Parts supplies in the UK

[fxapprentice]

Any UK builders use Maplins for parts, can anyone comment on the quality/price if so. Or maybe recommend alternatives.

Cheers

[slacker]

I use Maplin, the prices are good and the delivery is excellent the stuff normally arrives within 2 days of ordering. They do most of the stuff I've needed so far, but if I need a specific component they don't have I've used Banzai

[gez]

I think of Maplin as a necessary evil, I only use them for one or two things that other suppliers don't stock.

www.esr.co.uk
www.rapidelectronics.co.uk

Both of the above are much cheaper and delivery is usually the next day.  They also have a superb range.  ESR sell boxes and stompswitches too (phone and ask).

Beware of the Maplin catalogue.  A lot of stuff in there is just for show as far as I can tell.  Don't believe me?  Try ordering the bloody stuff!

"Er, we don't do that any more"  
"Er, we don't have any of them in stock and have no plans of ordering any in the near future"

The last one you'll probably get when you phone up to find out where the (usually expensive) item they told you was in stock when you ordered it four weeks ago is.  You then get a crappy credit note that you probably won't use for the next four years...ARGHHHHHH!!!!!

Er...try esr & rapid first.

[Andi]

I mostly use Rapid and RS; I do get some bits from Maplin too. Used Farnell a couple of times but they're crap at actually delivering what you ordered - it took about 4 months to get 500 jack sockets delivered and complete; they kept sending them without all the parts.

[RSH Electronics]

Give us a go: //www.rshelectronics.co.uk

We are getting new stocks of J201, 2N5088 & 2N5089 within the next few days.

We are also looking to stock footswitches too, though I'm not sure what the most popular would be 3PDT, DPDT, latching or non-latching?

Apologies for blatent advertising plug  :wink:

[gez]

We are also looking to stock footswitches too, though I'm not sure what the most popular would be 3PDT, DPDT, latching or non-latching?

If you can stock cheap (well, ish) 3PDT latching foot switches, then you've got a friend for life (and probably a few others from here)!  

[spudulike]

Give us a go: //www.rshelectronics.co.uk

We are getting new stocks of J201, 2N5088 & 2N5089 within the next few days.

We are also looking to stock footswitches too, though I'm not sure what the most popular would be 3PDT, DPDT, latching or non-latching?

Apologies for blatent advertising plug  :wink:

Oo Oo and 2N5457/8 and CA3080E's would be good

[nelson]

Great, I was looking for some J201's to start my various amp emulations, I am gonna make a sort of modelling amp 5W with switchable solid state preamps. hmmmmm. Cheap 3PDT footswitches would be GREAT! you would have alot of customers for life! 2N5457's would also be an idea, some mosfets.... and a range of single and dual opamps....

I am getting ready for a huge order so I will wait a while see what you get in.




Edit: just been browsing your site, you range has grown alot since I last checked, Some different shafted pots would be great D shaft. A bigger range in the Log taper, would be a good idea too.

The Splined shaft ones are annoying, really long shafts and getting knobs for them is a challenge, o and some knobs too.


Your prices are great, and I vouch for your fast delivery.

Thanks for stopping by again.

Paul Nelson

[Freddy205]

3PDT latching and a decent range of cheapish pots would be great. I currently order all my stuff from abroad and those are the main things I buy (J201's 2N5088 BS170 3PDT e.t.c) So someone who offered these in the UK might come by a bit O bussiness!

[RSH Electronics]

Thanks for all your suggestions

We are now stocking 2N5457 and will be listing BS170 soon too. We have had CA3080E for a while, though stocks are low (check before ordering): 9210-020 85p

All our V24 sandard pots come with D shaft, although they may be a bit big.  I am tracking down a larger range of log pots at the moment...

Knobs, yes must add those. If there's anything specific you're after, email me and I'll see what I can do, I try to stock popular items, if there are components I'm missing out on let me know. The J201s and 2N5088/9s are a direct result of you guys pointing them out to me  

OK, dipping toe in water here.... 3PDT latching £6.99 ?? I think that would make us the UK cheapest??

