As any good tinkerer, DIY’er and hobbyist tends to do is accumulate spares. As we chop and change things, make repairs and alterations, this collection builds up over time. And this isn’t limited to guitars, of course; there’s home repairs, car maintenance, gardening, and so on. But what use is there in keeping these old guitar bits and pieces? In this article, we’ll explore reasons for and against keeping those old guitar parts.
Spares for Repairs (For)
A washer or screw has gone missing; a pot has lost its control knob; a machine head has a broken button; and somewhere you have just the right part to replace it. Result!
Compatibility (Against)
Of course, it's not always guaranteed any parts you have stored will fit the guitar you're trying to repair, and trying to force something to fit can do more harm than good. Sometimes it's just easier to buy a new part (we've got plenty of them).
Also, if you’re a guitarist who likes a certain guitar make, style or shape, that’s a good reason to get rid of parts that don’t fit that type. There’s no point keeping acoustic guitar machine heads in a drawer, if you exclusively play Telecasters.
Custom Builds (For)
If you’ve been confident enough to modify your guitar, you’re very likely to want to put together your own, either in the form of a partscaster or an entire custom build. Having spare parts on hand will help keep the bill down, whilst giving new life to those old guitar parts.
Old/Obsolete (Against)
Some guitar parts, however, are just not worth saving. Many parts are cheaply made to begin with, and the older they are the more likely they are to degrade.
Vintage Value (For)
Having said that, don’t entirely give up on the very old guitar parts. There are many, many vintage guitars in need of replacement parts, and their owners are keen to source originals where possible. You never know what the value may be – 50-year-old Fender machine heads go for hundreds of pounds online!
Clutter (Against)
Of course, it’s keeping these parts stored somewhere that can be the problem. I know guitar parts aren’t bulky, but they can quickly accumulate – one box becomes two; two becomes three; and before you know it, you’re opening your own guitar parts shop.
