Sourcing components....

[Fndr8875]

Ok, so id be happy to just order from tayda, with a couple exceptions....First we all know about there resistors. I mean it just kinda really gets me that they can stock good stuff in like every category. except like the cheapest one there is. I dont have to have metal film, I ordered some a 100 pack from the ebay reseller and they were on par with those resistor assortments you get for like 5 bucks. Ive decided when i can affort to make an order at the end of month im going with a large MLCC assortment, im perpetually unorganized and so will order as much stuff in prelabled containers as i can.  the ones im looking at have 5 perent tolerenes and good reviews, i got enough ics, i can afford small bears resistor kits, Id get one of radioshacks they are 15 bucks but they never have them in stock. I never have enough money to make a good bulk order, and end up finding my self buying ala cart and its frustration constantly waiting on things to arrive, always being one or parts short, etc. Ive bben at this going on two years and its starting to become more frustration and fun. replies or tips welcome, pls no saying well  taydas resistors work for me idk what wrong w u n such. Mainly just venting but if anyone has any helpful advice id surly welcome it.

[bsoncini]

My least favorite part about any project.  The annoying thing for me is I normally source numerous projects at once. It is rare that one company has everything I need. So I have to order from 2 and get screwed on shipping. Everytime. Wherever I look (banzaii, Musikding, tayda, etc) they are always missing at least one thing I need. At least here in Paris we still have an electronics store that has most stuff except obscure audio ic's or germanium transistors.  The most annoying is the shipping times. I order from a European company and it is rare if I have the parts in under a 3 or 4 weeks. Or I can order from mouser which is here in 2 days from the US.

[EBRAddict]

I think most people underestimate how much stuff you need to keep on hand to be able to build almost any analog pedal. Sure you pay more in shipping but think about how much space and organizers you need to keep all that inventory, never mind the money. Looking back at it, maybe I would have been happier paying $25 shipping for every build, it sure would have been cheaper and I wouldn't spend half my time organizing.

[BrianS]

If you can deal with their not so user friendly site and you live in the US, Arrow has free shipping.  You can get good quality carbon resistors at very reasonable prices and in some cases less than a penny each.  If you live outside the US they have free international shipping at $50. If you are bulking up the above and Mouser, Digikey or Newark would get my $.  The only reason I even mention Arrow is because of the free shipping.  You can get a much better deal on resistors at the above mentioned businesses than most other places if you are buying quantity.

Not sure what's wrong with Tayda resistors. I don't buy a lot of resistors from them but the ones I've gotten pretty much measure out where they're suppose to. 

[Fndr8875]

that is my thing, is as soon as you think your stocked up, your find a pedal you just have to build, which either uses a bunch of one value, or all of your inbween values. i ofter wonder, wtf and i doing to myself, im literally driving myself crazy. But there is so much satisfaction in a completed pedal. I cant bring myself to even buy one anymore. I feel like somehow im taking the easy way out , and at the same time robbbing myself from that satisfaction of the first click, led comes right on, and everything works as it should. I am gonna break down and buy a reverb pedal when i get my taxes. I want a EQD ghost echo. I have a laser print of it sitting right next to me, but tools can be the same way, im outta carbide bits, i drill by hand, and with the cost of the belton brick and the time itd take, plus having like no parts right now, i posted in parts jar and BrianS was nice enough to send me a few 2n7000s and a 20k pot so i can finish my ocd build. But i think ill need a break after that because it can consume hours on end, $ like its nothing when your really get into a bulid and your so focused, but for me those hours nothin else exists, and htat has helped me get through some stuff. But anyway, ill restock soon and hopefully i can plan better so its not as bad. Lol yea we still got a radioshack, and its funny their 1uf film capacitors are about the size of a 3pdt with out the switch part, lol. Even funnier is there parts drawer, they are massive, and have a lot of stuff in them, except stuff anyone wants.  They do have 4 of the mxr style knobs for 3.99, 15 pack of npns 3904, 4401,2222 for 3 bucks, and the equivilant pnp, and like 100 pack of 1n914/1418s for 3.49. Im sure stores still left in bigger cities are better stocked, but the staff cant tell u any thing, so i always have to drive up there to check, just to be dissappointed. oh well thats my story

[AntKnee]

The only thing to avoid at tayda is some of their ICs and transistors. I started a thread complaining about their resistors only to discover my meter was junk and was giving bad readings. Most of their parts are fine, and many of us, including myself, buy from them. If you can afford it, when you order, buy extras. Its usually not much more and then you have parts on hand later. This especially applies to capacitors and resistors. I have a LOT of stoff on hand and I still have to order some things and wait for them so I can finish a pedal. Its just part of the process. While you wait, you can decide what to build next and make sure you have all the parts and make a list for the next order.

