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Post subject: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 6:25 pm
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Has anyone fitted a Hipshot bass extender to an American Deluxe Precision bass with the bone nut and experienced any wear issues as a result?

Has anyone fitted a brass nut to a P-Bass?

I have just bought myself a beautiful American Deluxe P-Bass and I will be fitting and using the bass extender in order to play the mix of standard and drop-D tunings in our set and I'm worried about sawing through the bone nut. I may try out some flatwound strings to try to reduce the sawing action.

Any advice appreciated.

James
Bass guitar of 'Molly's Chamber', Alamogordo


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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:33 pm
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I hesitate to assume brass would stand up any better than bone. Brass may be metal but it's a pretty soft metal. Much, much softer than mild steel. Much softer. I think I would be surprised if it turned out to be very much harder than bone. The Hipshot company has always recommended using a lubricant in the nut slot. You could look into Tusq nuts but again, I don't know that they would wear any better.

I think your best bet would be to buy a spare Fender bone nut and just have it on hand. Nuts are not expensive. It won't break the bank having one sit in your drawer for a few years unused but you'll have it on hand without having to wait should the need to replace ever arise. Honestly I'm not sure how much nut wear you would see. The few times I tried a Hipshot D-Extender I noticed the tuner post barely moved. Maybe about as much as the width of one wind of the string winding.

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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:20 pm
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Thanks for the advice.


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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 7:06 am
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:idea: :arrow: I had a stainless steel nut custom fabricated and installed on my Precision about 30 years ago. Zero wear so far. Great tone and sustain. 8)

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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:20 am
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I have a hipshot on a Precision bass with just the standard nut and I have not had any wear issues. I don't use it very often but I don't think it should wear out your nut.

My Hipshot does move about a half inch when activated.

I also have a brass nut on one of my Precision basses but no drop tuner on that bass.

If I have to activate the drop tuner more that 3 times I would try to learn to play the song with the drop tuning and forget switching back and forth.

i actually find that I can drop tune a bass with a standard tuner just about as fast as one with a drop D tuner. That's why I don't really worry about installing any more Hipshots.

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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:57 am
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BCbassman wrote:
My Hipshot does move about a half inch when activated.
You're talking about how far the lever moves. I'm talking about how much the tuning post turns. It's very little.

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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:05 am
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BCbassman wrote:
I have a hipshot on a Precision bass with just the standard nut and I have not had any wear issues. I don't use it very often but I don't think it should wear out your nut.

My Hipshot does move about a half inch when activated.

I also have a brass nut on one of my Precision basses but no drop tuner on that bass.

If I have to activate the drop tuner more that 3 times I would try to learn to play the song with the drop tuning and forget switching back and forth.

i actually find that I can drop tune a bass with a standard tuner just about as fast as one with a drop D tuner. That's why I don't really worry about installing any more Hipshots.


Great info, thanks. I don't need to change tuning during the songs, only between songs written in the different tunings. About half our set is in drop tuning, the rest in standard. I have looked at playing the standard tuning songs on a drop-tuned bass but it's rather awkward.

Sounds like I don't need to worry too much about wearing out the nut.

I can probably tune my bass from standard to drop in about 2-5 seconds, but the hipshot will let me do it in less than a second.

Where did you get your brass nut from, or did it come on the instrument as original equipment?


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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:07 am
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Quote:
You're talking about how far the lever moves. I'm talking about how much the tuning post turns. It's very little.


I was talking about the tuner post and I could be wrong. I have to test it again. The lever moves about 2 inches if I remember correctly. I agree with you that I don't think any significant wear occurs with these drop D tuners.

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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:12 am
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Quote:
Where did you get your brass nut from, or did it come on the instrument as original equipment?

Danny Gatton made it for me in 1974, back when he did guitar repair work. It didn't come as standard equipment on my 1966 Precision bass.

He carved mine from a big hunk of brass, but you can buy then quite readily nowadays.

I like the improvement it made in the bass in that I just don't worry about the nut breaking.

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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 12:44 pm
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Half an inch on the tuning post would result in the string completely slack and laying on the frets, possibly even resting on the magnet poles.

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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:10 am
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Half an inch on the tuning post would result in the string completely slack and laying on the frets, possibly even resting on the magnet poles.


I checked it and you are right. The post rotates about 1/8th inch.
That's what I get for replying when at work away from the bass in question.

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Post subject: Re: Bass extenders vs bone nuts
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:34 am
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I'm surprised it even turns that much but thanks for checking back.

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