[nelson]

We can buy them from Aron for $6.25, thats the store in this forum.

£6.99 is pretty expensive, but then again, in the UK £6.99 could be considered competitive.

Perhaps if you spoke to aron, and found out his source you could source them for the same price and sell them just as cheap?

I would be willing to pay a *little* more than $6.25 for a UK source given the tax etc.

The GBP/USD exchange rate is very favourable just now.

DPDT stompswitches would also be a good idea. as we can use the jfets you now sell to allow us to use an LED with true bypass wiring "Millenium bypass".

I am just looking for the most economical way to use an LED on a pedal and if your competitive with DPDT switches then I will and probably many others will buy them instead. Ofcourse covering all options is the best idea.

[gez]

OK, dipping toe in water here.... 3PDT latching £6.99 ?? I think that would make us the UK cheapest??

It's a little higher than I'd have liked, but you'll probably get some takers at that price.

In this household we've stopped ordering stuff from the US, it's just too much bother.  Although customs have set rates, the amount they charge seems to be arbitrary (we've been charged different amounts for identical orders) and they won't enter into negotiation to explain how they do their 'calculations'.  Also, if there is a customs charge to pay our local sorting office won't deliver it any more.  Not only that, but half the time they don't even inform us that there's a parcel waiting to be picked up.  If the supplier has lost the tracking number, or couldn't be bothered to find out what it is, the parcel is returned or gets 'lost' in the system (usually the latter).  Pain, pain, pain...ARGHHHHHHH!

So, yeah, you probably will get a few takers, but it's still a little high (even six would be nice).  

[smallbearelec]

It's good to see that someone else is paying attention to the DIY FX market; clearly, the increased interest in this hobby over the past few years has raised its profile.

While I can't promise that shipments from SBE will be free of VAT, I do my best to keep it to a minimum. I have rarely had packages completely lost, and traceable, insured USPS shipping for larger orders is available.

Particularly when you need items for a pedal that you can't find anywhere else (specialty ICs, unusual stomp switches and pots, specific opto devices), do check my stock list. Ordering is easy, I generally do have in stock what you see there, and I'm constantly seeking out and investing in new goodies as well as maintaining depth of popular parts.

Steve Daniels
smallbearelec.com

[gez]

Sorry Steve, didn't want to put any UK DIYers off from going Small Bear.  I should point out that the problems I have with US parcels are as a result of my local sorting office.  Although I went down to their depot and gave the manager a b*llocking he wasn't interested, so we just packed in getting stuff from the states.  Shame really....

[smallbearelec]

I understand perfectly. I have had my own occasional problems getting cooperation from my local PO, and for me it's a mission-critical issue. I am there every day with a shopping-cart full of stuff, and time I spend there is time that I can't be dealing with service issues and designing.

Offer is always open. If it's something you gotta have from these shores, maybe arrange with a friend who is served by a better PO to receive the item.

Regards
SD

[StephenGiles]

I raced by Cricklewood Electronics twice today at about 80 mph in a train!
Stephen

[TheBigMan]

FWIW I've ordered from Steve and had excellent service.  However my local PO when I was at Uni was in a small town so NOTHING ever got by them, despite the amount of mail for foreign students.  That led me to using Banzai seeing as they're in the EU for any esoteric parts.  UK wise, I stick to Rapid mostly and use RS for some bulk orders and Maplin for single parts that I need in a hurry.

Customs charges don't bother me, it's the seemingly arbitrary handling fee that you get charged just for them to open up your package and see whether or not the person who sent it is telling the truth on the form that annoys me.  :evil:

[RSH Electronics]

Thanks for the input everyone

OK I've done some work, and can get the price down to about £5.50

Better??

[gez]

Thanks for the input everyone

OK I've done some work, and can get the price down to about £5.50

Better??

Bing!  

When do you get them in?

[RSH Electronics]

Hopefully sometime next week  (w/c 6 June)

As soon as they arrive, they'll be on the front page of our site //www.rshelectronics.co.uk and I'll post here too

I'm also looking a DPDT switches for around the £3.50 mark?