custom hardware shops

[10pizza]

I've seen some pretty incredible  builds on this site and on some of the guitars I can see special hardware like tuners, knobs, bridges.

How do you guys get these? do you make your own? or some special shops not easy to find?

I Always end up with the 'standard' stuff from the likes of allparts, stewmac or in Holland guitarsupplies, vox humana.

any links available or members here that build and sell?

 

thx!

[curtisa]

I suspect that most builders here are using off-the-shelf components. Perhaps the only difference is that they have found different shelves to the rest of us.

From recent memory I've seen members make their own control knobs out of turned pieces of timber, or timber shrouds for pickups, or epoxy-pot their own pickups. At the other end of the spectrum, Ola Strandberg developed his own headless bridge hardware and shared progress here while he was still a member.

True custom made hardware in small quantities is likely to be extremely expensive. Self-made stuff that could be sold to other members is entirely down to the discretion of the builder - what to charge (case of beer, several thousand bucks)? What's being made (six tuning buttons, 11 string double-locking tremolo)?  How long will it take (2 days, 10 months)?

Might also depend a bit on how 'custom' you want the parts to be. Many firms will do lesser-known finishes to their standard product lines (copper plate, brushed chrome, brushed steel etc) if you ask them.

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[10pizza]

thanks @curtisa. Maybe people can share their suppliers in the suppliers listings, there are already some there, but those are the easy-to-be-found ones. Not to say they don't have great stuff! Sometimes you're just looking for something 'special' 

My old man has a lathe, I might try to make myself some custom metal knobs just for the fun of it.