Guitar building screw sizes? Looking to buy bulk

[AprioriMark]

I'm annoyed with paying 5 bucks for 2 screws and springs.  Does anyone know dimensions for common screws used in building guitars?  Or even better, have any resources for good places to buy in bulk?  I'm mostly looking for humbucker mounting screws and p90 mounting screws, but also common bridge mounting screws etc.

-Mark

 

[Cagey]

I don't have a list of type/dimension data, but a great place to get the stuff in bulk once you identify it is McMaster-Carr. They're pretty much nationwide suppliers, and carry a broad stocklist. The general term you'll want to search on for others is not nuts, bolts, screws, etc., it's "fasteners". That'll lead you to bulk suppliers faster than anything.

 

[line6man]

Unrelated-

Cagey, are you quoting Zappa in your signature? I never would have guessed you were an Overnite Sensation fan. :blob7:

 

[Cagey]

Cagey, are you quoting Zappa in your signature? I never would have guessed you were an Overnite Sensation fan. :blob7:

Absolutely. In fact, I've probably bought that album along with "Apostrophe" and "Live at the Filmore East" 5 or 6 times in my life due to excessive wear, misadventure or media format change.

 

[TroubledTreble]

You can get some bulk stuff through McMaster Carr and other places like it. Some screws are too specialized for them to carry. I would look toward Mojo music supply for those. They have decent pricing even if you aren't a re-seller.

P90 screws would be a good example of a hard to find screw. Pickguard screws are #4 phillips oval head 3/8 or 1/2 long. Neck screws are 1 3/4 long which is a very odd length. Some screw sizes are not too hard to find, it's the head that is the hard part to match. I personally would save myself a lot of time and just do one stop shopping at a place like Mojo. If you know someone who has an account you can save a good percentage by piggybacking on to one of their orders.

I used to be able to get a lot of stuff from the hardware store, but ever since the downturn in the economy they carry less and less. If they haven't sold a particular item in a while or enough of them, it's taken out of inventory.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to create a sticky of the hardware needed for various builds. That would help a lot of folks.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

McMaster Carr is great if you need it now, but they tend to be more expensive.  When we need lots of screws or bolts or what have you, we to go to Fastenal.  I work on a research project so we get reduced pricing through the University, but in general, it is a better deal than McMaster.  However, if you need it quick, order before 5 pm at McMaster and they usually will have it to you by the next day.
Patrick

 

[stubhead]

I live in a predominately rural area, with farmers & boatbuilders and such. We have a killer local hardware store, one of those dusty dark places that has two whole WalMart-sized shelves of nothing but fasteners of all sorts, for people to build stuff with. Living out where you do, there's just got to be one of those stores somewhere, it's not the "Ace" for sure. Ask the guy on a tractor.... ask Warmoth where they go to maintain their machines?

Aren't "P90" screws the same thing as Fender bass pickup screws, #4 X1.25"?  Everybody and their dog has them. Another good way to tell you've found the right hardware store is that they order you anything under the sun, like wax-free denatured shellac and stuff. Even at full retail at a hardware store, what you save on shipping charges buying everything over the net can add way, way up.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=fender+bass+pickup+screws&_sacat=See-All-Categories
DiMarzio makes them in all the colors, so any DiMarzio dealer.... arf.

 

[swarfrat]

There's a place I believe called Carolina Guitar parts that has good prices (at least on screws, their pots and electronics seemed high) and low shipping charges.

 

[stubhead]

I could almost certainly start my own specialty screw store, with all the cheap zinc-y potmetal screws I didn't use on the parts they came with. I don't know what I'm saving them for, unless I take up styrofoam architecture modeling or something? I'm pretty sure I can at least hammer 'em into styrofoam....

Honest Mac's A-OK
Good Used Screws -

We Rip 'Em, You Strip 'Em

:hello2:  just send money, I already know what you want.  :hello2:​

 

[Cagey]

I could almost certainly start my own specialty screw store, with all the cheap zinc-y potmetal screws I didn't use on the parts they came with. I don't know what I'm saving them for, unless I take up styrofoam architecture modeling or something? I'm pretty sure I can at least hammer 'em into styrofoam....

Hehe! Y'know, I've gotten much more selective in my old age about what I keep in leftover pieces/parts/fasteners. I've always been loathe to toss something that I might use someday because I'm a crafty little devil and you just never know. But, I've found that the incidence of use is so small it doesn't justify the loss of storage space or organization. If something doesn't look like it would sell online fast, and I can't think of someone who'd like to have it RFN, then into the trash it goes. Makes life so much easier.