HB baseplates UK nightmare!

[foonting]

Do any other UK builders have the baseplate/bobbin problems I have. I'm surprised I have any hair left to tear out! Firstly ... with a successful range of single coil pickups selling well, I stepped boldly into humbucker production. What a minefield ... well in the UK anyway. The only supplier who seems to stock humbucker base plates is Allparts ... and strictly speaking they should be called 'Out-Of-Stock-Parts'! Every time you want more than two or three of anything they back order it and you wait weeks! They only stock 50mm and 53mm pole spaced base plates (short and long legged) and that's fine, for the moment ... as I have a small stock of 50 and 50mm black bobbins that I bought from the States. Trouble is when I run through those ... or want cream bobbins. The cream Allparts ones don't match the black ones I have, and all the cream bobbins I see in bulk from the States seem to be in 49.2 spacing! Importing 49.2 base plates would cost a fortune due to their weight, so It seems I'm stuck with Allparts ...
I have thought of making a bulk order with a US company like Guitar Jones ... but the dreaded 20% VAT and import duty and postage ... argggggggghhhhhhhh
All I need is a reliable source so that I can plan my orders and cashflow ... be able to promise customers a particular spec and deliver on time.
I was so cheesed off with the out of stock situation with Allparts on Tele base plates I got several hundred laser cut ... but no such economic solution seems to exist with nickel silver as it can't (apparently) be laser cut due to its reflectivity. Don't mind bending it!
Damn UK ... so hard to do anything here ... okay rant over!!!

[LtKojak]

Do any other UK builders have the baseplate/bobbin problems I have. I'm surprised I have any hair left to tear out! Firstly ... with a successful range of single coil pickups selling well, I stepped boldly into humbucker production. What a minefield ... well in the UK anyway. The only supplier who seems to stock humbucker base plates is Allparts ... and strictly speaking they should be called 'Out-Of-Stock-Parts'! Every time you want more than two or three of anything they back order it and you wait weeks! They only stock 50mm and 53mm pole spaced base plates (short and long legged) and that's fine, for the moment ... as I have a small stock of 50 and 50mm black bobbins that I bought from the States. Trouble is when I run through those ... or want cream bobbins. The cream Allparts ones don't match the black ones I have, and all the cream bobbins I see in bulk from the States seem to be in 49.2 spacing! Importing 49.2 base plates would cost a fortune due to their weight, so It seems I'm stuck with Allparts ...
I have thought of making a bulk order with a US company like Guitar Jones ... but the dreaded 20% VAT and import duty and postage ... argggggggghhhhhhhh
All I need is a reliable source so that I can plan my orders and cashflow ... be able to promise customers a particular spec and deliver on time.
I was so cheesed off with the out of stock situation with Allparts on Tele base plates I got several hundred laser cut ... but no such economic solution seems to exist with nickel silver as it can't (apparently) be laser cut due to its reflectivity. Don't mind bending it!
Damn UK ... so hard to do anything here ... okay rant over!!!

Humbucker Pickup Kits & Parts - Build Your Own Humbucker Guitar Pickup

Talk to them.

HTH,

[the great waldo]

Hi Foonting

Get yourself a trade account with mojotone, they do all the parts your likely to need. Here's a link
Humbucker Bobbins and Flatwork Your'e still going to have to pay the vat and postage. Mojo's trade prices are reasonable and if your'e a registered business in the UK you'll be able to claim your vat back. If you buy larger quantities you should try some of the chinese suppliers who sometimes ship with adjusted paperwork. The postage on Mojo's stuff is not bad, and if you are buying larger quantities of baseplates the price per unit drops, they are not that heavy compared to 5Lb rolls of formvar or plain enamel wire. It might be an idea to adjust your prices on the pickups. By the way as you are in blighty i'll give Sean at cncdudez a quick plug for his coil winder CNC Design Limited - CNC Coil Winder

Cheers

Andrew

[foonting]

Hi Foonting

Get yourself a trade account with mojotone, they do all the parts your likely to need. Here's a link
Humbucker Bobbins and Flatwork Your'e still going to have to pay the vat and postage. Mojo's trade prices are reasonable and if your'e a registered business in the UK you'll be able to claim your vat back. If you buy larger quantities you should try some of the chinese suppliers who sometimes ship with adjusted paperwork. The postage on Mojo's stuff is not bad, and if you are buying larger quantities of baseplates the price per unit drops, they are not that heavy compared to 5Lb rolls of formvar or plain enamel wire. It might be an idea to adjust your prices on the pickups. By the way as you are in blighty i'll give Sean at cncdudez a quick plug for his coil winder CNC Design Limited - CNC Coil Winder

Cheers

Andrew

Thanks for the help ... the coil winder looks very interesting too!

[ReWind]

This won't make you feel any better, but my recent inquiries to Guitar Jones have gone unanswered. I came here only to find others saying the same thing.

There are some quite noteworthy UK winders. Might want to inquire with them. I know some go the DIY route on the baseplates, which really seems the way to go if you use the same plate on most of your products and can afford the initial investment in tooling.

[jason lollar]

Its not just a uk thing it wasnt that long ago when no one sold parts like these but even after it became more common a continual consistant supply has always been a problem. Be bold and order much more than you think youll need and order way ahead of when you need it or risk running out of something for sometimes months.
This requires really paying attention to budgeting and projecting parts use and its kept alot of the people that dont do well with the business end of business out of the business if you know what I mean or at least its held alot of people back. its a reason to make as many parts as possible on your own or have them made for you bypassing the regular channels.
otherwise- same old story everyone has been through over and over

[foonting]

Its not just a uk thing it wasnt that long ago when no one sold parts like these but even after it became more common a continual consistant supply has always been a problem. Be bold and order much more than you think youll need and order way ahead of when you need it or risk running out of something for sometimes months.
This requires really paying attention to budgeting and projecting parts use and its kept alot of the people that dont do well with the business end of business out of the business if you know what I mean or at least its held alot of people back. its a reason to make as many parts as possible on your own or have them made for you bypassing the regular channels.
otherwise- same old story everyone has been through over and over

Thanks Jason, making more and more in house and getting stuff made by small local firms has certainly helped. The funny thing is how you'll have a run on one type of pickup ... then you'll buy in stock for your 'popular line' then suddenly something else becomes flavour of the month!

[jason lollar]

yeah thats the other part!, your projections dont always work, getting a run on something is typical so not only do you have to order more in case the supplier runs out- you have to order more in case you have a run SO you wind up having to invest alot into inventory

[David Schwab]

This won't make you feel any better, but my recent inquiries to Guitar Jones have gone unanswered. I came here only to find others saying the same thing.

Guitar Jones is pretty much out of business. I don't know why they leave the web site up. I heard this from someone who talked to WSC at the NAMM show and they confirmed it. They said "Guitar Jones no more!"

GJs inventory is being sold off on eBay, here:

Pickup Parts, Bridges - Guitar items in gj guitarpart shop store on eBay!

[Spence]

I can tell you that Guitar Jones will happily take your order, take the cash and then ship you anything that they are trying to get rid of rather than what you ordered. Beware.

[David Schwab]

I tried to place an order with them a not too long ago, and they just canceled the order and refunded my payment.

[LtKojak]

I can tell you that Guitar Jones will happily take your order, take the cash and then ship you anything that they are trying to get rid of rather than what you ordered. Beware.

Hey Spence!

Long time no see, man. I hope everything's well at the shed.

Yours very truly,

[Spence]

As well as can be expected Kojak I suppose. By the way Foonting who ever you are, I have some 53mm baseplates I'm not planning to use if that's what you need.