Please help me find a Schaller dealer that doesn't suck!

[ORCRiST]

Hi all, first post!

Ok, so after many years of wishing, I'm finally going to have Warmoth build me a neck and body for a Dave Murray concept super-strat
I have burning in my minds' eye.

I wanted something rather unique as far as hardware goes, and after some searching I think I've found what I'm looking for: Ruthenium!
http://schaller-guitarparts.de/hp996/Schaller_-exclusively-processed..htm

I've spent 16+ hours in quality time with Google TRYING to find someplace I can actually order and buy the stuff I need. After emailing
Schaller, the only response they sent me was to try Allparts.com - which, IMO - is one of the biggest rip-offs in the music industry. Resigned to
my fate, I began trading emails with Allparts. They had no clue (surprise), so I further navigated my way around Schallers website in Germany
researching all the pieces and part numbers I needed. I need everything for a ground-up guitar project. So we're talking Schaller Floyd Rose with #3
nut, humbucker mounting rings, input hack, control knobs, machine tuners, etc. So I type it all up, and email it away.

The response?

Schaller FR Tremolo and #3 Nut: 371RU/1 with a #3 nut , 393RU = ref.-no. 371/3 @ $485.00 retail
Humbucker mounting rings (need 3): 120RU @ $35.50 retail/per.
Control Knobs (need 3) 178RU @ $13.00 retail/per.
Toggle Switch Knob (need 1): 191RU @ $3.50 retail/per.
Locking Tuning Machines (need 1/set of 6) 2050 RU @ $144.00 retail/set
Schaller Strap Lock (need 1/pair) 449 RU @ $33.00 retail/pair
* numbers in red are Schallers part numbers

So, what - over $800.00 US not including shipping just for the hardware?

Oh yeah, they said it would be a minimum three month wait!

Now I know that Ruthenium is rare, and its a brand new product line for Schaller. I'm perfectly willing to pay a premium for these parts,
but this just seems like highway robbery to me. Does anyone out there know of a on-line Schaller dealership that they could point me to?
Hell, I'd even be interested in your local mom and pop music store down the street if they can order the Schaller parts I'm looking for.
US, Europe, I don't care. It sucks because I really have my heart set on Ruthenium, but I don't know if I can justify $500 for a tremolo
and $150 for tuning machines.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

 

[erogenousjones17]

Sorry, but I'm not sure you're going to find Ruthenium hardware much cheaper than that my friend.

 

[ORCRiST]

You know, I might tend to agree with you - but when I see Allparts charge $335 for a standard Black Schaller FR then go over
to Stew-Mac that has the exact same thing for $227, Ebay was $209, and Warmoth (hands down the best price I've found)
has them for $190 - color me surprised, but I think a little price-gouging is going on... Ruthenium or no Ruthenium.

 

[erogenousjones17]

That's entirely possible as well. I've never personally dealt with Allparts, so I can speak for them, but you may very well be right. All I can say is good luck in your search, and be sure to keep us updated. I'm sure there's more than one person here interested in this Ruthenium stuff. Wish i could be more helpful though...  :dontknow:

 

[Schlieren]

Thomann.de (Germany's equivalent to stew-mac basically), worth a try at least

Guitarparts.nl (might not have ruthenium)

If you don't have luck there, what I'd do is use Google's IMAGE search function; oftentimes you get better (or at least different) results there.  Use part numbers, mix up how you search for the parts, &c.

Good luck!  Let us know how it goes.

 

[ORCRiST]

Thomann.de (Germany's equivalent to stew-mac basically), worth a try at least

Guitarparts.nl (might not have ruthenium)

If you don't have luck there, what I'd do is use Google's IMAGE search function; oftentimes you get better (or at least different) results there.  Use part numbers, mix up how you search for the parts, &c.

Good luck!  Let us know how it goes.

Thanks Schlieren, I'll give those a try.  :rock-on:

 

[ORCRiST]

Hi all, thought I'd offer a little update to my OP. I got a package from Schaller yesterday... all I can say is it was worth the wait!

Delt with the CEO/Owner of Schaller himself.  :hello2:  Its hard to describe how wicked Ruthenium looks, it changes color
depending on viewing angle and light conditions (from black to almost chrome in very subtle degrees while always being
dark gray to black) its hard to explain - but looks killer - now all I need to do is wait for Warmoth to finish and ship my neck
and body...

(no flash)

(flash)

ORC

 

[dNA]

So you got everything directly from Schaller? What did it end up costing you?
that does look pretty sick. Like a gunmetal finish that won't wear off after a few months.

 

[ORCRiST]

So you got everything directly from Schaller? What did it end up costing you?
that does look pretty sick. Like a gunmetal finish that won't wear off after a few months.

For everything you see on the towel in the first pic (in addition to an extra knob, extra humbucker mounting ring, and extra switch tip not shown), including shipping $398.48. But I got an absolute steal on the locking tuners. When I first started researching Ruthenium it was (is) a 'black-hole' on the 'Net. Other than Schaller itself, a german-only Schaller dealer, and sunglasses coated with Ruthenium on Ebay I found no retail or sales outlets of any kind. Except for one obscure Canadian on-line music store that somehow had Schaller in-line locking tuners... in Ruthenium. For $49.99. Needless to say I was highly skeptical. How did this store have some brand new ultra-rare Ruthenium parts, but only locking tuners (the exact thing I wanted I might add)? I should have called them to confirm or inquire, but I just bought them figiuring if they weren't what I wanted (I expected a mislabel myself) I could use them on something else or sell them. Low and behold, they arrived promptly and were the real deal!!! This sticker only deepens the mystery!

