Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

[Will Shred 4 Food]

Does anyone have any experience with any of the inexpensive, generic guitar hardware that is available from places like Amazon? Some of the prices are crazy! $20 for a Floyd Rose style bridge, $16 for locking machine heads, the list goes on! The stuff is so cheap, I'm tempted to just try some of it out and if it sucks it won't even be that much of a loss!

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

Its all rubbish.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

Nothing is more true than the saying 'you get what you pay for'.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

Even I would avoid the $20 Floyds (yes ..I've tried them :lmao: ..they tend to fall apart &/or not hold tune very well.) There's good stuff to be had for $60 or so (Guitarfetish Floyds ..Floyd Rose Specials etc..). If someone tells you those suck they're bull****ting ..they do the job fine.

Tuners..again..the really super cheap ones can be hit or miss. (Quality's all over the place ..some will hold tune and some won't)

 

[Will Shred 4 Food]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

I picked up a Korean Kramer Baretta for $100 that I'm going to attempt to repaint and restore which is why I'm curious about the cheaper parts. I'll be buying a hardtail bridge and a set of locking tuners for it and I'm not sure I want to spend more than I spent on the guitar just for those parts. I know you can't completely judge from photos, but they have some very detailed pics on Amazon and they look really nice.

Here are the tuners I'm considering: http://amzn.to/1J77wS1

Here is one of many super-cheap bridges: http://amzn.to/1J780HM

Any more thoughts?

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

Yeah they will be good enough for a cheapie.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

I usually try to avoid parts that are not tried and true coming from a reliable source. Sure, every now and then you can find a cheap part that is awesome but usually you find youself in the boat of having spent the money on the cheap part that failed you. Then you just have to spend more money on the better parts in the end anyway.

If you are just trying to complete a cheap project, go for it though.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

I'm tempted to just try some of it out and if it sucks it won't even be that much of a loss!

Tell you what. If you do go ahead with installing and setting up a dogbreath cheapo FR licensed vibrato bridge, please log the hours taken to get it to function correctly and reliably, then report back.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

I picked up a Korean Kramer Baretta for $100 ... hardtail bridge ... Any more thoughts?

Every variant of the Kramer Baretta that I have ever seen - even the very cheapest plywood horror - came with a vibrato bridge. The cavity made for such a bridge is cut exactly where you would need something into which to fasten a typical Stratocaster-style hardtail bridge.

The only fixed bridge I can think of that would disguise the original vibrato cavity is a Kahler 33xx model. Assuming that you can even obtain one of these, it will probably cost more than the Floyd Rose Special suggested earlier by Phantasmagoria.

 

[Will Shred 4 Food]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

It is a vibrato bridge, I just had the word "hardtail" on the brain because I had just been looking at them...my bad.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

I got a set of the dragonfire locking tuners
The pin that clamps the string isn't attached to the thumb wheel that tightens the pin

Have to pry it back each time I change strings

*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[superpete]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

Just got an email from a friend of mine who i recommended guitar fetish to. He was super bummed about a knock off bigsby he got that didn't work properly. For certain things i dont mind cutting corners, but a bad bridge is not something i'd be willing to deal with.

 

[DreX]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

Does anyone have any experience with any of the inexpensive, generic guitar hardware that is available from places like Amazon? Some of the prices are crazy! $20 for a Floyd Rose style bridge, $16 for locking machine heads, the list goes on! The stuff is so cheap, I'm tempted to just try some of it out and if it sucks it won't even be that much of a loss!

The hardware in the $10 - $20 price range is usually janky soft metal with a cheesy finish, the kind of stuff they put on guitars so cheap that they're probably not even sold in the US, so you never actually see such cheapness in person. The stuff works, but it often feels gross, looks ugly up close, and soaks up vibration.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Opinions on generic guitar hardware available online

I have never been a huge fan of the Floyd Rose double locking vibrato design but there can be no denying the quality of materials and engineering in the genuine German-made article when compared to cost-conscious versions - including the FR's own Special.