An Open Suggest to Jay (or rivals)

[golias]

9 times out of 10, even if I plan to modify it, when I do a Telecaster build I'm going to want a control plate, 2 pots, 1 tone cap, a 3-way switch, and a pair of knurled chrome knobs.

 

So in addition to the GFS "pre-wired" Strat pickguard (complete with some cheapie pickups), how about a pre-wired Tele control plate? For most Teles, solder 3 pair of wires to it (neck pickup, bridge pickup, output jack), screw it in. Done.

 

Even for people like me who like to do wiring mods, it's (usually) quicker to start with a fully-wired plate than assemble everything one bit at a time. Slap together your base-base Tele control-cavity parts, give it a modest bundle discount, and wait for orders from people like me to pour in.

[vintage clubber]

I could do that...

[diceman1000]

 

 

 

 

http://www.guitarpartsonline.com/product_info.php?products_id=507

 

$29.95

[golias]

I could do that...

 

Do it at the right price, and post your web site here. I may be customer number one.

 

But if you think you're going to order the components from Jay and then charge money for the 10 minutes of soldering it all together, think again. I'm thinking along the lines of the loaded Strat guards Jay has some sweatshop in China slap together for him and sells for less than the price of what the separate components alone would usually cost.

 

These.

 

Takes some of the "fun" out of wiring a strat, but pretty convenient way to get most (or even all) of what you need in one neat bundle.

[Belva]

You see pre wired tele control plates on Evilbay all of the time.

I'd like to Jay or a competitor offer build packages that include neck plate, bridge, tuners, pots, switch and anything else you can think of for a complete build. Some kind of 20% off when you select the parts you want. Do the whole works with p/g, screws, knobs, what else? Can't think of anything right now. I'd get everything in a one stop shop if I got some sort of volume discount. And GFS now has the American type blade switches. Hate the import, can't fix 'em type. Oh yeah. Strap buttons & jack plates.

How about it Jay........

[golias]

http://www.guitarpartsonline.com/product_info.php?products_id=507 $29.95

 

Yeah, that's the sort of thing I mean. Considerably cheaper than ordering the parts one at a time, and you can actually manage to do quite a few wiring mods with just that setup alone.

[vintage clubber]

http://www.guitarpartsonline.com/product_info.php?products_id=507 $29.95

 

look at the bottom picture - crappy parts on that thing...

 

this is more like it:

 

[vintage clubber]

Do it at the right price, and post your web site here. I may be customer number one. But if you think you're going to order the components from Jay and then charge money for the 10 minutes of soldering it all together, think again. I'm thinking along the lines of the loaded Strat guards Jay has some sweatshop in China slap together for him and sells for less than the price of what the separate components alone would usually cost. These. Takes some of the "fun" out of wiring a strat, but pretty convenient way to get most (or even all) of what you need in one neat bundle.

 

I don't have a website any more...I do advertise locally on CL for my services though:

 

http://richmond.craigslist.org/msg/1931754324.html

 

I have gotten several repeat clients this way...

 

Also, some fellow forumites have gotten me to do some work for them...

[Spudro]

Ebay has worked fine for me a couple of times.

 

Of course, I have received products that were a bit less quality than their description on occasion, but so far so good on every prewired guitar control purchase via eBay. Read between the lines, check the feedback - INCLUDING what the person leaving the positive, negative or neutral feedback has to say about why the feedback rating they leave is what it is.

 

Watch out for overcharging for shipping & more money on top of that fees.

 

There are a number of eBay sellers who feel that it is fair game to skroo you, but with a little common sense and a bit of research, you can probably get what you want in the condition you expect it to be in for the price you agree to pay.

 

http://instruments.shop.ebay.com:80/Knobs-Jacks-Switches-/47076/i.html?_nkw=telecaster+control+plate+&_cqr=true&_dmpt=Guitar_Accessories&_nkwusc=telecaster+contrpl+plate&_rdc=1

[golias]

 

Ebay has worked fine for me a couple of times. Of course, I have received products that were a bit less quality than their description on occasion, but so far so good on every prewired guitar control purchase via eBay. Read between the lines, check the feedback - INCLUDING what the person leaving the positive, negative or neutral feedback has to say about why the feedback rating they leave is what it is. Watch out for overcharging for shipping & more money on top of that fees. There are a number of eBay sellers who feel that it is fair game to skroo you, but with a little common sense and a bit of research, you can probably get what you want in the condition you expect it to be in for the price you agree to pay. http://instruments.shop.ebay.com:80/Knobs-Jacks-Switches-/47076/i.html?_nkw=telecaster+control+plate+&_cqr=true&_dmpt=Guitar_Accessories&_nkwusc=telecaster+contrpl+plate&_rdc=1

 

 

True, but there would be value in getting a similar deal from a site like GFS who has built a reputation for a certain standard. Jay occasionally sells "cheap" stuff (usually over in the Clearance section), but he's honest about what he's selling when he does.

[golias]

this is more like it:

 

Nice-looking parts there. What would you charge for it?

