Best Allen/Hex key set for guitar repair?

[bigmikebass]

I recently asked a question about solder and got great responses and help so I thought- here's my next question…
What is a top quality allen/hex key set available in metric and sae with sizes most relevant to to instrument repair/maintainence?
Thanks in advance,
Mike

 

[ColdEye]

Bondhus, Vessel, Wera are good choices.

 

[ardgedee]

A comprehensive hex wrench set is good to have on principle, you'll use it for other things in your house/shop/whatever, in addition to guitar. I still have my Craftsman sets from before the CEO had completely devalued the brand, so that's probably not an option for you unless you happen across a good estate sale.

 

[Zooberwerx]

These are my favorites. Of course, they never make into the plastic case and now reside in various cigar boxes.

30Pcs Hex Key Allen Wrench Set, SAE Metric Hex Key Set with Case | eBay

STORAGE CASE - Sturdy carry case with marked slots.High-visibility sizes marked on each wrench and sturdy carrying case for fast size selection and easy organization. 15 SAE Long Arm Allen Wrenches (1 of Each Size).

www.ebay.com

Riis

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

If you have the cash for it, PB Swiss makes very high quality tools in Switzerland.

PB Swiss Tools: Hex Key L-Wrenches

The perfect dimensional accuracy and the hard and tough special alloying make for precise, durable tools. The variety of long and short hex key L-wrenches, chrome-plated or powder-coated, with or without ball head, leaves nothing to be desired.

www.amazon.com

Otherwise, Bondhus makes quality tools in Minnesota, USA.

https://www.amazon.com/s?srs=18465731011&rh=p_89%3ABondhus

Wiha is also good. Made in Germany and Poland.

L-Keys

www.wihatools.com

 

[Gervais Cote]

Bondhus, Eklind and Wera have been the best and toughest ones for me over time.

 

[erratick]

I don't really mind who made the hex keys, but I end up needing T handled and L shaped at different times. So just buy what you need. I think most of my L type are cheap like the one zooberwerx linked, and I only have normal not ball end in those.


But the T handle bondhus are pretty good. I didn't like the handle on Eklind, but you might like them. I end up with ball end and normal T handle if you do enough truss rods, but since you need a couple metrics and a couple sae, you end up with a bunch. And then the 4mm walks off or falls where you can't see it.

 

[CoughSyrup]

A comprehensive hex wrench set is good to have on principle, you'll use it for other things in your house/shop/whatever, in addition to guitar. I still have my Craftsman sets from before the CEO had completely devalued the brand, so that's probably not an option for you unless you happen across a good estate sale.

The CEO was just following orders. PE is the villain in this and so many other stories of once-great American brands.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Snap-on (kidding, no knowledge of their stuff)

 

[el murdoque]

If you are made of money, simply get this:

Wera Tool Rebel Shop

Official Wera Shop ★ Customizable tools ★ Wera merch ★ Exclusive sets ★ Only available here ► Shop now!

toolrebels.de

The Wera instrument kit. I've gotten one long ago when they were not that expensive, and it really is all I need to perform complete setups on any of my basses.

 

[Zooberwerx]

If you are made of money, simply get this:

Wera Tool Rebel Shop

Official Wera Shop ★ Customizable tools ★ Wera merch ★ Exclusive sets ★ Only available here ► Shop now!

toolrebels.de

The Wera instrument kit. I've gotten one long ago when they were not that expensive, and it really is all I need to perform complete setups on any of my basses.

Hmmm...I'm gonna start marketing this:



Riis

 

[Camaro69]

I do service work for a living, use the Eklind brand on a daily basis

 

[ardgedee]

The CEO was just following orders. PE is the villain in this and so many other stories of once-great American brands.

Might be true of many companies but absolutely not true of Sears, which Eddie Lampert was badly mismanaging without any help long before most modern forms of private equity even existed.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

If you are made of money, simply get this:

Wera Tool Rebel Shop

Official Wera Shop ★ Customizable tools ★ Wera merch ★ Exclusive sets ★ Only available here ► Shop now!

toolrebels.de

The Wera instrument kit. I've gotten one long ago when they were not that expensive, and it really is all I need to perform complete setups on any of my basses.

Do they have an imperial set?

 

[FightMilk]

I got one of these free with a pedal purchase and man it's been awesome. I don't even know what's on it but it's always coming up with the right size for knobs and saddles and whatever.

 

[logdrum]

Ask your friends if they assembled a KIA furniture lately and ask for the Allen wrenches that comes in the box

 

[Michael Eisenman]

I picked up a comprehensive set of Kobalt SAE and metric hex wrenches at my local Lowe's store at an attractive price (about $25). It includes a force-multiplying and T handle. Of course, two sizes that I needed for two of my bridge's saddles—1 mm and 1.5 mm—are not represented in the set. I got them separately at a local hardware store in the bin section.

 

[the_hoople]

Bondhus double ball-end sets are excellent for guitar work

 

[StatesideRambler]

I have used Bondhus ball-end sets (metric and imperial, L-type and T-handle) for over 40 years. They sell individual wrenches, if you can find a seller who stocks them. If I needed replacements I'd go nowhere else.

I advise avoiding the "Swiss army knife" kinds of sets. They're unwieldy to use ("I really didn't want to scratch the finish.") and most are low-medium quality.

 

[BigJohnAZ]

Bondhus, Eklind and Wera have been the best and toughest ones for me over time.

I've used them in my working days and at home. Quality.