Why would they have some virgin-new product Schaller themselves just released, made no secret to how rare or expensive said product is.... only to turn around and mark it for a blow-out sale! LOL! I suspect I am the very-fortunate recpient of an innocent mistake - and am firmly content to let sleeping dogs lay as it were...   :toothy10:  So, needless to say I *should* have spent $548.48 vs the $800-ish Allparts would have gouged me for...

ORC

 

[tfarny]

Hope this stuff works well for you, I'm not sure what it's supposed to do for your guitar playing though.  :icon_scratch: :icon_scratch:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

He's just sharing his choice of hardware with us.  What do most of these threads do to help our playing?  AAA Birdseye Maple necks, Flamed Koa, Figured Walnut......  It's just pretty stuff to look at and talk about.  I'm more fascinated why locking tuners are needed with a locking tremolo system.

 

[JaySwear]

Hope this stuff works well for you, I'm not sure what it's supposed to do for your guitar playing though.  :icon_scratch: :icon_scratch:

it would do a whole lot i would say. he'd have a pretty damn hard time trying to play without a bridge. and as turbo deluxe said, about 50% of the threads on this site are just us ogling at pretty guitars and basses. why not cool hardware?

anyway, on subject... that stuff is AWESOME. i love the color of the hardware. very cool find. can't wait to see what guitar this is all going on

 

[tfarny]

You guys are right. I need to take a break from this forum.  :icon_thumright:

 

[ORCRiST]

that does look pretty sick. Like a gunmetal finish that won't wear off after a few months.

According to Schaller's literature, Ruthenium will never tarnish or discolor and is "highly resistant" to any acids (like sweat) and other 'chemical damage'. The coating is very hard, from what I understand, many orders of magnitude harder than say, anodizing, so it can take a lot of abuse. So, basically unlike any other tremolo or bridge ever made to date. Expensive? Sure. Worth it? I sure as hell think so, but I'm biased. Besides, while being bullet proof is nice - in the end I got it because it looks cool and it's top-shelf quality.  :laughing7:

He's just sharing his choice of hardware with us.  What do most of these threads do to help our playing?  AAA Birdseye Maple necks, Flamed Koa, Figured Walnut......  It's just pretty stuff to look at and talk about.  I'm more fascinated why locking tuners are needed with a locking tremolo system.

Well, when I bought the tuners, conceptually - the guitar was still in the planning stages. I've never had locking tuners on any of my guitars, and while I was skeptical on the price and authenticity of the what I was buying at the time, I figured it was a deal to good to pass on, locking tuners needed or no locking tuners - so my Floyd Rose double locking system will now be a triple-locking system! At least I can really, really, REALLY make sure it doesnt go out of tune, right?  :icon_thumright:

ORC

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Well, when I bought the tuners, conceptually - the guitar was still in the planning stages. I've never had locking tuners on any of my guitars, and while I was skeptical on the price and authenticity of the what I was buying at the time, I figured it was a deal to good to pass on, locking tuners needed or no locking tuners - so my Floyd Rose double locking system will now be a triple-locking system! At least I can really, really, REALLY make sure it doesnt go out of tune, right?  :icon_thumright:

ORC

Yeah, just a bit overkill.  Still a neater, tidier design wih no wraparound.  Most tuning stability issues have to do with resistance at the nut and too much wraparound on the posts, so it never was a tuning gear integrity issue.

 

[AutoBat]

I think it's gorgeous.

 

[Superbeast520]

Hi all, thought I'd offer a little update to my OP. I got a package from Schaller yesterday... all I can say is it was worth the wait!

Delt with the CEO/Owner of Schaller himself.  :hello2:  Its hard to describe how wicked Ruthenium looks, it changes color
depending on viewing angle and light conditions (from black to almost chrome in very subtle degrees while always being
dark gray to black) its hard to explain - but looks killer - now all I need to do is wait for Warmoth to finish and ship my neck
and body...

(no flash)

(flash)

ORC

Nice Stuff!!! I had first stumbled upon Ruthenium a while back and also thought it was the Baddest looking stuff to date.....You Scored seriously my friend, I love it and  can't wait to see the finished pics.
I hope you go the distance and take alot of great photo's to share on the gallery as I doubt there will ever be many Ruthenium laden guitars coming around, as much as I like the whole look I have a feeling it is a great concept product, but I think its going to be the rare bird to actually spend the cash and track down products as hard to come by as you have noted.  Awesome Stuff!  :headbang:

 

[ORCRiST]

Nice Stuff!!! I had first stumbled upon Ruthenium a while back and also thought it was the Baddest looking stuff to date.....You Scored seriously my friend, I love it and  can't wait to see the finished pics.
I hope you go the distance and take alot of great photo's to share on the gallery as I doubt there will ever be many Ruthenium laden guitars coming around, as much as I like the whole look I have a feeling it is a great concept product, but I think its going to be the rare bird to actually spend the cash and track down products as hard to come by as you have noted.  Awesome Stuff!  :headbang:

Tyvm! Now the next major hurdle is getting the body painted/airbrushed (once I get it) - still trying to figure out where to send it/who to trust with the job. Going to have some inlay done on the pickguard as well, so I need to send that off...where's that 'easy button' again?  :doh:

 

[ORCRiST]

Woot! Just got a UPS notification from Warmoth - looks like my body and neck are done and the package is due to arrive Friday!  :headbang:

 

[Schlieren]

Great job getting through to Schaller; seems like nobody is willing to do that sort of legwork for a customer.  Very impressive that a customer managed to get that sort of personalized attention from Schaller.