[vintage clubber]

 

Nice-looking parts there. What would you charge for it?

 

 

I will pm you with a quote. that assembly has a 4 way switch which will be more expensive than a 3 way switch. I can price it both ways if you want...

[PunkKitty]

Here's another suggestion for Jay or a rival.

 

Market a mini humbucker ring to fit a standard humbucker rout.

 

There's a guy on ebay that markets an insert, but he wants $20 each for them. I'd rather use a piece of black foam than be extorted.

[Guitarfetish]

Yeah we're having tele plates and Strat guards made with full sized alpha pots and the good USA spec switches AND orange drop caps- Hope to have them on the site soon. We're assembling them here but trying to keep the price cheap.

 

What is it with yo guys wanting to put one pickup in the space of another- half of the stuff we sell puts a single coil in a humbucker slot- the other half puts a humbucker in a single coil slot.

 

For me personally- there's NO POINT to putting a mini in the space of a full sized humbucker- You can just get an underwound humbucker that will do the same job- and frankly sound better. Putting a mini in the space of a P90 i get- since it gives you a humbucker with no routnig....

[bsman]

What is it with yo guys wanting to put one pickup in the space of another- half of the stuff we sell puts a single coil in a humbucker slot- the other half puts a humbucker in a single coil slot.

 

There's probably nothing so unlikely, strange, or downright stupid that someone in this forum hasn't tried it!

[golias]

 

Yeah we're having tele plates and Strat guards made with full sized alpha pots and the good USA spec switches AND orange drop caps- Hope to have them on the site soon. We're assembling them here but trying to keep the price cheap. What is it with yo guys wanting to put one pickup in the space of another- half of the stuff we sell puts a single coil in a humbucker slot- the other half puts a humbucker in a single coil slot. For me personally- there's NO POINT to putting a mini in the space of a full sized humbucker- You can just get an underwound humbucker that will do the same job- and frankly sound better. Putting a mini in the space of a P90 i get- since it gives you a humbucker with no routnig....

 

 

Epic.

 

I don't do the stuff-in-other-stuff pickup mods too often myself. If I want a humbucker where there's currently a single, I cut a new route.

 

One thing that would be nice is a pickup ring for a humbucker in the Tele bridge position (but without the Tele HB bridgeplate. The one you sell is okay, but I would strongly prefer a separate hardtail bridge of my choice and a ring that hides the far ends of the old Tele route.

 

That, or start selling bodies that are not pre-routed, so I can cut them for exactly whatever I want.

[Norcal_GIT_r]

I do these on request.

[golias]

 

I will pm you with a quote. that assembly has a 4 way switch which will be more expensive than a 3 way switch. I can price it both ways if you want...

 

 

What you're offering is a different thing than what I'm talking about.

 

I want to get the parts CHEAPER by buying them in the typical Tele wiring bundle, since I'm almost always going to go with something similar to that anyway.

 

You're trying buy parts, wire them together, then charge MORE for the service of making the connections. For somebody who has no idea how to read a diagram or handle a soldering iron, that service has a lot of value. For me, it's just a modest time-saver at best.

 

There are several mods I like to do to Teles:

 

Nashville style pickup configuration w/a 5-way.

HB in bridge, single in neck, HB split when in middle position.

HB in neck, single in bridge, HB split when in middle position.

Reversed control plate.

True 5-way with HB in bridge: series/parallel/split/split+neck/neck.

 

These are all VERY minor tweaks, and it's just as easy for me to start with a pre-wired guard as to start with raw parts, sometimes even easier... but it's not worth any kind of premium to have somebody pre-wire it for me.

 

I just think that Jay's pre-wired strat guards are a FANTASTIC deal, even if you plan on chucking the pickup(s) into the bin, and would like to be able to buy a similar bundle for the Tele.

[vintage clubber]

 

What you're offering is a different thing than what I'm talking about. I want to get the parts CHEAPER by buying them in the typical Tele wiring bundle, since I'm almost always going to go with something similar to that anyway. You're trying buy parts, wire them together, then charge MORE for the service of making the connections. For somebody who has no idea how to read a diagram or handle a soldering iron, that service has a lot of value. For me, it's just a modest time-saver at best. There are several mods I like to do to Teles: Nashville style pickup configuration w/a 5-way. HB in bridge, single in neck, HB split when in middle position. HB in neck, single in bridge, HB split when in middle position. Reversed control plate. True 5-way with HB in bridge: series/parallel/split/split+neck/neck. These are all VERY minor tweaks, and it's just as easy for me to start with a pre-wired guard as to start with raw parts, sometimes even easier... but it's not worth any kind of premium to have somebody pre-wire it for me. I just think that Jay's pre-wired strat guards are a FANTASTIC deal, even if you plan on chucking the pickup(s) into the bin, and would like to be able to buy a similar bundle for the Tele.

 

 

you get what you pay for. I provide a service and charge for it with a very minimum profit margin once I have paid for the parts to be shipped to me.

[golias]

 

I do these on request.

