Common component values to keep on hand.

What components/values do you find yourself using most frequently? I'm about to start building up a parts supply to start attempting some builds and was curious what you guys find you always run out of?

For pedal builds and general guitar-related tinkering.. I find these parts to be most useful. If a schematic calls for a 5k Linear Pot, in a pinch, you can use a 10k Pot.. for a .0033 µf Cap, you can use .0047 µf.. for several Transistors (Bipolar and/or JFET), you can substitute a 2N5088 or J201.. etc...

1M Pot (Linear taper)
100k Pot. (Audio taper)
10k Pot. (Linear taper)
470 ohm Resistor
1k Resistor
4.7k Resistor
10k Resistor
47k Resistor
100k Resistor
470k Resistor
1M Resistor
2.2M Resistor
.0010 µf Cap
.0022 µf Cap
.0047 µf Cap
.010 µf Cap
.022 µf Cap
.047 µf Cap
.10 µf Cap
.22 µf Cap
.47 µf Cap
1 µf Cap (Polarized)
10 µf Cap (Polarized)
22 µf Cap (Polarized)
100 µf Cap (Polarized)
SPDT Mini Toggle
3PDT Footswitch
Red LED
Green LED
J201 JFET
2N5088 Bipolar
9v Battery Clip

My philosophy is don't build up a parts supply...not intentionally anyway. Just start buying parts you need for the job you have. Invariably you will end up with leftover parts and next thing you know you have a parts supply (I call this the junk drawer). I've been working with electronics for fifteen years I guess, and though I never bought a "supply" of anything I have more resistors, capacitors, transistors, and IC's in my junk drawer than I know what to do with...literally! Like I said, this is just sort of my philosophy. Hey, I'm the guy who waits until it's time to change the oil in my truck, and then I go buy six quarts and a filter. Across town I've got friends who keep stockpiles of cases of oil and filters in their garages at all times. Both approaches are equally fine in my book.

I don't stockpile intentionally, but if I have to order something I don't have on hand, I'll order several. I also save components I've removed from pedals while doing mods, etc. After a while it adds up to quite a stash.

Another thing you can do is to combine resistors in series and capacitors in paralell to come up with odd values you might need. For example, .047uf and .022 combined in paralell can be used for a .068uf. Same goes for resistors, only you would combine them end to end, in series. It's not a very elegant solution but it works.

My philosophy is don't build up a parts supply...not intentionally anyway. Just start buying parts you need for the job you have. Invariably you will end up with leftover parts and next thing you know you have a parts supply (I call this the junk drawer). I've been working with electronics for fifteen years I guess, and though I never bought a "supply" of anything I have more resistors, capacitors, transistors, and IC's in my junk drawer than I know what to do with...literally! Like I said, this is just sort of my philosophy. Hey, I'm the guy who waits until it's time to change the oil in my truck, and then I go buy six quarts and a filter. Across town I've got friends who keep stockpiles of cases of oil and filters in their garages at all times. Both approaches are equally fine in my book.

I'm starting to get a small collection of parts without trying.Got a few of those small tubs from the Dollar General starting to fill up

I like the list above, I would probably toss in some diodes (1N4001 for example) from radio shack as well. I tend to stockpile parts but I think the best approach is to buy them as needed, but get 5 times the amount. That way you are only buying parts you have needed in the past...also cuts down on shipping costs.