Functional parts · 2026
3D printed musical instrument parts and accessories
Which musical instrument parts can be 3D printed?
Accessories and plastic spare parts that don't take the string tension: potentiometer knobs, control cavity and tremolo spring covers, scratchplates, acoustic bridge pins, capos, effects pedal enclosures and knobs, thumb rests, ligatures, mic adapters, wall hangers and stands. Necks, bridges and anything that shapes the sound, not without testing. PETG or ASA for functional parts, resin for small, detailed ones. A small part costs about €10, excluding VAT and shipping. Fabrishare is a network of makers: post the part for free and get quotes within 24–48 hours.
What holds up printed, and what is best left to a luthier?
A printed part works well where the factory part was already plastic and doesn't carry the string tension or shape the sound.
Printing works well for
- Potentiometer and selector knobs, and fader caps for synths and mixing desks
- Control cavity, battery and tremolo spring covers
- Custom scratchplates (pickguards) and pickup rings
- Acoustic guitar bridge pins and pick holders
- Capos, and effects pedal enclosures and knobs
- Thumb rests, ligatures, mouthpiece caps and lyre holders for wind instruments
- Mic adapters and clips, wall hangers, music stands and sheet music clips
Better left to a luthier or bought ready-made
- Necks, headstocks, glued bridges and any part that takes the string tension
- The soundpost and bridge of bowed instruments
- Nut and saddle: they can be tried, but they change the sound
- Machine heads: their gears are metal
- Mouthpieces: anything that goes in the mouth needs a suitable material (see below)
- Springs, rods, pads and key mechanisms on wind instruments
Part by part: what to measure and which material
The file is enough. Without one, these details save rounds of changes:
| Part | What to measure or send | Usual material |
|---|---|---|
| Potentiometer knob | The shaft: if it's splined, count the splines (24 fine or 18 coarse); if solid, its diameter (6 mm or 6.35 mm) and whether it has a D-flat. Knob height and diameter | Resin for fine splines; PETG with a grub screw for a solid shaft |
| Control cavity or spring cover | The old cover, or the cavity traced on paper, with the screw holes | PETG or ASA |
| Scratchplate | The old one or a template of the body, with the pickup and control cut-outs and screw holes | PETG or ASA; in two pieces if it's large |
| Bridge pins (acoustic) | Diameter at the top and bottom, length and how many | Tough resin or PETG |
| Effects pedal enclosure | Inside dimensions, position of jacks, footswitch and pots, and the board if you have it | PETG or ASA, with thick walls under the footswitch |
| Thumb rest or ligature | Instrument, diameter where it clamps and photos with a ruler | PETG or tough resin; TPU for the pad |
| Mic or stand adapter | Both threads or fittings: 5/8″ (found on almost all mic clips) or 3/8″ (common on European stands) | PETG with a metal threaded insert |
| Wall hanger or stand | Weight and shape of the instrument, and which wall it goes on | PETG or ASA with high infill |
What should you know about pedals, wind and scratchplates?
Effects pedal enclosures
A printed enclosure can take any shape, size or colour, but plastic doesn't shield against noise the way aluminium does: it's lined inside with copper tape with conductive adhesive, connected to ground. The footswitch gets stamped on again and again: thick walls and PETG or ASA, never PLA.
If a standard aluminium enclosure will do, it's usually cheaper to buy one. Printing pays off when you want a shape that doesn't exist, a lid, knobs or a pedalboard mount.
Wind instruments: what goes in the mouth
Thumb rests, ligatures, caps, lyre holders and plugs print without problems. Mouthpieces, not by default: general-purpose resin isn't suitable for the mouth. A 2022 study of 3D printed mouthpiece adapters ruled out a standard resin and found two medical-grade resins suitable.
If you want a printed mouthpiece, ask specifically for a material certified for mouth contact, and for the maker to confirm it in their offer.
Large scratchplates
A full electric guitar scratchplate is large and flat: it fits on printers with a big bed; otherwise it's printed in two pieces with the joint hidden under a pickup. On such a large surface the layers show: ask the maker about the finish (smooth side down on the bed, sanding or paint).
Vintage instruments
Parts the manufacturer no longer sells: knobs for old organs, keyboards and amps, covers, music stand and case parts. They're reproduced from the old part or photos with a ruler, and the colour is matched with the material and finish: dyed resin, or primer and paint.
Which material for each instrument part?
