Alembic tuners

[FC Bass]

I want to get a D tuner for my fretless (all other 4 stringers have one now)
The fretless has what looks like the newer style Gotoh GB707 tuners? The tuners on my 2010 Elan look more like the older GB7 (can't find them on the Gotoh site)  
 
GB707? (GB707 on Gotoh site)
 


 
 


 
 
GB7?
 


 
 


 
(sorry, blurry...)
 
So what is the current used model by Alembic? And is the A branded GB707(?) model available from Alembic?

[mica]

The older tuners like the black ones on your bass are what we have made for us now. When they changed to the ones with the cylindrical post like the gold ones on your Orion it was without notice to us and we hated them.
 
Been working on a couple of miscommunications with ordering these old style ones (like your black bass), but they are finally back in production, and we hope to see them here in the near future.
 
I might have some of the fat post ones in inventory, but I'm out of the ones we like the best with our A brand on them.

[edwardofhuncote]

Hey Flip, are those strings gold-plated (on that incredibly beautiful spalted custom) or is that just an odd camera reaction?

[FC Bass]

Thanx Mica! :-)
 
Gregory: Those are Optima strings, click here (Dutch webshop)
 
I'm back to stainless steels now (R.Cocco) better and longer lasting tone. :-)

[slawie]

Hello Flip,
I contacted Schaller and Hipshot
Eventually I bought from Hipshot  
 
[email addresses removed]
 
Both companies were great to work with and Hipshot supplied
the De-tuner that required no drilling into the headstock.  
 
The post is a little shorter that the Alembic winding post.  
It is called the M4S
 
(Message edited by adriaan on November 01, 2014)

[adriaan]

Details forwarded to Flip ...

[slawie]

Apologies for the rules breach

[FC Bass]

Thanx Slawie & Adriaan!  Slawie: These are not Schallers, those were used mainly before the '90s by Alembic. Altough they did use Schallers Post 90s (my '91 Spoiler 5 has Schallers, '90 Elan has Gotohs) I don't think there ever been Alembic branded Schallers, IIrc they started with Alembic branded Gotohs in the late 80s/early 90s?  Schaller M4:  

  Gotoh GB7:  

  (Message edited by fc_spoiler on November 01, 2014)

[slawie]

Check the attached pic
I replaced the tuner on my 1975 bass

[FC Bass]

Ah :-)
 
Those are vintage Schallers, they changed the location of the anchor screw somewhere in the late 70's I think.
Also a change that Alembic wasn't very happy with if I'm not mistaken, especially with the Cone headstock (which went into mass production around the same time) -> The A & D tuners had to be sanded down to make them fit (see the shared anchor screw in the above pic)

[FC Bass]

Here is the newer style Xtender with smaller base plate:
 

 
Hipshot replied and they won't do a custom job with the Alembic branded tuner because won't be able to replace if there is a problem during converting them to Xtenders  
So I might ask them to make me one with the GB707 and then switch the dust cover myself.

[slawie]

Flip,
I am glad it worked out for you.
I found the folks at Hipshot to be extremely accommodating.
slawie

[FC Bass]

and then switch the dust cover myself
 
Which is surprisingly easy to do:
 

 
I'll see if I can switch this shaft and button with the E tuner from my fretless, if that fits I can order the regular GB7 Xtender :-)

[FC Bass]

The "dustcaps" of the newer ones didn't come of as easy, so I opted for the easy way out