on stage, check out HipShot’s popular Ultralite collection. Here, the metal of choice is aircraft-quality aluminum instead of steel. This results in a lighter weight, with no detriment to durability or tuning accuracy. Perhaps HipShot themselves put it best when they say, ‘Spend more time on stage, not at the chiropractor’!

HipShot also offer a popular detuner with the Xtender label. These retain the impressive 27:1 gear ratio and build quality of the American Classics, but add the all-important lever to allow you to quickly change tuning on one string. The added DoubleStop feature also offers you a third tuning option, in between the high and low tunings – such versatility!

Some tuning machines feature very high gear ratios (27:1)
Ultralite collection made with lightweight aluminum
Xtender detuners feature a third tuning option for great versatility

Graph Tech

Graph Tech is a popular Canadian gear manufacturer who are renowned for their innovation, with claims to fame including being the people behind the world’s first self-lubricating nut!

Their innovative streak can be seen in their collection of bass tuning machines, with their Ratio tuners particularly impressive. Unlike other tuning machines, the Ratios provide a different gear ratio tailored specifically for each individual string – 36:1 (E), 30:1 (A), 20:1 (D), and 18:1 (G).

The result? Machine heads that make tuning your bass faster, while making every string react the same to any tuning adjustment. This innovation comes at a higher cost, but the price is worth the investment for serious players.

Innovative Ratio set offers individual gear ratios for each string
Tuners come in both open-backed and sealed varieties
Feature a hardened steel gear for excellent strength

Fender

In the world of bass guitar there are few more recognizable names than Fender. In addition to offering iconic basses of their own, Fender has a couple of options when it comes to aftermarket tuner upgrades – although choices are less extensive than other brands.

Look out for their Deluxe fluted-shaft tuning machines, where the string post is wider at the top than the bottom. This ensures the string winds downwards, keeping the tunings tighter and improving sustain, as the break angle over the nut is more consistent.

Of course, their tuning machines are perfect replacements for Fender basses – fitting most Precision Basses and Jazz Basses – as well as upgrading Squier instruments.

Tuners fit most Fender and Squier basses perfectly
More affordable when compared to other brands
Deluxe tuners feature fluted shafts for more consistency

Gotoh

Born in Japan in 1960, Gotoh is another big name when it comes to bass and guitar tuning machines, as well as bridges and tremolo units. It’s safe to say that Gotoh produces some of the finest tuning machines on the market, which is why the brand is favored by high-end instrument makers.

Gotoh offers bass tuners as both open-geared and sealed units, as well as in multiple finishes – all available to fit almost any bass guitar as an aftermarket upgrade.

Their GB7 set is a good example of a solid sealed tuning machine. Being sealed in this way ensures a longer life with permanent lubrication. This makes them super smooth to use, while accuracy matches other top brands with a gear ratio of 20:1.

Quality tuners favored by high-end guitar manufacturers
Multiple finishes and gear styles are offered
Offer sealed tuners for permanent lubrication and a longer life

Features of Bass Tuners

Whatever brand you are considering, upgrading your stock tuning machines to a new set will usually result in more precise and stable tuning – something no bassist would turn down!

However, before diving in, it is worth taking a moment to understand some of the most common features and differences you will see between different tuners – from aesthetics and materials, to gear ratios and detuning levers.

Keep the following in mind as you shop for your new bass tuners:

Orientation

Like shoes, bass tuners have specific sides. They either sit on the bass side or treble side. A quick glance at the headstock will tell you whether you have a 4-in-a-line, 2+2, 3+1, or a different configuration. This configuration will determine what tuner orientation you go for, regardless of whether you are buying a set or an individual tuner.

Keep an eye out for reversible shafts. This feature – found on some HipShot tuning machines – basically means that the shaft of the tuning machine can be reversed for installation on either the bass or treble side. This removes the stress of buying, as you can fit the tuning machine to either side of the headstock with no problems.

Materials

The majority of bass tuning machines will be made from steel because it is strong and durable, and relatively resistant to corrosion. However, the quality of steel makes a difference.

On a budget or midrange bass guitar, you may find stock tuners (i.e. tuners with no brand name) made from a relatively cheap steel. The material will serve its purpose, but after a while may begin to wear out, warp or corrode.

An aftermarket upgrade to brand-name tuners guarantees you a better quality of steel, which translates to a longer-lasting tuner and more tuning stability.

