Parts, & Parts Suppliers

[big_teee]

So where is the best place to buy the small eyelets used on pickups?
I'm trying to come up with some alternatives instead of just purchasing from one place all the time.

[big_teee]

I emailed Philadelphia Luthier a couple of times, one about Dealer discounts.
Like Copper said, They have none and said they had low mark up as it is?
I also asked if the Thunderbird bass covers could be made in a deeper cover model?
Because the total cover height is only 15/32" tall.
Which leaves too little room to build much of anything in the cover, like a sidewinder bass pickup.
I asked if they could stock deep bobbins to fit the Filtertron covers, and about bobbins to fit the bigger Wide Range guitar pickup baseplates and covers?
I got No's on all of it!
So if you were wondering about any of those things, I have no solutions to any of it!
GL,
T

[big_teee]

Too bad they don't offer dealer pricing. I've asked

Sometimes for rare parts you have to pay the price.
Just mark the pickup price up accordingly for hard to find parts.
At least some of this hard to find stuff is getting more available.
Maybe Some of the other suppliers will catch on!
T

[copperheadroads]

Too bad they don't offer dealer pricing. I've asked

[big_teee]

If you wonder where all these unusual Humbucker covers and baseplates are coming from?
Here is one source you may want to bookmark.
Covers
Pickup Covers
Baseplates
Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supplies, LLC - Search Results for "baseplates"
All kinds of neat wide range parts, filtertron, firebird, minibucker, center hole covers, matching baseplates, & etc.
Also Metal Thunderbird bass covers, like Lollar and some use.
Also, prices are not that bad, for hard to find parts.
Check them out!
T

[big_teee]

I'm not affiliated with Mojo or anyone either.
Dealer discounts are available, that makes pickup parts more affordable!
If you have a business website, you may qualify!
Same with WDBIZ, and some other Parts Companies, like ADFX, and MagneticHold magnets.
T

[Justwannano]

Tone-Craft makes some nice looking stuff.
Here's there web site if you want to try them.
http://www.tone-kraft.com/
I guess you can only buy them in sets. Looks like a Single Coils is all they sell.
I deal with Mojo, they seem to have what I need, all at one stop shopping.
T

Very nice stuff indeed.
I noticed you edited out "expensive"....not only can I get 3 at TK for the price of 2 at Mojo they come in a nice box to ship them in. Love the flatwork color selection and the selection choices for specifics such as magnetized or not, etc.
At Mojo- "Sorry no substitutions for different parts"
At Tone-Kraft - "Choose Options".

As I previously stated they are growing and hope they not only include HB parts but tube kits too. Time will tell.

I'm not affiliated with them- just the best I've found for single-coil parts.

[big_teee]

Tone-Craft makes some nice looking stuff.
Here's there web site if you want to try them.
http://www.tone-kraft.com/
I guess you can only buy them in sets. Looks like a Single Coils is all they sell.
I deal with Mojo, they seem to have what I need, all at one stop shopping.
T

[Justwannano]

When I got interested in winding I was focused on building a winder and seeing if it was something I could handle.
Later I found out that getting materials was an issue.

I wind mostly single coils (as a hobby) and it's turned out that Tone-Kraft is what works for me. Not one complaint from me about them and I sure can't say that
about other places I've tried to get parts from.

I hope they continue to grow and if they do they'll probably become the goto vendor IMO.

I haven't bought anything from them since they started engraving but looking forward to that.

[big_teee]

The improved thicker PAF type Keeper project fell through do to price hikes.
The Vintage white strat, and tele mini blade bobbins may happen by spring.
Metal Strat Covers are being considered.
T

[big_teee]

Update on Mojo Parts.
Per David Shepherd, mojo manager.
Mojo is in process of getting some improved blades for their blade bobbins.
For the Strat rail type bobbin, they are going to offer a plated blade with improved curve.
The blade have a larger more gradual radius, in the 15-20 inch range.
The plated blades will stop the rusting that plagues plain steel blades.
I requested a Strat Blade Bobbin in vintage white.
A vintage white bobbin would go with all light colored and tortoise pickguards.
The Black bobbin IMO is a show stopper for Light colored pick guards.
T

[David Schwab]

Yes I thought of you when I saw all the bass covers on clearance.
You don't need them until you need them.
The minimum order thing doesn't do us small shops much good, when you only need one or two of something.
We will make it though, we always do.
T

I don't make anything I can't get parts for, so I have had to by in bulk in the past. I have a box of 400 pickup covers I got from Korea a few years back. Then I started getting other sizes from Mojo, a dozen or two at a time.

So if I can't get parts, I won't bother with them, or if it's something I'm going to make on a regular basis, I'll just have to order a bunch.

Luckily they are keeping a lot of the other hard to get parts.

[big_teee]

Having a supplier narrow their selection to those that sell well makes sense for them but it also makes an opportunity for anyone to specialize in harder to find, lower volume parts. The internet has that one advantage, highly specialized on-line stores can find a market of the few people spread all over the world who want those parts that are not fast in turn over for generalized shops.
Although I much prefer locally owned physical stores, there is a place for niche on-line stores that need a wide ranging, international, customer base. Terry and David, this looks like an opportunity to pick up where the ball has been dropped and target the smaller even more narrowly defined niche. Finding the original sources and then creating a web store is not a difficult task nowadays. It would not make a ton of money but as a little addition to your current business, it could be worth doing.

Not looking for a real job here.
I'm retired, I did Telecomm Work for 42 years.
Pickup winding and beating on old amps is just a retirement hobby.
Just want to be able to buy a few parts when I need them, or one of my guitar buddies needs something.
Like you said, if there is an oppurtunity and a need, someone will fill it!
T

[km6xz]

Having a supplier narrow their selection to those that sell well makes sense for them but it also makes an opportunity for anyone to specialize in harder to find, lower volume parts. The internet has that one advantage, highly specialized on-line stores can find a market of the few people spread all over the world who want those parts that are not fast in turn over for generalized shops.
Although I much prefer locally owned physical stores, there is a place for niche on-line stores that need a wide ranging, international, customer base. Terry and David, this looks like an opportunity to pick up where the ball has been dropped and target the smaller even more narrowly defined niche. Finding the original sources and then creating a web store is not a difficult task nowadays. It would not make a ton of money but as a little addition to your current business, it could be worth doing.

[big_teee]

David told me that no one is buying those parts, so they are phasing them out. Well, not no one, since they are phasing out some of the parts I use, but it seems I'm the only one buying them! They have the original stock from when they ordered them a few years ago.

So if we wanted them to keep those parts, we should have bought more of them.

So they can order you anything you want, as long as you meet the minimum order requirements.

But I agree, that it can't hurt keeping them in stock. But that's business.

Yes I thought of you when I saw all the bass covers on clearance.
You don't need them until you need them.
The minimum order thing doesn't do us small shops much good, when you only need one or two of something.
We will make it though, we always do.
T