Who do we like for hardware bits and bobs?

Jazzthat · March 2021

I got slightly confused with humbuckers screws . They were 3/48UNC rather than M3 . All sorted though and got everything from Allparts .
Hopefully good quality .

LordBucketHead · March 2021

Discovered crimsonguitars.com this morning having spent an hour struggling to find a triangular file that had safe edges on the corners. Interesting site.

Yorkie · April 2021

Hi,

My newest guitar (Vintage VS6) has an interestingly shaped truss rod cover that also happens to be knackered. It's shield-like trc, similar in size to some PRS but with three holes. I have had a look at all the suggestions you've thrown here (lots of new bookmarks!) but could not find anything suitable, preferably chrome/steel. Any idea where I could find something like that?

Cheers,

Jon

ThePrettyDamned · May 2021

Can anyone recommend an affordable soldering station and third hand? Specifically, I want to try building some effects pedals again, likely from fuzz dog kits. I don't think that needs anything mega powerful

TTony · May 2021

@ThePrettyDamned ;

Suggest a variable temp soldering station, and some very fine tips. You can use the big spade tips for soldering guitar pots, but they're not much help for FuzzDog circuit boards.

Mine is old, so doubt it's still made/available. Decide on how much you want to spend and check CPC Farnell for the options.

ThePrettyDamned · May 2021

TTony said:

@ThePrettyDamned ;

Suggest a variable temp soldering station, and some very fine tips. You can use the big spade tips for soldering guitar pots, but they're not much help for FuzzDog circuit boards.

Mine is old, so doubt it's still made/available. Decide on how much you want to spend and check CPC Farnell for the options.

Ta. Was looking at this draper one but seems too cheap to be true!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-61478-40W-Soldering-Station/dp/B010823P38/ref=asc_df_B010823P38/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=211160703339&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7846459955801564940&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9050370&hvtargid=pla-420982374679&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Will check CPC

euan · May 2021

I got a Tilswall Solder Station off Amazon for £40. Its a rebrand of a model Big Clive was complimentary of. All the tips you need, variable temp and a quick heat up time.

axisus · May 2021

Mike58 said:

Thumbs up for Six String Supplies, I am Uber fussy when it comes to pot specs and their Premium pots are the biz. Great comms and delivery too.
and an unnecessary pic showing their pots to brighten up things.

That looks amazing! So neat and perfect. My soldering is a bloody disaster! I need to get better ...

No grounding to the pot cases? Is that because of the metal plate that everything is sitting on?

robinbowes · May 2021

axisus said:

No grounding to the pot cases? Is that because of the metal plate that everything is sitting on?

The pot cases are not "ground" as such - just a convenient place to connect several wires in a smallish control cavity. Yes, they are used as a common ground point, but it's not necessary if some other point is used.

Rocker · May 2021

Another vote for @Sixstringsupplies. ; Some time ago I bought a pre-wired Les Paul wiring kit/harness for my Epi LP. The guitar, which is close on twenty years old, has been modified extensively down the years. The most significant mods are replacement machines and SD pickups. On fitting the replacement electrics, the guitar controls are now useful [in that 5 is different to 7 on the knob] and the guitar sounds better. Not the cheapest way of upgrading the electrics but definitely the simplest way of doing so. And, as I suspect, the harness is tested before dispatch, it is always going to work as designed.

ThePrettyDamned · July 2021

Anyone seen one of these? Thinking it would do me for pedals, guitar repairs and (for the ladyprettydamned) jewellery repairs with silver solder.

https://cpc.farnell.com/atten/st-60/60w-digital-soldering-station/dp/SD02056?mckv=scrjBv8nW_dm|pcrid|224654335881|kword||match||plid||slid||product|SD02056|pgrid|50784539401|ptaid|pla-903870662631|&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-SHOPPING&s_kwcid=AL!5616!3!224654335881!!!network}!903870662631!&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzakHjYMlta86BhOJFtbC22sR8kkTm1er28ytU0hyMrinIa8b3TPxRbcaAjZ6EALw_wcB

BillDL · September 2021

I used to buy the bulk of my stuff by shopping on eBay, and I saved a few as my favourite sellers after I had assessed the goods over time. One was Black Dog Music mentioned above. I got fed up with trying to filter out results in eBay to show specific categories of items and only UK-based sellers, so I stopped shopping there and prefer to buy directly from companies' own websites.