Rounded values; they vary with the material brand and how the part is printed.
| Material | What for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | Fit tests and decorative parts that stay indoors | Softens around 55 °C: a car boot in the sun will warp it |
| PETG | Almost everything functional: covers, enclosures, holders and adapters | Softens around 70 °C |
| ASA or ABS | Parts in the sun or near heat; matt finish | Hold up to about 90–100 °C; fewer makers print them than PETG |
| Resin | Knobs with fine splines, bridge pins and small parts with detail or lettering | Standard resin is brittle: for parts that are pressed on, tough resin |
| TPU | Pads, protectors, stops and endpin stoppers | It's flexible: no good for parts that must be rigid |
Colour: in FDM, the filament's colour (black, white, cream, wood-effect); resin can be dyed, or primed and painted, to match an old part.
How much does it cost to print an instrument part?
Ballpark prices for the whole order, excluding VAT and shipping, worked out with the Fabrishare calculator in FDM. A knob, a set of bridge pins or a small cover, about 3 cm across, costs about €10 (€6–€17) and takes about 20 minutes of machine time; a cover or enclosure about 6 cm across costs €7–€19. For a workshop or a brand, 100 identical knobs come to about €3.65 each. If it has to be modelled, design is extra; each maker quotes large scratchplates and stands by size.
| Part | Technology | Range | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small spare part (bracket, clip) | FDM | €6 – €17 | €10 |
| Medium case or cover | FDM | €7 – €19 | €12 |
| Run of 100 small parts | FDM | €219 – €585 | €365 |
What should you send the maker so it fits first time?
The old part, even if it's broken: keep the pieces. Photos from the front and side next to a ruler, and calliper measurements of whatever has to fit: shaft, holes, thread or cavity.
The instrument and its model if you know it, and what the part does: a cover that only covers isn't the same as a hanger that holds the instrument. If there's no file, a maker who designs will model it, and the design is quoted separately.
For a part that has to fit (a push-on knob, a bridge pin, a thread), a test print before the final one is worth it: the maker tunes the clearances to their printer. Spare and functional parts were 26 of the 110 requests registered on Fabrishare between May and October 2026, and 22 came with their file.
Other functional parts
Spare parts
The general guide: which spare parts can be printed, materials and how to order them.
3D printed spare partsAdapters
Parts that join two things that don't fit: mounts, threads, pipes.
Custom adaptersElectronics enclosures
Made-to-measure cases for a board, a DIY synth or a controller.
Custom electronics enclosuresResin or FDM
Which technology suits the size, detail and use of the part.
Resin vs FDM: which to choose
How to order your part
- 1Post your project for free with the file, or with photos next to a ruler, the measurements and which instrument it's for.
- 2Makers in the network send you their offer with price, material and lead time within 24–48 hours.
- 3You compare, choose, and the maker prints it and ships it to you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to 3D print a guitar knob?
A small part about 3 cm across, such as a knob or a cover, costs about €10 (€6–€17) in FDM, excluding VAT and shipping; a set of identical knobs costs less per piece. If it has to be modelled, design is extra. Each maker gives the exact price in their offer.
How do I know which potentiometer knob I need?
Look at the shaft. If it's splined, count the splines: there are 24 (fine) and 18 (coarse), and a knob for one won't go on the other. If it's solid, measure its diameter (6 mm or 6.35 mm) and check for a D-flat. Fine splines come out better in resin; for a solid shaft, PETG with a grub screw.
Can a guitar scratchplate be 3D printed?
Yes, in PETG or ASA. A full electric guitar scratchplate is large: it fits on printers with a big bed, or else it's made in two pieces with the joint under a pickup. Send the old one or a template with the cut-outs and screw holes; the price depends on size and each maker quotes it.
Can an effects pedal enclosure be 3D printed?
Yes, in PETG or ASA, with thick walls under the footswitch. Plastic doesn't shield against noise like aluminium: it's lined inside with copper tape with conductive adhesive, connected to ground. If a standard aluminium enclosure will do, buying one is usually cheaper.
Can a saxophone or trumpet mouthpiece be 3D printed?
Not by default: general-purpose resin isn't suitable for the mouth. Only in a material certified for mouth contact, which the maker should confirm in their offer. Accessories that don't go in the mouth (thumb rests, ligatures, caps, lyre holders) print without problems.
What about the nut or the saddle?
They can be tried, but they change the sound and take the pressure of the strings: bone or the factory's hard plastic usually works better. If you want to try a printed one, ask for tough resin and treat it as a test, not the final part.
What is the best material for instrument parts?
PETG for almost everything functional, ASA if it will be in the sun or near heat, resin for small detailed parts (fine splines, lettering) and TPU for pads and protectors. PLA only for tests: it softens around 55 °C.
I don't have a file. Can someone design it?
Yes: a maker who designs will model it from the old part, photos next to a ruler and calliper measurements, and the design is quoted separately. If it's broken, keep the pieces.
Can they make a batch for my workshop or brand?
Yes. The usual way is to approve a test part and then order the run. For reference, 100 identical small FDM parts come to about €3.65 each, excluding VAT and shipping.