Basic Tools (Most Accurate)for Guitar Setup/Repair

Stew Mac has this: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Neck,_fingerboard/Basic_Setup_Kit.html

Add a couple other of there tools and you'll be able to get most jobs done.

 

Not to be rude, but that setup kit is a waste of money. All those tools can be replaced with a 6" steel rule and some reading. You'll need a few screw drivers, as well.

 

My most used "specialty" tools are a diamond fretfile (wide and narrow sides) and a set of nut files.

 

I would never pay ~$90 for that. Everything that comes in the kit can be had for less than $20 probably.

 

It doesn't have to be a diamond file.

 

For setups (well, what I term setups) I use a feeler gauge from an auto supply store, a set of hex keys, & a capo.

For string changes I grab my sidecutters &, on the dining room table, use a pillow & "neck brace" (actually a wall hanger for a bass).

 

The radius gauge and the action gauge are very nice and can't be readily replaced at Home Depot. I agree the "Precision Straight Edge" is a bit over the top, and at nearly $90.00 its all pricey. But what it lets you know is what you do need to get started. I'd add a decent vice (Stew Macs is nice, but again, pricey) and some cauls. There Truss Rod kit is very nice, but you could probably get by with a large assortment of hex keys, there's another example.

 

Check out Stew Mac, they have some good tools, including the kit. You'll be able to recognize readily available tools you can get from say, Home Depot, and specialty tools for luthiers. Here's another site with some good tools that I have bought from:

http://torresengineering.com/combaskit.html

Here's another usefull site: http://www.projectguitar.com/ref/supply.htm

 

Buy The Guitar Player Repair Guide. A proper setup can be done with a 6" steel ruler, the proper truss rod wrench, a good tuner and a screw driver. You don't need radius gauges. They're more of a pain than they're worth. You don't need radius anything until you start doing fret work, and even then you don't absolutely need it. It does help to have radiused sanding blocks.

 

I have the Stew-Mac basic setup kit, and the guitar player's repair guide. I like them both, although the radius guages that come with the kit are sized for guitar and 4-string basses only; I still was able to get a pretty good setup going on my 5 string BTB by using the guages to get me to a good starting point.

Plus, they told me what radius sanding block to buy; turns out that most of my instruments, guitar and bass both, had the same fingerboard radius.

I disagree with the assessment that a precision straightedge is a waste of money; a framer's square, at least, is necessary to properly see the relief in a bass neck, and the bevel ground into the stew-mac straightedge makes that job a bit easier on my eyes, at least.

The Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine goes into great detail on how to make enough of your own tools to get by, which ones make your life easier, and which ones are for major overhauls or production work. I'd get a copy of it before I bought anything else; it's even divided into beginner, intermediate, and pro sections depending on how in-depth you want or need to go.

 

Oh! I didn't mean that a precision straight edge was a waste of money, just that Stew Macs was a bit pricey when you could use almost any precision straight edge. A sis inceh ruller is a bit lacking in my book, I like something that coveres more of the fret board. And as far as I am concerned Erlewines book is the bible.

 

You don't need a precision straight edge to do a setup. *sigh* The strings will work just fine to determine relief. I use machinist parallels to check for high frets.

 

Get something like the "Roadie Wrench"
http://www.amazon.com/Roadie-Rench/dp/B0002E590K
I picked up one similar from Home Depot for pretty cheap.

 

I think the need for a seperate precision straight edge depends on what you are doing with it. For setups I capo at the 1st fret & press down on the last fret, so the string at tension then becomes the straightedge.

I think a lot of tools depend on the frequency & depth of use. Is a powered string winder a good idea? It's not worth it to me, but if I was restringing over 25 acoustics a day I might then change my mind.

 

I just use a Planet Waves crank type string winder. There are cheaper ones available, too. I don't string 25 guitars a day. I would rig up an electric drill or screwdriver, if I did.

 

The more you play, the more you start to want to adjust your own axe, the more tools you need. I used to get by with a few hand tools and hex wrenches. Then I realized that I can't always communicate my needs accurately to my guitar techs (or they aren't listening, take your pick) and bought some nut files. Now I do my own nuts and bridges. I've about had it with letting my techs do my electronics, so I'm going to learn how to solder next. When I get around to filing and replacing frets, I'll be pretty self-sufficient, and that's my goal.

 

For me it does. I find them much better that any other type.