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PHIL KEAGGY - Grammy nominated and seven-time Dove Award winner, is one of the world’s great guitar players and a pioneer in contemporary Christian music.
- November 10, 2016
- Guitar Maintenance
In the world of guitar parts, there several companies to choose from, each with their own pros and cons. With so many options to look over, we hope we can unpack the larger suppliers and help you make a good decision. When looking for guitar parts, it really depends on the part or parts you’re looking for. You’re not very likely to find any vintage stuff at these major parts companies, but you will find replacement parts that are new and, in many cases, better than the original.
While it’s possible to find exact replacement parts directly from the guitar companies themselves, sometimes you might do just as well to order from an aftermarket supplier. Companies like Gibson, Fender, Martin, and others have decent customer service, but you’ll likely have to carry it to the dealer you bought it from. Then, once you make it up there, their service center will order the part for you. It just takes more time is all.
Guitar Center
There’s a good chance you’ve been in the glorious showroom of a Guitar Center in a town near you. They do have a large inventory of parts, but it only scratches the surface really. Things like pickups, tuners, knobs, nuts, bridges, etc. you can get for sure. If you’re looking for something exact, though, you might have to find a shop that deals more in specialties. Still, pound for pound, Guitar Center is a wonderful place to look if you’re in a hurry.
It’s also worth mentioning that your local mom and pop music store might have the part you're looking for as many of them collect old parts and have boxes in the back full of unclaimed treasures. Not everyone’s lucky enough to have those options, but Guitar Center might be able to at least point you in the right direction.
StewMac or Stewart-MacDonald
Stewart-MacDonald has been in business since 1968 and has grown to become one of the major suppliers for guitar parts. Their 100% satisfaction guarantee, which allows you to swap or return your part if you’re not fully satisfied, makes them one of the friendliest competitors in the market.
The company also has one of the most extensive inventories too. They have pretty much everything from parts to tools. In fact, StewMac is one of the biggest suppliers of luthier tools in the world. For the novices, these are tools that can be used to build stringed instruments like guitars.
They’ll have just about anything you need. We also like their friendly on-staff luthiers and techs who will help you find what you’re looking for and even give you advice on your project.
Guitar Parts USA
For over ten years, Guitar Parts USA has been helping guitar builders and players get the tools they need for the job. They have a large inventory of DIY pickup kits and other resources. The company values high quality and affordability, which is music to the ears of most customers.
If you take a look at Guitar Parts USA’s site, it’s obvious that they have an enormous inventory of everything necessary to repair or build a guitar. They mostly supply hardware like pickups, knobs, bridges, tuners, etc. The company emphasizes their safe online buying which protects you from fraud. They offer a money back guarantee within 14 days and free shipping over $50. Guitar Parts USA is an awesome retailer for guitar parts.
All Parts
All Parts has over 7,000 parts on hand and they ship to dealers and individual customers too. Up front, one thing you’ll really want to know about All Parts is if you order a 70-cent piece, it’ll cost you $10 plus shipping. They recommend you visit an All Parts dealer to save on the overage. That may or may not be an inconvenience to you, but it’s something you should know going in. With a warehouse in Texas as full as theirs, it’d be hard to find something that All Parts doesn’t have onhand.
All Parts not only distributes their own brand of high quality guitar parts, they also have ABM, Bartolini, Bigsby, CTS, CRL-CentraLab, Danelectro, Dice Knobs, Dunlop, Gotoh, Graph Tech, Grover, Guiran, Hipshot, Lace Pickups, Moses, Oak Grigsby, Razor, Schaller, SovTek, Sperzel, Switchcraft, TonePros® and Wilkinson brand products.
Having been in business for over 30 years, All Parts has developed into a well-oiled machine. They just might be the retailer for you.
Best Guitar Parts
In 2004, Best Guitar Parts was your basic online retailer for guitar parts. Since then, the company has grown and expanded from just hardware to building guitar bodies and necks. Now they build completed instruments too.
Offering very high quality craftsmanship, Best Guitar Parts is one of the best options when looking to build a custom guitar or just replace something. They have a great selection of woods for building your dream guitar and 60-day money back guarantee never hurts either. These guys are for real.
Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts
If you like your products made in America, then the Washington-based Warmoth might be the company for you. Warmoth is custom guitar builder’s dream world. They can do just about anything you can imagine and their available paint colors are out of this world. These guys really want what’s best for you. They even have a tab on their website that asks “Will it fit my guitar?” This page outlines the dimensions you’ll want to understand and gives more information than many custom builders.
Warmoth puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to building a guitar. Since 1980, the company has been building for everyone from Valley Arts to players like you. They have one of the finest group of luthiers anywhere in the world, so don’t be shy if you’re building a guitar from scratch.
We know that there is no shortage of companies that sell guitar parts. Even Ebay can be a good source for certain items or that vintage part you can’t find anywhere else. The Internet is full of faceless companies or individuals looking to sell you stuff, so you may want to look a little deeper at these or other companies. Finding stores in your area that offer a human connection is usually a great way to do business.
Trying to find the right product online can be a tough business. A lot of it comes down to trusting the people you’re working with. That’s why, at Pro Lessons, our guitar instructors are musicians who have made careers on the road. Instead of taking lessons from the random guy down the street, why not see what the professionals have to say?
To find out more about our affordable rates, click on the link below.