[devilsnight]

This can be an incredibly expensive hobby! I have over 300 bins at the moment to organize each component in. Don't really want to think about how much I have invested in all those drawers... I try and keep a list of future builds going so I can stay on top of my stock. That way I don't have to worry about missing a component. Order extra if you can because shipping gets you every time!
Ya, Radioshack does not cater to us at all. The only thing I go there for is solder.

[Muadzin]

I don't get it why people rag on Tayda's resisters for having thin leads. I LOVE those thin leads and I always check with a DMM before soldering and have never been proven wrong. Those thin leads make for excellent jumpers on vero boards as well. Whenever I come across one of those thicker leads resistors I feel like what the hell am I supposed to with these. It's like being used to playing on a thin neck Ibanez guitar and then suddenly have to play on some old Telecaster with a thick baseball bat for a neck.

[blearyeyes]

I don't get it why people rag on Tayda's resisters for having thin leads. I LOVE those thin leads and I always check with a DMM before soldering and have never been proven wrong. Those thin leads make for excellent jumpers on vero boards as well. Whenever I come across one of those thicker leads resistors I feel like what the hell am I supposed to with these. It's like being used to playing on a thin neck Ibanez guitar and then suddenly have to play on some old Telecaster with a thick baseball bat for a neck.

[blearyeyes]

I don't get it why people rag on Tayda's resisters for having thin leads. I LOVE those thin leads and I always check with a DMM before soldering and have never been proven wrong. Those thin leads make for excellent jumpers on vero boards as well. Whenever I come across one of those thicker leads resistors I feel like what the hell am I supposed to with these. It's like being used to playing on a thin neck Ibanez guitar and then suddenly have to play on some old Telecaster with a thick baseball bat for a neck.

I have been using tayda resistors for several years , the 1% metal ones, and have never found one out of spec. They only suck for trying to use them for breadboarding.

[devilsnight]

I don't get it why people rag on Tayda's resisters for having thin leads. I LOVE those thin leads and I always check with a DMM before soldering and have never been proven wrong. Those thin leads make for excellent jumpers on vero boards as well. Whenever I come across one of those thicker leads resistors I feel like what the hell am I supposed to with these. It's like being used to playing on a thin neck Ibanez guitar and then suddenly have to play on some old Telecaster with a thick baseball bat for a neck.

Exactly! Especially the part about the fender neck   

[Muadzin]

I have been using tayda resistors for several years , the 1% metal ones, and have never found one out of spec. They only suck for trying to use them for breadboarding.

I'll grant that about breadboarding. But since I don't have a breadboard, other then this wooden thing I use for breakfasts and lunch, I'll guess I'll be in the clear. 

[sturgeo]

I often use tayda resistors/caps for some of the lesser used component values if its not a value that warrants buying 100+, i do however test each one before just to check, so far they've all been good IIRC.

I received a shipment of components this week from one of my usual suppliers, CPC in the UK. I normally use them for jacks and a few other bits. I was shocked when i opened the box and found a large bag full of individually bagged electro caps, hundreds of them! what a waste of packaging and time! and to make it worse, as they didn't have all of them in stock a jiffy bag arrived today with a single cap in, still 10 to follow, i'm hoping they all turn up together... 

[Fndr8875]

my issues with the leads is of course breadboarding, and i like there to be relativly small gap between through hole and component. And with the thin leads takes more solder and just seems like you dont get as good of the mechanical connection. I seemed to have found a way yesterday where i have a new appreciation for them. I was at harbor freight yesterday, they always send u the 20% off and free gift email on fridays seems. But i found these

http://www.harborfreight.com/high-speed-steel-micro-drill-bit-set-30-pc-61526.html

Ive always just bought the Carbide bits w 1/8th inch shaft.

Any way they were only 4 bucks, wasnt sure if there smallest collet on thier cheapo rotary drill would even hold a .8mm bit , i had looked the conversion to inches up and 1/32" is like .79 mm....but fig whatever ill try n see. Turned out the 6mm will drill a perfect size hole for those thin leads. If you etch your own board, and have no silk screen to stop solder from running everywhere and a hole that is to big, ive never been able to make it work. with the size distance in hole and lead id have to try to use enough solder to fill the hole to secure resistor. Had times where id just get enough solder on there to hold it in place but the build would always eventually fail, sooner rather than later.  W the 6mm bit there is just enough room for lead. Anyway I never used smalled than .8mm bc the bulk of my components wouldnt even fit in a 6mm hole. Anyway that was always my problem, even the cheapest of the cheap no name ones off ebay that looked hand painted always measured right on point. Sure most of yall know this or arent as poor as me and just pay the extra few bucks for the Vishays or Xicons, hopefully i wont have to penny pince so hard for much longer lol. Theres a lot of sellers on ebay that have lots of 100 of all the good brand names for like 1.25 w combined shipping, usually 3 bucks for shipping, so u could come out w alot of very high quality resistors for not much.