Recommended Equipment for Maintenance for Musical Instruments and Replacing Parts - Long User of Your Instrument

If you're reading this article, chances are you own some musical instruments or other gear. To make your instruments and equipment last longer, regularly replacing consumable parts is essential. Fortunately, Sound House offers a wide variety of replacement parts.
In this article, I will introduce some of the parts I’ve personally replaced myself and felt were genuinely worth it. While these are based on my own experiences, I hope they serve as a helpful reminder, or even a revelation for fellow musicians and gear lovers: “Wait, I can replace that?”

Parts worth replacing various screws on guitars and basses

Screws like those on pickguards, especially when made of steel, can start to rust from sweat while playing. If your guitar or bass has rusted screws, it’s a good idea to replace them early. Rusted screws are more likely to strip, and in the worst case, you might not be able to remove them at all.

Sound House fortunately stocks a wide range of screws. I replaced the pickguard screws on my Gibson Thunderbird because the rust was bothering me. I chose stainless steel screws made by Montreux (Pickguard screws Gibson style inch Stainless). With no more worries about rust, I can now play more comfortably.

MONTREUX / Pickguard screws Gibson style inch Stainless (10)

Also, swapping in brand-new screws can instantly give your instrument a fresher, brighter look. It can help you approach your playing with a renewed mindset. The color changed from black to silver, but I figure that’s a small price to pay compared to dealing with rust.

Parts worth replacing the rubber bushings on BOSS compact effects pedals

If you're a guitarist or bassist, chances are you've used a BOSS compact effects pedal at least once in your life. Maybe you picked one up as a beginner thinking, “BOSS looks cool!” Later, as an intermediate player, you might’ve brushed it off like, “Eh, it’s just BOSS,” but still used it. Then, as an experienced player, you realize, “BOSS really is the most practical after all,” and can’t let it go. They’re truly great pedals, but they do have their weak points.
One of those is the small rubber bushing on the screw used for battery access. Over time, it tends to get brittle and start falling apart. In some cases, it’s already half-torn, or worse, it just disappears without you even noticing. This kind of thing happens a lot.

I had been using a pedal with a worn-out, crumbling rubber bushing for quite some time. One day, I thought, “I wonder if you can actually buy this part,” so I searched, and sure enough, I found it (BOSS / 17041652). It was inexpensive, so I ordered it right away.
Replacing the rubber bushing was simple. That lingering feeling of “this worn-out bit is kind of bothering me” was completely gone, and honestly, it felt great for my peace of mind.

BOSS / 17041652

Parts worth replacing headphone earpads and headbands

When you use headphones over time, the earpads inevitably start to wear out. If you keep using them in this state, they can eventually tear, exposing the inner foam. That might be fine for home use, but if you also want to use them outside, it becomes a problem and replacement becomes necessary.

Not every model has replacement pads available, but for popular models like the Sony MDR-CD900ST or Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, parts are readily sold. In my case, I use the Sennheiser HD25, and thankfully, a variety of parts are available for it as well. Items like earpads and headbands are consumables, so I’ve made a habit of replacing them regularly, and I’ve been using the same pair of headphones for over 20 years. They may not be the most modern-looking headphones, but they’re my favorite, and I plan to keep using them for another 10 or 20 years. For the earpads, I chose a third-party option (YAXI / HD25TB-BLK). They’re softer than the stock pads, and I really like how they feel.

YAXI / HD25 TypeB Black HD25TB-BLK

Parts worth replacing DJ mixer knobs

For me, the most surprising item I’ve found (Wait, they sell this too?!) was replacement knobs for Pioneer DJ mixers (Pioneer DJ / DAA1434). I had a knob that had become wobbly, likely from bumping into something, and the inside had cracked. I replaced it, and as expected, the wobble was gone and the smooth feel returned.

Pioneer DJ / DAA1434

They also seem to sell other parts like fader caps, so if you're having issues with your mixer, I recommend doing a quick search. You might find exactly what you need and solve a problem you thought you'd just have to live with.

Parts worth replacing earphone plugs

If you use wired earphones or headphones regularly, you’ve probably dealt with the dreaded issue of a broken cable. Things like the sound constantly cutting out or the left side suddenly stopped working are common problems.

But here’s the thing, when your earphones or headphones stop working due to a broken cable, you might actually be able to fix them yourself. In many cases, the break happens near the plug. If you're having trouble, try gently moving the cable near the plug. If the sound comes back even for a moment, the break is likely in that area.

Once you find the damaged spot, the repair is fairly simple: cut the cable near the break and attach a new plug. Sound House carries plugs you can use for this kind of repair, and they’re inexpensive. They’re just a few hundred yen. Compared to buying a new pair of earphones or headphones, it’s both more affordable and more eco-friendly.
The plug I chose for replacement was the NEUTRIK NTP3RC-B. It has a nice weight and solid feel to it.

NEUTRIK / NTP3RC-B

Note that soldering irons are necessary for attaching plugs, but for instrument enthusiasts, using a soldering iron is almost like a rite of passage. This could be a great opportunity to give it a try. Once you’re comfortable with a soldering iron, you can easily fix broken cables and even make your own. It can open the door to fun projects like building your own effects pedals.

So far, I’ve introduced some parts that I’m glad I replaced. What’s common among them is that by replacing parts, I was able to extend the lifespan of my beloved gear—and my attachment to these items grew even stronger.
I encourage you all to try replacing parts yourself.

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