In the last few years I have bought the bulk of my stuff from Axetec, and it has comprised quite a number of orders. I really like their IronGear pickups. The impression I get of Axetec is that the owner has taken the time to source good quality hardware and personally inspect it, and is somehow able to sell it at a price you would tend to get inferior cheapo things elsewhere. An example is their machine heads, and in particular their locking ones. These are much better quality than any other generic tuners in that price range (and some more expensive ones too) that I have previously bought. Their Schaller-style strap locks are, in my opinion, as good as the real thing. They don't have an enormous range of items, but they all seem to have been hand picked for quality.

I buy metric F-style saddle height adjustment grub screws in bulk from Westfield Fasteners.

https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/A2_ScrewBolt_GrubFlat_M3.html

Every Strat-type guitar i am asked to set up or work on has sharp saddle screws sticking up to catch your hand, so I swap the M3x10mm ones for M3x8mm A2 stainless steel ones where possible. Vintage style pressed metal saddles means you sometimes need to leave the 10mm ones in the middle saddles. I can get about 50 screws for what it would cost for a ziploc bag of 12 from most guitar spares retailers.

If I can't get what I need at Axetec I can usually find the items at CH Guitars. I liked the pickguards and other plastics I recently bought from Guitars Electric, and will use them again.

Acdeezee86 · November 2021

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but Has anyone tried Northwest guitars’ telecaster bridges?

https://www.northwestguitars.co.uk/telecaster-ash-tray-low-profile-bridge-compensated-saddles/

This looks intriguing, somewhat similar to the Gotoh/Wilkinson versions, but am wondering about quality and durability.

Thanks!

ThePrettyDamned · November 2021

Recommending @FelineGuitars. Everyone already knows they're awesome but I received my order super quick and the prices were as good as anywhere I could find. Good selection on other bits too, I wish I'd ordered straplocks. Maybe in the new year.

Flip · May 2022

I'd like to recommend efoam.co.uk for foam and practically everything to do with foam - their range is huge. I was modifying a synth gig bag to take a headless guitar and was pointed towards them by a member here. Good service and prices.

dsgb · July 2022

For branded and unbranded factory direct parts in the U.K., I like Guitars Electric:

https://www.guitarselectric.co.uk

They also have a new Website dedicated to 'Aged/Relic' guitar parts:

https://www.vintageguitarparts.co.uk

Doug

alexh · August 2022

Where can i buy a jazzmaster style pickguard for a jaguar, i.e. one without any chrome.

prowla · August 2022

robinbowes said:

axisus said:

No grounding to the pot cases? Is that because of the metal plate that everything is sitting on?

The pot cases are not "ground" as such - just a convenient place to connect several wires in a smallish control cavity. Yes, they are used as a common ground point, but it's not necessary if some other point is used.

They should be grounded for shielding purposes, though.

(Which I guess they are by contact with the pickguard backing foil in this case.)

texasbloos · April 2023

Hi guys having a new luthier build me a Stratocaster neck for me to my specs like a 3 AAA 1/4 sawn maple if the As are not possible then just a !/4 sawn maple neck blank, if possible, we are looking together but company's here seem to be sold out?can anyone recommend getting one in the UK or anywhere? Thanks in advance for any help received. thanks ray

hollywoodrox · April 2023

I’ve had quite a few things from North West , oooh & axetech I think it’s called

texasbloos · April 2023

hollywoodrox said:

I’ve had quite a few things from North West , oooh & axetech I think it’s called

texasbloos · April 2023

Hi and thanks but they do not supply blanks probably will have to get one from the states. ray

Neilybob · April 2023

I +1 on @BillDL recommendation of https://www.blackdogmusic.co.uk/. Order came super quickly and was quality parts for me dosh.

I can also recommend highly recommend http://www.bloodstoneguitarworks.com/ who I had a conversation over email with and ended up purchasing there 5 way tele wiring harness for my gold foil build. This was my first time installing a harness and I’m not much of a solder but the instructions made it dead easy and it sounds great!

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Who do we like for hardware bits and bobs?

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