Basic Tool Set for Setup and String Change

[THAWK819]

I feel slightly embarrassed that I've never learned to do set ups and string changes on my own. I've made minor truss rod tweaks and raised/lowered bridges and saddles and such, but I've always gone by feel and never properly measured or intonated, etc.

I'd like to just buy one set of tools to start doing this that includes everything I need rather than just piece-mealing a set. Specifically, I want to be able to change strings, measure neck relief, measure string action, and make sure string heights are appropriate for fretboard radius when applicable.

I see all kinds of sets on amazon, but have no idea how good or terrible they really are, and I don't mind spending a little more for quality and precision. Anyone have a recommendation for an all-in-one set that would include these tools?

 

[Maggot_Brain]

For the measuring bit, the perfect tool is a 6 inch machinists rule. You can get them with mm on one side and 1/64th's on the other or in metric or standard alone. I use it to measure everything except neck relief.

I, just got a General Tools brand from Amazon for like 2.99 for a single machinists rule marked in 1/64ths. To measure relief, you really need a set of feeler gauges.

I bought this one specifically and use it wayyyyyyy more often than I expected to.

https://a.co/d/jbjtUIj

For cutters, I've noticed a lot of people use what I use, which are the Hakko CHP-170 flush cutters. They're small and very sharp. For a string winder, I'd buy the Ernie Ball Power Peg or rechargeable Power Peg Plus. I'll never wind strings manually again lol.

Hakko CHP-170 Flush Cutters

Ernie Ball Power Peg - $16 at Amazon

 

[jchabalk]

I wouldn't recommend getting a whole lot of stuff straight-away, rather get a core set of tools you'll need and then add things as you need them over time. You'll probably have some of this stuff already

A few things that i find good to have

• a good pair of hardened wire cutters, although the ones that are incorporated into some string winders actually work really well
• a string winder - you can do without it but it's great to have
• to measure action the stew mac guides are great
• if you want to be able to check neck relief a set of feeler gauges are great. I bought a set at StewMac initially but they weren't small enough. I got another set at the hardware store for about 25% the cost of the stewmac ones and they work great.
• It's great to have the right sized wrenches / screw drivers for the job (any job). Some guitars have small nuts that you might not have the wrench for. 3 saddle telecaster bridges are a good example, or a small screw driver to adjust the saddles on an ABR-1.
• The right wrench to do truss rod adjustments (you'll have to check what you need for your guitars.

At some point i bought a set of fret polishing erasers and guards from stew mac. The erasers make a bit of a mess but when i restring i polish the frets a bit and it helps the guitar play a little easier.

I also made up a short instrument cable in my kit of stuff which makes tuning and intonation a lot easier. Having a 12' cable attached to a 2oz tuner on my desk while trying to get the guitar sorted out is a big pita sometimes.

Then over time you might find that a set of nut/saddle files are useful but i wouldn't get them right away, same thing with a reamer if you're working on acoustic guitars occasionally.

EDIT: a digital caliper is also a great tool to have but not something you need right away.

 

[Maggot_Brain]

I wouldn't recommend getting a whole lot of stuff straight-away, rather get a core set of tools you'll need and then add things as you need them over time. You'll probably have some of this stuff already

A few things that i find good to have

• a good pair of hardened wire cutters, although the ones that are incorporated into some string winders actually work really well
• a string winder - you can do without it but it's great to have
• to measure action the stew mac guides are great
• if you want to be able to check neck relief a set of feeler gauges are great. I bought a set at StewMac initially but they weren't small enough. I got another set at the hardware store for about 25% the cost of the stewmac ones and they work great.
• It's great to have the right sized wrenches / screw drivers for the job (any job). Some guitars have small nuts that you might not have the wrench for. 3 saddle telecaster bridges are a good example, or a small screw driver to adjust the saddles on an ABR-1.
• The right wrench to do truss rod adjustments (you'll have to check what you need for your guitars.

At some point i bought a set of fret polishing erasers and guards from stew mac. The erasers make a bit of a mess but when i restring i polish the frets a bit and it helps the guitar play a little easier.

I also made up a short instrument cable in my kit of stuff which makes tuning and intonation a lot easier. Having a 12' cable attached to a 2oz tuner on my desk while trying to get the guitar sorted out is a big pita sometimes.

Then over time you might find that a set of nut/saddle files are useful but i wouldn't get them right away, same thing with a reamer if you're working on acoustic guitars occasionally.

EDIT: a digital caliper is also a great tool to have but not something you need right away.

Yea Stewmac is the absolute worst place to buy standard tools & parts that everybody sells unless you like to pay 3x more than anywhere else.

 

[LtDave32]

I get asked this all the time.

For basic maintenance and *basic" setup, there are many complete kits out there. Just go to amazon and search "guitar maintenance kits".


For anything further, the nut is the threshold. You cannot slot or otherwise work on or fix nut issues with any cheap-ass stuff from Harbor Freight.

" but but but needle filels.. "

NO.

Don't even think about it. You need a proper set of gauged nut files, and that costs money. Hundred bucks.

If you're going to do that kind of work, you need to invest.

If you're happy with string change and bridge adjustment, then search out guitar maintenance kits.

 

[LtDave32]

Yea Stewmac is the absolute worst place to buy standard tools & parts that everybody sells unless you like to pay 3x more than anywhere else.

some of SM's stuff is great. And just what you need.

Most of it is a friggin' burn you can either make in the shop or find elsewhere with great quality for cheaper.

Check LMI and Philadelphia Luthier Supply for such things as an alternative to SM.

*Note.. SM used to be a helpful place that you could call up and get advice from their techs and knowledgeable staff.

No more. Now some puddin' laying on the couch takes the order. You can't call them. Nobody there. They sold out and ran away.