Alternatively, you can find some of the best bass tuners made from aluminum. These demand a higher price, but they provide bassists with a lighter set of tuning machines. This means less nose dive and less strain on your back as you play this notoriously heavy instrument.

Finishes

Consider the finish of your tuning machines, which is largely an aesthetic matter. It won’t make any difference to the operation of your tuners, but it will affect the way the bass looks – and this is one of the reasons many bassists want to upgrade their tuners in the first place!

Many brands offer different finishes to their machine heads, allowing you to choose the color you prefer. Common options include chrome, nickel, gold or black.

Think about the style you are going for. If you are replacing the tuning machines on your Precision Bass, for example, you may instantly opt for a classic chrome-finished set of Fender tuners as a like-for-like replacement. It’s a good choice! However, some bassists may swap these for a set of black-finished HipShot tuners, which will give the bass a completely different vibe.

If you are considering a dramatic color change such as this, it is also worth considering changing the bridge of the bass to match (for example, black tuners and a black bridge, or gold tuners and a gold bridge). But only you know the style you want to go for!

Key Style

Remaining on the topic of aesthetics, the tuning keys are the first thing that catch the eye and the only part of the tuner you will interact with on a regular basis. Like the finish, it will also make a big impact on the overall appearance of the bass, so the style you go for is worth thinking about.

Tuning keys are offered in different styles, with the most common being: clover key, clover leaf, lollipop key, mini clover key, and Y key. For most of these, there isn’t much difference in the functionality of the key and is purely an aesthetic preference.

For example, clover keys and lollipop keys work well on vintage and classic basses (such as Fender basses or a Stingray), while Y keys are favored on modern basses (like Ibanez or Schecter models). Having said that, it’s a personal decision!

Open-Gear or Sealed

Most brands will stick with one style, but sometimes you will have the option of choosing between an open-gear or sealed design for your new tuners. It’s worth knowing the difference.

This simply refers to whether the gear of the tuning machine is exposed (open-gear) or enclosed (sealed). In short, if you cannot see the gear, it’s a sealed set of tuners.

The main difference is that sealed machine heads will resist rust and dirt, which naturally extends the life of the tuners, while they also require less maintenance than their open-geared cousins. As sealed gears are enclosed in a metal housing, they are packed with grease in the factory to remain permanently lubricated.

Open-gear tuners are the traditional style, with the tuning gear exposed. Some bassists prefer this classic style over the more modern sealed tuners, especially on vintage bass models. They are more prone to dust and dirt, but are easy enough to clean and lubricate every so often.

Gear Ratio

On the subject of gears, the gear ratio of your tuners is one of the most important considerations. This ratio refers to the number of times you would have to turn the tuning key to make one complete rotation of the string post (the little shaft that holds the string).

Ultimately, the higher the number, the more precision you have over your tuning. For example, a tuner with a 27:1 gear ratio is going to be more precise than one with a 22:1 ratio. When it comes to bass guitars, the standard ratio is 20:1 and above, unlike electric and acoustic guitars which have smaller ratios in general.

As mentioned above, Graph Tech have a unique set of tuners called Ratios, that offer a specifically-tailored gear ratio for each individual string. So, the E string will feature a 36:1 ratio, while the G string has an 18:1 ratio. In practice, this makes tuning faster and more accurate instead of a one-ratio-fits-all approach.

Bore Size

While installing a new set of tuners into your bass is a relatively simple task, it becomes considerably more time consuming (not to mention intimidating!) if you have to start drilling holes in the headstock. This is why, when mulling over different machine heads, a lot of bassists will give priority to those that have the same bore holes, so the new tuners drop into the existing holes without any need for drilling.

Determine what size holes your bass currently has by removing the existing tuners and measuring the diameter (width) of the hole – this will usually be either 9/16” (14.3mm) or 11/16” (17.5mm).

If you have a 9/16” hole, you’ll need a 3/8” tuner. If you have a 11/16” hole, you’ll need a 1/2” tuner.

Of course, if you are purchasing larger tuners than the current bore holes cater for, you will have to enlarge these holes by drilling. If this is something you aren’t confident in doing, talk to your local bass tech who will probably be able to do it for you (for a small fee, of course).

Detuners

Compared to straightforward tuners, detuners are a relatively new addition to basses. These mechanical devices allow you to quickly drop the tuning of your string by flipping a small lever. This can be ideal for performing bassists who need to change their tunings quickly.

