Northwest Guitars Parts experience

Treewig1

hi. I was just wondering if I've been unlucky or if they are best avoided.

So I bought three things: a jack socket, a tele pickguard and string trees.

The tele guard didn't fit the control plate and I had to use a dremmel on it.  The Jack socket thread won't, well, thread.  The string tree screw, for which I had carefully pre-drilled, snapped off and left me an ugly bit of screw sticking out.

ICBM

Were these all proper quality parts, or cheapos - eg was the jack a Switchcraft?

While it shouldn't excuse them selling cheap crap, there is a demand for it so it's understandable that they do.

bbill335

I bought a tele switch from them and they sent two completely mismatched screws but, fair enough to them, they made it right. They also sorted me out with minimum fuss when I ordered a set of strat vibrato springs and was missing one.

If you have a problem, I'd say get in touch and see if they'll sort you out.

JonHosker

Bought a replacement pot for a bass guitar. 
Great service. All good

Treewig1

They were not cheap parts.

Im prepared to be reasonable (I put right the mismatched pickguard and wrote off the Jack socket as I was at Home of Tone getting a Harness fitted by James so I just got one from him instead).

 I'm not sure how they will put right the broken screw sticking out of my Warmoth neck. To be fair to them they're not to know I pre-drilled a pilot hole. I'm a wood sculptor and I know what I am doing! And the only option now is to drill it and plug it - which will be a bit of an eye sore, even when matched to the wood colour.

GoldenEraGuitars

Axecaster are my main supply of parts, Northwest fill in on the parts Gavin doesn’t stock (which isn’t much tbh but it’s mainly strat and tele scratchplates). I get a delivery  every other week from them going back to early last year and I’ve never had an issue before. 

Some context... re the scratchplate, what make is your body?

Did you let Kevin know about the problems?

Treewig1

It's an Allparts body.  I have contacted them.

My main issue is the snapped screw from the tree.  That is a massive problem.  The rest is irritating but no big deal really.  Now the head needs plugging an refinishing, because of poor quality parts

ICBM

You will be able to get the broken screw out if you carefully heat it with a fine-tip soldering iron until just before the point the wood starts to char, then as it cools down, grab it with some needle-nose pliers and wind it out. You may chew up the wood around it slightly, but it will be covered by the spacer for the string tree.

Was the jack a Switchcraft? I've never come across one with a faulty thread, but I have seen a few far-east ones.

GoldenEraGuitars

Treewig1 said:

It's an Allparts body.  I have contacted them.

My main issue is the snapped screw from the tree.  That is a massive problem.  The rest is irritating but no big deal really.  Now the head needs plugging an refinishing, because of poor quality parts

Any pics? There’s no reason the pickguard shouldn’t fit, really. I just got 3 delivered yesterday, I’m using GB bodies.

WezV

If there is some screw sticking out you should be able to remove it without too much bother... and hopefully without a plug.  

Even if you do need to drill it out, a small enough hole will be covered by the string tree. A 4mm metal tube with some teeth cut into it will cut a neat hole around the stuck screw


sadly, many screws are not up to the task... especially these smaller ones.  I tend to wax the threads first as extra insurance against snapping

Treewig1

Thanks guys.  Excellent tips on removing the broken screw.  I appreciate your help.  I shall give it a go...

Not sure if the Jack was a switch craft.  I'll check the packaging.  

The guard is not a big deal, I reshaped the curve with a dremmel (it was the wrong shape for the metal plate - which was a Gotoh)

Alegree

Have you considered it may be the control plate at fault? Import Tele control plates have different dimensions that don't fit US sized pickguards.

gavin_axecaster

Gotoh control plates are 32.4mm wide, very slightly larger than the Fender standard 32mm which is I suspect why the pickguard needed a little massaging.

ICBM

Treewig1 said:

Thanks guys.  Excellent tips on removing the broken screw.  I appreciate your help.  I shall give it a go...

Not sure if the Jack was a switch craft.  I'll check the packaging.

If it is, it will have the name stamped around the inside of the ground contact - you can just see it here on the left:

http://www.toneshapers.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/w/sw-l11-switchcraft-jack-mono-long-bushing-900.jpg

Disturbingly, this picture which is from Northwest Guitars' website, and says Switchcraft next to it, is *not* a Switchcraft jack - it's a typical far-east piece of crap:

http://cdn8.bigcommerce.com/s-16baa/images/stencil/original/products/1395/6107/apikcchh2__15693.1483735603.jpg

Notice the obvious differences in quality of the parts and the totally different-shaped spring contact.

Basically, all jacks of this open-frame design that aren't Switchcraft are junk. Why it should apparently be impossible for any other company to do the job properly baffles me.

andrewaward

switch craft jacks have their name stamped on them

thegummy

I buy quite often from them and always had good experiences

paulnb57

To be honest, I'm amazed as a seasoned (SWIDT?) woodworker, that you didn't drill a pilot hole for the screw and then are miffed it broke! Hardly the suppliers fault? The scratchplate is prob an issue with the control plate size, the jack is I agree a bit pants......

In your defence, yesterday I replaced modern tuners with vintage, drilled pilot holes and drilled two right through the headstock! What an utter retard! I had put masking tape round the drill bit as a depth gauge, .......yes......it moved!

Treewig1

Hello @paulnb57.   I did pre drill a pilot hole.  I put in two trees.  Both went in fine.  Then one head fell off!  I know small screws can be a problem.  Never come across this though.  

Hope of you fixed yours!  

markj

I live near to them and have gone to them at their premises once or twice. Would I go back to them probably not. I would prefer to source better quality items from elsewhere.

paulnb57

Treewig1 said:

Hello @paulnb57.   I did pre drill a pilot hole.  I put in two trees.  Both went in fine.  Then one head fell off!  I know small screws can be a problem.  Never come across this though.  

Hope of you fixed yours!  

Apologies! I misread!

Dowelled/plugged but I'll  have to paint the headstock as there is already a filled area where I also broke a string tree screw and made an utter arse of removing it! A birds eye maple neck too......good job I like painted headstocks!......