My first partcaster, help

[DarkBurst]

Hi, I'm going to build my first partcaster and I need to know web pages to buy high cuality hardware, electronics and plastics, like fatboyguitars.

I supose that the best place to buy the body and neck are fender custom shop parts from ebay, thats right???

[Ricky D.]

There are a lot of choices out there. This is just a start, there are a lot of good sources that I didn't list, I'm sure others will chime in with their favorites.

I built a partscaster last year using a Glendale bridge and saddles, Don Mare pickups, Allparts neck, USACG body, and hardware from a variety of sources including Stewart-MacDonald. The results were very satisfactory.

http://www.glendaleguitars.com/bridgeplates.htm

http://www.callahamguitars.com/parts.htm

http://www.usacustomguitars.com/index.html

http://www.donmarepickups.com/

http://www.allparts.com/store/necks-...s,Category.asp

http://www.stewmac.com/

[pbenn]

I've had good luck with Angela, on the hard parts:

http://angela.com/

JMO, but in the big picture of wood parts, there are several price ranges, and you usually get what you pay for. Personally, I would find it OK to pay $275 for a body and $375 for a neck, but some people want more of a deal.

Because it is wood we're considering, there may be a lucky piece, or combination, at any price range.

Some extremely inexpensive Asian guitars appear to be out of spec enough that their parts can't be combined. Most other parts fall into the std Fender specs, either vintage or American Standard.

That being said, there are also levels of quality in the hard parts aftermarket, and in my experience a varying level of quality in Fender vintage parts, ashtrays for instance. A correct actual '60s/'70s part may be most desireable, but will take money and time to find.

And here in Toronto, anyway, there is a fairly good supply of depreciated used partscasters on the market, as there is on the TDP Classifieds.