Best bass guitar hardware according to redditors

Nope. But this looks damn cool!

Not being able to find one, you might try to make one yourself. Just need a piece of clear plexiglass (1/8" thick max). It's fairly easy to cut, probably with a jigsaw, and just drill some holes in it with a drill. Might be a cool little project. Usually plexiglass comes with a protective adhesive paper covering to protect it from scratches during the process.

I made myself a control plate for my Precision, years ago, just out of a blue piece of plastic. Since there's no pickguard on the bass. I made it sort of teardrop shaped, or sort of like half a yin-yang shape...

Also... https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Aged-White-Stratocaster-Accessory/dp/B0002KZIVY

;)

I would just replace it, as they are not expensive. But I realize you may want to keep the original part on the guitar.

I don't have a lot of experience de-rusting chrome finished steel, but I know that there is a product called "Naval Jelly" that is supposed to be good for this sort of thing.

If it were my guitar, I would be replacing the butterfly string tree with a low friction product, like the one below:

https://www.amazon.com/GraphTech-PQL-7004-00-Sleek-String-Trees/dp/B0051Y0S6Q

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/graph-tech-black-tusq-xl-sleek-string-tree

So I think I'm going make a Thinline Tele. Going to build the body and buy a prebuilt neck. What all hardware do I need? Right now I've found:

• Body blank
  
• Tele Bridge
  
• Thinline pickguard
  
• Vintage Reissue pickups
  
• 2 potentiometers
  
• 3 way switch (and tip)
  
• binding
  
• Switchcraft input jack and cup
  
• knobs
  
• neck plate and screws
  
• string ferrules
  
• Telecaster neck
  
• tuners
  
  I guess I should probably get extra wiring? Anything else?

http://www.amazon.com/DiMarzio-EP1301-Switchcraft-Output-Jack/dp/B000G8BD20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319070399&sr=8-1

This is basically what I have. Is this not a 3-way ON-ON-ON DPDT 6-pole switch? Thanks for the info!

https://www.amazon.com/DiMarzio-3-Position-DPDT-Mini-Switch/dp/B000H1AKJ8

If your problem is specifically on a Fender bass then it's because that's how Fender's are. Fender even knows about this so they made some equipment that you can buy (instead of fixing the problem) :/ here it is: https://www.amazon.com/Fender-0078972049-STEALTH-STRING-RETAINER/dp/B00UL49CRW

I'm sure you can find it for cheaper somewhere else. But what I do instead of buying a string retainer is I just wind my string so that it is at the lowest point that I can get and it seems to work for the most part.

If you don't own a fender bass then I have no advice for you other than try winding the string on the tuners so it's as close to the neck as possible.