Where do you get your OOP parts?

[mrsage]

When you're trying to make an exact-parts copy of an old pedal, where do you usually look for older parts?

The one I'm looking for isn't that hard to find -- there are a ton of places online that sell it -- but they all have a minimum order of $100 or $200. I just want a few of these, since I'm not really looking to go into mass production or anything!

Anyway, where do you look when you need just a few (5 - 10) of a particular out of production component?

[Dave_B]

What part are you looking for?  Smallbear is a good place to start. 

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

If it's a stompbox part, I check whether Steve at Smallbear has it. Otherwise, it is always worth posting here with a specific request. But, if it is a particular pot, that has to be a specific physical size, it can be hopeless sometimes. Transistors and chips (except delay chips) are usually easy.

[mrsage]

It's a chip. I can find the type of chip just about anywhere (mouser has it, smallbear has it, etc), but I can't find the specific manufacturer I'm looking for.

[The Tone God]

Why don't you tell us what part you are looking for ?

Andrew

[mrsage]

M'kay.

I'm trying to find a Motorola 4049, unbuffered.

[Steben]

Now THAT's a part you can easily swap for another manufacturer. You have a 4049 for 30-50 cents.   

[Mike Burgundy]

...just make sure you get the UBE version (4049=buffered, 4049UBE=unbuffered)

It rarely makes a real difference what manufacturer you are using. Very rarely.

[Paul Marossy]

It rarely makes a real difference what manufacturer you are using. Very rarely.

This has also been my experience.

[TheBigMan]

The only probelem I've ever had is that different manufacturers often reverse pinouts on transistors.  ICs are almost always intercompatible.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Unfortunately, a 4049 is one place where manufacture CAN matter...... if you are using the thing as a bunch of fets. Because, that isn't what it was designed for (it is a digital part, after all!) I can remember early diy-synth circuits (such as the ETI series) where circuits would only work with the 'right' manufacturer (owing to differences in diode protection on the inputs, or variation in fet cutoff voltages, I presume).
It's one of those awkward cases, where the answer is, 'sometimes'.....

edit: I see there is a 4049 vs 4069 debate going on at the moment on this board that covers the matter of 'different manufacturers'.

[Sir H C]

I get a lot of OOP parts at hamfests.  Rat Shack dumped a bunch of stuff a bit ago and you find boxes of old ICs at 'fests now.  I have also gotten awesome germanium transistors this way, even a hand numbered RCA job and some of the first photo transistors ever.