 

 

For less than the parts alone would be to buy individually, or are you offering the same sort of service as vintage clubber? ("Hire me to wire up a guard for you at my usual hourly rate plus the cost of parts.")

 

Because it's hard to imagine anybody who knows enough to attach the pickup & output wires being interested in hiring somebody to wire the pots to the switch and bolt it all together for them. One of the things that's so awesome about Telecasters is how simple they are to work on.

 

Like I said, I started this thread because I'm hoping Jay will offer a cool deal on "loaded" Tele plates like he does with his budget pre-wired strat guards. (Have you looked at the pictures and his prices? They are fantastic deals on pretty good parts!)

 

It sounds like he will. I'm looking forward to it.

[golias]

 

you get what you pay for. I provide a service and charge for it with a very minimum profit margin once I have paid for the parts to be shipped to me.

 

 

Right, which is why it would make a ton more sense just to order the parts to be shipped TO ME, and slap them together myself.

 

UNLESS somebody (Jay) will sell me quality parts for cheaper because I selected a popular bundle, shipped directly from his supplier in a simple pre-wired package.

[Belva]

I'm sure vc and norcal do really good work. Myself, I'd rather get the parts and wire it up for myself. And what you're saying makes no sense. You want to get a prewired tele plate and install it as is, that's one thing. You want to change to a 5 way? WAT? You got the damn soldering iron hot anyway. Wireup the pots and ot jack while you're at it.

[Norcal_GIT_r]

Golias get off the F'n drugs PLEASE!!!!

From reading this post you want someone to wire and assemble your plate for free and sell you the whole thing for less than the parts cost to make the item.

 

Do you mind me asking how old you are? Do you actually work for a living?

You really seem to hold no value to a person's skill and effort or even show an inkling of being in touch with reality.

[golias]

 

I'm sure vc and norcal do really good work. Myself, I'd rather get the parts and wire it up for myself. And what you're saying makes no sense. You want to ger a prewired tele plate and install it as is, that's one thing. You want to change to a 5 way? WAT? You got the damn soldering iron hot anyway. Wireup the pots and ot jack while you're at it.

 

 

They do.

 

And what I'm saying is this:

 

For the vast majority of my tele builds, I'm going to be doing something very SIMILAR to a standard Fender tele wiring setup.

 

GFS sells pre-wired strat guards which use cheap no-name pickups, but rather nice pots and caps, for LESS THAN THE PARTS ALONE WOULD COST ME.

 

They can do this because they have their factory wire it all up at once, ship it as a single unit, and sell it to you as a pre-packaged bundle. It's both a convenient and affordable way to drop a new wiring scheme into a Strat. If you're choosey about pickups, swap in better ones (say, from BG) and you're still money ahead. If not, just use what they sent you as-is.

 

Even if you're doing a few mods to it after you get it, it's still often a money-saver AND a time-saver.

 

All I'm suggesting is that I would love it if GFS also sold something similar for Telecasters. A control plate with the "standard" layout of two 250k audio taper pots, a 3-way switch, a good-quality cap, and chrome knobs.

 

And from Jay chiming in to the thread, it sounds like that's exactly what they are going to do, so I'm happy.

 

Will I sometimes make tweaks to it? Sure. A 4 or 5 way switch here, a push-pull there, maybe even drill a hole for a blender pot. Will it still save me time and money if they sell something like that? Yep. Sure will.

[golias]

 

Golias get off the F'n drugs PLEASE!!!! From reading this post you want someone to wire and assemble your plate for free and sell you the whole thing for less than the parts cost to make the item. Do you mind me asking how old you are? Do you actually work for a living? You really seem to hold no value to a person's skill and effort or even show an inkling of being in touch with reality.

 

 

Okay, first of all, settle down.

 

Secondly, I'm not asking you to assemble something for free and sell me the whole thing for less than the parts cost you.

 

I'm asking JAY to sell one of his pre-packaged deals which accomplishes that exact end result already, only for Telecaster builders.

 

I'm 41, and yes I work for a living.

 

I'm also aware that the value of a person's time and the value they provide to a customer are NOT the same thing.

 

Is it worth it for you to order parts, assemble them, and ship them to me for less than the parts cost you? Nope.

 

Is it worth it for me to buy a pre-wired assembly for the cost of parts plus the cost of shipping them to you plus the cost of your labor plus the cost of shipping it to me? Nope.

 

This is why I'm not interested in buying it from you, and suggesting that it's a great opportunity for somebody like Jay who makes this sort of thing happen all the time.

 

He has the factory/assembly/shipping infrastructure in place to sell me a pre-wired plate with good components for less than it would cost for StewMac or AllParts or even him to ship me the components separately. Since I almost always want almost exactly the same set of components as almost everybody else does when doing my Tele builds, it makes a ton of sense for him to put something like that together.

 

Since I don't really NEED somebody else to do something as simple as solder together two pots and a switch for me, it DOES NOT make sense for me to hire you or anybody else to do it at a premium cost, no matter how thin your profit margin is on it.

 

See the difference?