Traditionally, detuners are used on the low E string, allowing bassists to switch from standard tuning to drop-D tuning in a millisecond. However, there are no rules – you could install detuners on every single string if you wanted, offering a way to change from, say, standard tuning (E-A-D-G) to a whole step lower (D-G-C-F) in a couple of seconds. The possibilities are endless.

Note that if you never play with dropped tunings, or only experiment with drop D now and again, a detuner probably isn’t worth the money.

String Posts

Another term you may come across when buying a new set of tuners is a tapered string post. This is when the post is tapered from a larger diameter at one end to a smaller diameter at the other end.

The benefit of tapered string posts is that using them improves the break angle over the nut, in turn improving tuning stability. On the other hand, straight posts are more durable as there is more material, although breaking a tuning post is pretty rare.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our buyer’s guide to bass tuners above will have given you a good overview of what qualities and features the best bass tuners have. Of course, there are always a few questions that are often asked – in the following section we set out to answer some of them!

What is Your Lightest Set of Tuners That Will Work in My Bass?

A lot of people come to us with the problem that their bass is fitted with heavy tuners that cause the neck to dive when not supported. This leads to them search for the lightest set of tuners on the market.

To these bassists, we would confidently point towards HipShot’s Ultralites. Available with multiple key styles, and as both 3/8” and 1/2” sizes, Ultralites are a popular set of tuners that eliminate most of the problems associated with heavy tuners.

Instead of steel, these tuners combine solid machined aircraft-grade aluminum with a very small footprint to drastically reduce weight. Well worth a try.

How Much Does a HipShot Ultralite Tuner Weigh?

HipShot’s Ultralite tuners are the lightest tuners on the market and have amassed quite a following for this reason. The exact weight of each depends on the style of the tuning key, but on average an Ultralite tuner will come in at around 1.8oz.

Compare this to the average weight of a sealed Gotoh tuner (2.3oz) and a Schaller tuner (3.5oz), and you can see the weight saving you would make installing four or five of these tuners on your bass – around half a pound on a five-string bass!

Can I Get Tuners for My Bass That are Black Instead of Chrome?

In most cases, yes you can! In fact, some manufacturers offer their tuning machines in finishes such as black, gold and nickel in addition to the more typical chrome finishes.

However, not every tuner comes in such a rainbow of colors! For example, HipShot offers tuners with the choice of either black, chrome, gold or nickel finishes, while Fender is slightly more conservative with color choices.

Luckily, other brands offer different color tuners for Fender basses, so have a look around and you will undoubtedly find something that suits your taste.

Which Tuning Keys Will Fit My Bass Without Having to Drill Any New Holes in The Headstock?

We covered this earlier in our buyer’s guide, but the easiest way to determine which tuning keys will fit your bass is to first measure the diameter of the hole when the tuner has been removed.

If the hole is 9/16” (14.3mm) across, you need to buy a 3/8” tuner, while a hole measuring 11/16” (17.5mm) across will require a 1/2” tuner. Unfortunately, if the tuner is larger than the hole, you will have to do some drilling.

Do Detuners Really Work?

They most certainly do – and they can be a godsend for performing bassists who need to change tunings on stage in between songs.

As highlighted above, detuners feature a simple mechanism that allows you to instantly switch the tuning of a single string (from E to D, for example). Fitting them is as simple as fitting a regular tuner, and you can replace all your tuners with detuners if this is your end goal – you don’t have to just stick to one!

With a Detuner, Can I Drop the Pitch of My Low B String Down to an A?

The good news is that detuners aren’t exclusively used for the low E string. You can use them on all your strings – even your low B if you are using a five-string bass.

That’s right, a detuner can be fitted to your low B to take your tuning to a low A in the flick of a lever. Just ensure your bass is set up to handle a low A tuning and you will be good to go.

Wrapping Things Up

Adding a new set of tuners to your bass may not feel as glamorous as upgrading the pickups or even the bridge, but they can dramatically improve the experience you have every time you pick up that bass. Look forward to more precise tuning, better tuning stability and even more sustain – all for a relatively small investment.

Hopefully this article will have brought to light some of the considerations you should make ahead of purchasing a set of tuners. By now you will know some of the best bass tuners on the market, as well as what sets them apart and even whether you need a detuner for every string!

Shopping for a new set of tuners should now be more straightforward, although if you have any questions about the bass tuners we stock or the subject in general, just get in touch – we will be happy to help!