Official Luthiers Forum!

Does anyone know of an alternative to the tape from stewmac which is available in the UK?
Iv'e found their tape excellent , but postage and tax combined with a change in financial circumstances (sob!) makes it too expensive to have shipped over.

When I need extra clamping pressure, I use fiber reinforced packing tape. You should be able to find that at any store that sells office supplies or shipping/freight materials.

hemp rope there's nothing like it

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Build log

I have been using the fibre packing tape for a while now & actually prefer it. It's stronger & being (more or less) transparent, you can see if the CA sneaks under it & clean up the mess before it hardens.
It also seems to stick better on a shellacked surface.

If you want, I can put a roll of the brown Stew Mac/LMI tape in the post to you, I always have half a dozen rolls spare as I add a few to any order I send over to the States. If you want to pay anything, well just put a pound in a charity tin.

Should be able to put it in the post Thursday. PM me with your postage details.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Scotch 233+ is better by far than the so-called "binding tape."

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I've found a UK online supplier of what appears to be exactly the same tape, but wider (25mm).
Its called 'ECO Paper Packaging Tape Brown' and costs £1.99 for a 50m roll (no minimum order, but carriage is £4.95 on orders under £30).
Not sure if I can give a link here, so pm if you want full details.

Jon

Howard, Never found it available for sale in the UK except by the case. Stuff that is available in the US isn't always on sale over here, and visa versa.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

+1 on the Scotch 233+, this is truly a great tape. For mandolins or tight areas I double it up but single strips work fine for places where the binding doesn't need to be forced. Of course I Never force my binding (hem hem) It also has just a little bit of stretch to it. I bought a 6-pack off Amazon for pretty cheap. By accident got I got the 3/4" wide, I prefer the 1".

Alan D.

Do any stores carry Scotch 233+, or is it a specialty item?

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Auto body supply stores should carry it. I buy it retail in Canada at Canadian Tire.

I got mine at a NAPA auto parts store.

Thanks guys, I don't know why I didn't think of autoparts stores. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Colin,
Check with a friendly local autobody shop if you only need a few rolls of green tape. They use miles of it and I'm sure would sell you some. We have shops here which specialize in Auto Paint and BodyShop supplies known as "Automotive Paint Jobbers". If you can't find one, check with a local auto body shop and inquire where they purchase their supplies. I get my green tape, wet/dry paper, 3M PPS supplies and polishes from my local store. These guys are masters at mixing and matching colors in case you need a custom match.

+1 on the 3M 233+ tape. I think its much better than the "binding tape" - no sticky residue and safe for lacquer work.

Here's a UK supplier of the stuff

http://www.smallwonder-music.co.uk/shop ... p-102-411/

great guy really helpful

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

I haven't managed to source the 233+ here in Germany, but the brown 233 tape is readily available. How does it compare with the 233+ ? And how does it compare to the SM binding tape? I'm looking for an alternate to the SM tape, as it's just too expensive having it shipped over here, with shipping, German customs etc.
Has anybody tried the brown 233?

Grahame

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http://www.myers-guitars.com
"If you can break it, I can fix it!"

I've used the blue scotch masking tape successfully before I ordered from SM
-Amazon.co.k - http://www.amazon.co.uk/3M-High-Performance-Masking-Tape/dp/B004L9XBDO/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1307525754&sr=8-2-fkmr0

Also use this for masking when finishing.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Again we are looking at the differences between the US and Europe as to what is available. None of the body shops or factors within an hour or so of me use Scotch, 3M seems to be the make used here. Scotch seems to be available only wholesale on-line by the case to account customers, not retail. 3M may have a similar tape, but for 50 or so instruments the brown binding tape has been fine.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Thanks for the tip: the 3M 3434 is readily available here, although of course it costs more than in England (everything is more expensive in Germany )

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http://www.myers-guitars.com
"If you can break it, I can fix it!"

Colin
As far as I know scotch is 3M, it's just a brand name of 3M

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http://www.myers-guitars.com
"If you can break it, I can fix it!"

Yes I know, but different product lines in different markets.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

+1

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Except for the wonderful German made luthier tools, and finishing supplies! (Hammerl, Dick tools etc)

Colin,

If you want to try the Scotch tape, pm me your address and I'll pick some up and send it to you. Seems only right that someone should offer to you what you so readily offered to someone else.

Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.