Case Ageing and Restoration Supplies
Montreux Parts FAQs
1) I noticed that the Montreux products are divided into three categories: Time Machine, Retrovibe and Selected Parts… what are the differences between the categories?
Good question! The Time Machine collection are meant to be the most vintage correct, historically accurate parts available.Many of the parts were made from molds of original 1950s and 1960s Gibson and Fender parts….ensuring that things like number size and letter font are the same as original. Whenever possible, the parts are made from the exact same materials as the original Gibson and Fender parts…for example the
1962 strat knob set is made of soft nylon as they were in the early 60s.The Time Machine Les Paul switch tips are made of a bakelite type material that is quite close to the original catalin resin used in the late 50s…quite different from the material in modern aftermarket switch tips.If you want the most historically correct parts for your Les Paul or stratocaster, the Time Machine collection is the way to go.
The Retrovibe line of parts is marketed as vintage on a budget. For the most part these are commercially available aftermarket parts that are convincingly aged in Japan by Montreux , not as historically correct as the Time Machine line but available at lower cost than the corresponding Time Machine parts.
Selected parts are a generic line of common guitar parts such as jacks, pots, bridge saddles etc. Many of these parts are exclusive to Montreux ,but not all.
2) Does GM Vintage stock everything?
We try to keep a good selection of the Time Machine and Retrovibe lines in stock at all times, but the Montreux lineup is now so large and diverse that it would be very difficult to stock everything. We are happy to order anything for you that we don’t currently have in stock.
3) How do you ship Montreux parts?
Since the vast majority of our customers are US based, we have found the most efficient and economical way of shipping is by Canada Post/USPS.
4) How much does shipping cost?
Canada Post’s standard shipping rate on a flat package under 50 grams to the United States is $5.00. I ship all orders in bubble mailers which cost just under $2.00, so minimum shipping is $7.00. Heavier items like a bridge or tailpiece and studs will run around $10, a Stratocaster pickguard is about $15. I can mail a larger 10 X 10 X 4 inch box to most of the continental US for roughly $15-20 , depending on weight of contents.
5) Will my shipment have tracking?
USPS offers free tracking to parcels mailed withing the US and Canada Post offers a free tracking service for inter-Canada shipments, however tracking a parcel from Canada to the States adds roughly $22.00 to the shipping total.Since 2007 I have mailed over 2000 Montreux orders to US customers by Canada Post/USPS without problem, so I feel that tracking is an unnecessary expense unless the order is fairly large. However, I am happy to provide tracking for any order if the customer is willing to pay the extra charge
6) How long will it take to get my order?
All orders are shipped by air mail , which is the fastest economical level of service.Canada Post says shipping to the west coast US is 4-5 business days and that the east coast can be up to 10 business days. My experience is that in most cases shipping is a bit faster than that, but it all depends on the volume of mail traffic crossing the border on the day your order crosses.Orders placed in December are likely to be slowed down by Christmas volume, so please take that into account.
7) What if my order does go missing?
I believe in treating people the way I would like to be treated, so if after a reasonable amount of time your order has not shown up I will either replace it or refund the customer’s money. The orders I have sent ALWAYS show up eventually, but once in a while they take a bit longer than expected for whatever reason.I ask you to be patient if your order seems to be late……….I can’t count the number of times I have received angry emails regarding slow postal service, only to receive an apology later the same day from the customer when the order shows up.I have no control over the delivery process once I hand over your order, please take that into consideration.
8) How often do you order from Japan and how long do special orders take?
I generally do large orders to replenish stock about every 3 weeks…..this also includes any special orders for individual customers. Delivery from Japan via Fedex takes 2 weeks…for some reason my orders go from Japan to Vancouver to Seattle to Memphis to Los Angeles and back to Vancouver……if anyone reading this works for Fedex, I would love a logical explanation as to why this happens! Count on a minimum of 2 weeks if you contact me just prior to my placing an order, up to a month if you just missed me. Minimum Fedex delivery charge from Japan to Canada is $80 ,so it is not economically feasible to do multiple smaller orders.
9) Are quantity discounts available?
Yes, GM Vintage personally offers discounts for larger orders. Please contact Gord Miller by email stating what you are after and I’ll see what I can do to help.
10)What are my payment options?
Most of my customers pay using paypal, but we also are able to accept Visa or Mastercard. We also accept bank cashier’s checks or international money orders in US funds. Please note that due to increased international bank fraud, Canadian banks now put a hold on out of country money orders for approximately a week…..unfortunately just the way it is
11) I’m interested in selling Montreux parts in my store or using them in my guitar related business, are dealer opportunities available?
Yes! While GM Vintage has North American distribution rights for the Montreux products line, we are interested in expanding our product awareness in both Canada and the US and we are looking for partners to help achieve that. Please contact Gord Miller directly to discuss the possibilities.