Review Black Hipshot Grip-Lock Open-Gear Locking Tuners 6 in line Staggered UMP

[Rick]

I paid $55.95 to an outfit called SportHiTech in Pennsylvania.  Free shipping and no tax to New York.  Took 3 business from time of order to receive them.  As I go thru the installation process I'll post more pics.

With the UMP plates there's no need to drill pin or screw holes.

The tuners are going onto a neck I got in the showcase, Wenge / Wenge, 1 3/4 width nut, 59 roundback, sperzel 25/64 tuning holes, standard fender spaced tuning holes 4 11/16  from the center of hole one to the center of hole six, warmoth pro construction and stainless 6105 frets.  Standard Graph Tech Black Tusq XL nut.

 

[Rick]

The box opened ...

The heights are listed as 18, 19 and 20 mm.  2 of each.

 

[stratamania]

That's where I get mine from but have to have them shipped to the UK. They are helpful and usually fast.

Look forward to seeing what you think of the tuners.

 

[Rick]

Here are the parts out of the box.  They gave me extra screws and washers.  I assembled them before putting them into the neck and found that one of the UMP trays, the things with the three holes, had flanges that were too tight, so tonight I'm going to gently ever so much bend them to the point where the tuners will fit snugly between them.  Probably use two needle nose pliers with tips wrapped in chamois. After I get them installed, I'll move the rest of my progress over to the work in progress section.
Thanks,
Rick

 

[stratamania]

The UMP fit as I recall was quite snug but I didn't have to bend anything.Of course your up close to the parts.

 

[Rick]

Just a little ever so slight bending and they fit nice and snug.  Next step will be mounting them on the neck.  I'm already thinking of swapping the tuning buttons to something else.  Imperials wouldn't work, too big ... since it's going on a tele deluxe I'm thinking maybe something keystoney.  It would give it nice retro look.

http://dandunhamguitars.com/Dan_Dunham_Guitars/t-style.html

 

[Rick]

I put the tuners on, just finger tight and found that the UMPs overlapped.  According to the directions, on a standard fender spaced neck they should've just touched.  The directions said to contact hipshot if they overlap and they'll send me for free a special UMP, or I could file them.  I opted to file them.

 

[Rick]

here they are filed.  Came out good.

 

[Rick]

I didn't force them tight, just to point of full snuggness.

 

[Rick]

here's the back after getting them snug.

 

[Rick]

sideview showing stagger

 

[Rick]

after the problem with the f style tuners and having to file the UMPs I checked to see if the holes on the warmoth neck were standard spaced.  Indeed they were a almost perfect 4 11/16's inches from the center of hole one to hole six, just look for yourself.  It's mighty close!

You'll note a little bit of paint scraping in the big picture on the tuner nuts.  I suppose if microscopic paint scraping bothers you, don't get the black ones, stick with the chrome.  The nuts seem to be electroplated black, and the washers painted.

Another thing, you can see that wenge is a really interesting wood, large pores, naturally oily, interesting color  I cannot wait to play it.  It's a hard wood, and the large long pores will have a natural chambered effect.  A chambered neck, no wonder bass players love this wood.

 

[Rick]

And finally ... Merry Christmas to me!  :headbang:

Here they are fully installed.

 

[stratamania]

Glad they seem to be working out for you.

Let us know what you think once you have used them with strings on.

 

[DarkPenguin]

I love those.  I have a set on my warmoth strat.  (Well, a chromed version.)  My only complaint is that they came with 5 washers.  Which is a problem.

 

[Rick]

Will continue here:

http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=24471.msg355152#msg355152

 

[Rick]

This what they look like strung up with keystone tuning buttons.  Buttons cost 8.50 for 6 from sporthightech.  Give me a week of playing and I'll report on stability.  So far they look quite handsome, smooth and hold tune. I don't even notice the lack of a string tree.

 

[BigSteve22]

I used the same tuners on my last, (first), Strat build, but in chrome. Because it was a new build, I didn't use the UMPs, and therefore didn't check for fit.

I used the Vintage sized closed back locking staggered tuners on a '64 Hagstrom HII. On that job I did use the UMPs because I didn't want to drill holes in the headstock of a 50 year old instrument. Because of the 38mm nut, the angle of axis on the headstock is steeper, and therefore the tuners needed to be farther apart to allow enough space for the buttons to turn. As a result, the UMPs were not long enough. I contacted Hipshot, and they custom fabed a set to the dimensions I sent them at no charge. Customer service like that is hard to beat.

Just as a point of information, Hipshot standard tuners fit best in Schaller 11/32 - 25/64, stepped bore tuner holes.