StewMac prices are insane!

The benefit of StewMac stuff is that I’ve yet to have any of it break or wear down. I decided to teach myself how to re-fret a neck a couple years back and bought a bunch of cheap Amazon shit. 3 weeks later I was ordering everything again but from StewMac and wish I did from the start. Fret files, fret-end files, crowning tool, etc.

I used cheap tools for a long time and found out the hard way that sometimes it’s worth kicking in some extra $$ for higher quality. Sure, Stew Mac has some crazy prices, but I’ve never ordered a single thing from them that broke or felt cheap.

Phillie Luthiers is great also, I order all my tuning machines from them!
 
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RevDrucifer said:
The benefit of StewMac stuff is that I’ve yet to have any of it break or wear down. I decided to teach myself how to re-fret a neck a couple years back and bought a bunch of cheap Amazon shit. 3 weeks later I was ordering everything again but from StewMac and wish I did from the start. Fret files, fret-end files, crowning tool, etc.

I used cheap tools for a long time and found out the hard way that sometimes it’s worth kicking in some extra $$ for higher quality. Sure, Stew Mac has some crazy prices, but I’ve never ordered a single thing from them that broke or felt cheap.

Phillie Luthiers is great also, I order all my tuning machines from them!
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I totally get quality. But even at that, their parts are just ridiculously expensive. I'm not looking for Ali Baba or Amazon cheap, just reasonable.
 
Tremonti said:
I mean seriously. $15 fret pliers they try and get $65 for. It is incredible that no one else is not doing this at a fraction of their prices! Just saying.
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Tremonti said:
I totally get quality. But even at that, their parts are just ridiculously expensive. I'm not looking for Ali Baba or Amazon cheap, just reasonable.
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Unfortunately, when you look at the quality of StewMac’s tools, the price is likely justified. I bought some mid-tier fret end nippers from another luthier supplier that claimed to be good enough for stainless steel frets. I paid $25. They’re decent, and I still use them to this day, but they’re not cut super straight and they’re a little floppy, and while they did stand up to a full stainless steel fret job, they could stand to be a little harder as well.

In retrospect, the $38 + shipping that StewMac charges for their equivalent tool would have been worth it to me. The fact of the matter is, good tools are expensive. This applies across the board. Most of the tools in places like HomeDepot are just junk, but most people aren’t willing to pay for the real stuff. Have you even seen what a quality set of drill bits cost? It’s crazy, but once you’ve burned through enough of those trash “titanium coated” HomeDepot drill bits, you’ll start thinking about buying something of actual quality.
 
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Quality tools aren't cheap. Take a gander at the prices on MAC and Snap-On tools. They are expensive for good reason. They last a lifetime. Like Rane said, don't use Home Depot tools as a reference. You get what you pay for in the tool world. For occasional use by a hobbyist, the import tools can work fine, but for a shop that relies on tools for daily use, it is very much worth paying for quality.
 
Yes, I think they took advantage of the DIY market, along with forums that heavily link to them -
I think they need competition, they are almost the monopoly of parts....

its now cheaper for me to have my guy do it with HIS parts rather than bring my own to him, buying them beforehand, like I used to do

anyway....im done buying and selling anyway, actually I wanted to Adjust my Fishman fluence on my guitar because I don't like how the ESP custom shop prewired it, but I was going to get a push pull or DPTDT switch, and now, I am not going to because its economically not worth it- ill just use the Axe Fx 3's EQ lol!! right?!
 
I buy some of my supplies from Stew Mac. I think their prices are actually pretty reasonable given the quality level. I can buy a cheap pair of diagonal cutters at Harbor Freight for about $3. I spent ten times that buying a high-precision pair from Stew Mac, and they are more like a surgical instrument than a tool. I don't need that kind of quality for projects around the house. But when I'm wiring instruments or pedals on my workbench, I want a perfect cut that will solder cleanly.
As far as specialty stuff like fret wire, truss rods, inlays, etc... you can get those things from other suppliers too. Stew Mac has always done right by me, so I haven't had a reason to switch.
 
StewMac's target market are those who make a living building, maintaining, and repairing guitars. Professional Luthiers. High quality durable tools pay for themselves quickly in that scenario.

For people who just want to maintain their own instruments, where you're not actually making money with the tools, the price can seem steep. But ask any professional how much lower-quality tools cost them in constant replacement (and possibly breaking mid-job and causing more damage) and the benefit becomes quite clear, IMO.
 
Hi,
Nothing worse than struggling away at a project with substandard tools!
Like all tools, the good ones cost considerably more. Look at an axe fx 3 😜
Thanks
Pauly
 
Do you play $100 guitars, if so work on them with cheap tools. If you play decent guitars, use decent tools. I can just see some one taking a $10,000 Gibson to a luthier using dollar tools.
 
I am a guitar tech on the side. Not my bread and butter. But I pad my income well with it. Maybe they are higher quality. I think even still there is room for another company to make quality at a lower price. Not saying pennies...but decent.
 
Yes, I can't count how many times I see something new they have and I'm like THAT IS COOL!, and then I see the price and immediately gag.
 
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