Baseplate source and problems.....

[big_teee]

Possum, It looks like it's time for you to try your hand at making baseplates.
That would be the only way to really control what you get.
T

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

Tom is looking around for another supplier, I doubt he's going to find anything better or equal to AllParts. I don't think he can get those. Mojo has the resources and funding to make their own, I hope they will figure out thats the only real solution and go for it, so we don't have to suffer through periods of "out of stock" because the boat from China takes a month to get here. Maybe the supplier of the bad baseplates will realize they'll lose a customer for good if they don't stick to real nickel silver, but I have a feeling their metal supplier is the problem and they got stuck with that stuff.

Michael did tell me once that he wanted to expand guitar parts and do more stuff in-house, so maybe your wish will come true.

[LtKojak]

Tom is looking around for another supplier, I doubt he's going to find anything better or equal to AllParts. I don't think he can get those. Mojo has the resources and funding to make their own, I hope they will figure out thats the only real solution and go for it, so we don't have to suffer through periods of "out of stock" because the boat from China takes a month to get here. Maybe the supplier of the bad baseplates will realize they'll lose a customer for good if they don't stick to real nickel silver, but I have a feeling their metal supplier is the problem and they got stuck with that stuff.

Dave did you talk to the japanese guy selling parts, Montreux? His baseplates look nice and don't cost more than most suppliers.

HTH,

[Possum]

Montreaux's baseplates are the same as AllParts/StewMac. No way am I going to spend four hours making a single baseplate, there's no profit in that. Getting those side rail bends perfect would probably require a custom bending brake; the only way to cut the blanks out right is with a real punch die, if you're going to go that far you may as well have them made ;-)

[Possum]

You know now I look at it, Montreaux's ($5.50)price for baseplates is better than Allparts ($6.25). Thanks for making me look at that. I'll have to ask if he has a discount for larger orders....

[LtKojak]

You know now I look at it, Montreaux's ($5.50)price for baseplates is better than Allparts ($6.25). Thanks for making me look at that. I'll have to ask if he has a discount for larger orders....

No prob, Dave. Glad I could help.

[Joe Gwinn]

Maybe the supplier of the bad baseplates will realize they'll lose a customer for good if they don't stick to real nickel silver, but I have a feeling their metal supplier is the problem and they got stuck with that stuff.

We can help. I bet the baseplate maker would really like to have a way to tell that the "nickel silver" is actually plated brass. All it takes is an Extech LCR meter (many equivalents are made in China) and an air core coil.


War story: About five years ago, I bought a large stainless steel pasta pot from Williams-Sonoma. On the first use, I noticed corrosion pits forming on the bottom. Huh? Stainless does not do that. Check with magnet. Strongly magnetic! There are many "stainless steel" alloys, and the general rule is the more corrosion resistant, the less magnetic, so pots and pans should be non-magnetic (to weakly magnetic in drawn corners), while knife blades should be strongly magnetic (but don't leave them in food or water). The pot went right back to the store. I also sent a complaint to W-S Customer Service, but I doubt that they understood. Anyway, I bet that W-S was cheated by their supplier, who substituted a cheaper alloy than that claimed on the pot.

[David Schwab]

so pots and pans should be non-magnetic (to weakly magnetic in drawn corners), while knife blades should be strongly magnetic (but don't leave them in food or water).

Joe, do you have any idea what alloy SS knife bales are made from? I always throughout they would make nice blades (no pun intended).

[Joe Gwinn]

Joe, do you have any idea what alloy SS knife bales are made from? I always throughout they would make nice blades (no pun intended).

There are many stainless steel alloys used for knife blades, but 440C is traditional, and relatively easy to obtain.

From the standpoint of a small guitar pickup maker, knife blade steel has the advantage that small quantities are sold at reasonable prices to individual knifemakers, and pickup makers can play too. The ads are in the various knife and knifemaking magazines.

[RedHouse]

I wonder if the current price of copper is causing this shift in recipe? (ie; normally a 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc) maybe china metal factories are subbing in more zinc for less copper.

[Possum]

These aren't zinc heavy, zinc turns dark grey in ferric, not brown. Michael said he might have the baseplates analyzed for content but don't think he did. I have't tried dipping brass in ferric to see what color it turns. Maybe they used tin or something, dunno. I've never seen or heard of anyone nickel plating baseplates, Joe, it would just be an added expense to the manufacturer and pretty much a pointless step. These baseplates are probably fine for the majority of hobbyists, but the sudden change in metal content is a little too much for me....

[Joe Gwinn]

I've never seen or heard of anyone nickel plating baseplates, Joe, it would just be an added expense to the manufacturer and pretty much a pointless step.

Nickel plating isn't expensive in production quantities, where one can use basket plating, and the cost difference of brass versus nickel silver may justify it.

[Possum]

There's no rational reason to plate baseplates is what I was getting at. Brass baseplates aren't plated, nickel silver isn't either, never seen any plated.

[Joe Gwinn]

There's no rational reason to plate baseplates is what I was getting at. Brass baseplates aren't plated, nickel silver isn't either, never seen any plated.

The rational reason is economic, not technical: Nickel(-silver)-plated brass may be cheaper than real nickel silver.

[NightWinder]

They would probably make good bridge baseplates, but in neck position where you always fight for clarity at least I won't use them for now. I'll wait several months and ask if they got better ones in. My order was a couple months ago, then I ran out of my old stock. I relic my baseplates because I hate the look of new shiny baseplates and suddenly a quick dip and these horrible colors appeared. I never use brass baseplates but wonder if they would turn the same awful colors.

I'll email Michael one more time and at least ask if they can tell me when a new batch comes in, if they are paying for nickel silver they should be getting what they pay for....

If You are paying for Nickel Silver, You should get what You payed for too. Has mojo offered to rectify the situation.?