Now you pay the same high price , but get no service.

I go elsewhere, whenever I possibly can.

 

[smk506]

I get asked this all the time.

For basic maintenance and *basic" setup, there are many complete kits out there. Just go to amazon and search "guitar maintenance kits".


For anything further, the nut is the threshold. You cannot slot or otherwise work on or fix nut issues with any cheap-ass stuff from Harbor Freight.

" but but but needle filels.. "

NO.

Don't even think about it. You need a proper set of gauged nut files, and that costs money. Hundred bucks.

If you're going to do that kind of work, you need to invest.

If you're happy with string change and bridge adjustment, then search out guitar maintenance kits.

+1. Go the kit route and you’re in good shape for most of what you want to do.

You’ll find out pretty quick what kind of stuff you’re missing and filling in the gaps is a lot easier than starting from scratch.

I’m increasingly liking music nomad stuff. It’s a little hyped and pricey, but I’ve found everything of theirs that I’ve had has been well thought out. They’re not quite stew Mac pricey either.

Speaking of which I concur 100% some of their stuff is absolutely great.

Those z files are sure pricey, but I showed my brother how to use it by doing two frets on a board and explaining the rough principle and he was able to crown the next two on the neck to a pretty satisfactory degree without hurting the crown.

There’s some value and money saved in money well spent, and anything that helps me be do a good and more importantly, repeatably good job, is money well spent.

I really want their nut making jig. I’m pretty sure I could cobble something out but their setup looks slick.

 

[LtDave32]

Nobody needs their "jaws" hand-held fret press.

It's a vice grip with a fret caul.

Vice grips, Large:$20.00

Fret caul, I'll guess $60.00

Stew Mac "Jaws" hand-held fret press: $500.00


Yeah, sure. lol.

 

[flamesarewicked]

When it comes to measuring tools such as a 6 inch scale with 64ths on it.. buy a quality one. Some of the cheap Chinese made kits come with the metal measuring card for action, they’re not accurate when comparing to a quality one. Other than that, some harbor freight level tools can suffice

 

[fumblefinger]

What Lt. Dave said. If you don't have a good set of nut files, you're wasting time playing with bridge height. You're changing the angle, not the parallel distance from the strings to the frets. Checking relief is only one small part of a "setup". Get a good 24" machined straight edge. You need to see what the fingerboard looks like at more than the relief area. You need to have something that is representative of the plane of the neck to see where it is in relation to the saddles. I guess my best suggestion is to get a copy of Dan Erlewine's "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great: The Electric Guitar Owner's Manual" and see what he uses for the jobs you want to do. It will also serve as a good guide for what you want to achieve.

 

[Joe Desperado]

No more. Now some puddin' laying on the couch takes the order.

tell how ya really feel Dave! Hilarious!

 

[archey]

 

[LtDave32]

For those buying string winding guns.. You will fid them a bit clumsy, and geared so low, it's faster to use a conventional string winder. I have two of the powered units. I've gone back to the hand-crank type.

Pay for shipping and I'll send them to you.


Those seeking a straight edge for relief.. Look no further than your own guitar. And a capo, and feeler gauges .

1) Put the capo behind the first fret.

2) Use your finger to fret the E string at a fret above the 12th, your choice.

3) Use other hand with feeler gauges to check relief.

..or, you can go to to the fancy luthier store, buy a tricky "professinal relief checking unit with dial indicator for a sobering price of $167.50 (dial indicator sold separately) and brag to your buddies hanging around the shop about how you wonder how you ever managed without it.

Until some fgiggin' hobo like me wanders in, checks relief with a capo and a pocketknife.

"Dave, my tool tells me that at the 5th fret, my relief is .05765.."

(Dave) " Well alrighty then.. My relief checking says it's 'good'..".

 

[LtDave32]

Just checked the kits.

A lot of bullshit kits out there with crappy components and shit you don't need like needle files.

Go for a kit with a name you can trust, Like the Ernie Ball kit:

kit

And get one of these, indispensable for setups:

neck cradle

 

[CB91710]

I went nearly 40 years with nothing for setup other than basic hand tools and my fingers/ears.

Does it buzz? Raise the action.
Fret the 1st and 20th.
Pluck the center. Does it buzz? Loosen the truss rod. Get a clear tone? Tighten the truss rod until it JUST buzzes, then back off 1/8th turn.
Now still fretted at the 1st, play the neck in reverse and listen for that clear tone all the way up to the 5th or 6th.

More likely than not, that will result in a neck relief around .008... but you did it without feeler gauges, or Screw-Mac plates.
You did it with your ears.

Same for string action.
Does it buzz? Raise it a bit.
Does it fret out on bends? Raise it a bit more.
You don't play with 2-step Gilmour bends? You can handle it a bit lower.
Do that on the two E strings.
Now eyeball the middle 4 to match the radius.

Feel the need to use feeler gauges? Cool.
I don't have a good "feel" for flat feeler gauges... eyeballs aren't that good and I don't see that I'm twisting a bit, making the gauge act like it's thicker.
What works well as a feeler gauge? Guitar string trimmings.
You want a clearance of .010? Pass an .009 under... does the string "snag" as it passes over the fret? Means your clearance is less than .009.
Does it pass cleanly? Means you're at least .009... now grab the trimming from a B string... it should snag.


Count the number of special tools Joe uses to set up his Les Paul:

 

[Kirk2000]

Don't forget to get a fret rocker from Stewmac. It will tell you if you have a fret out of line. If you can afford it get the straight edge to see if the neck is straight. Also I just got a set of radius guages so that I can radius the saddle in the bridge to the same curvature of the neck so the action on the lower strings is consistant. Good luck. KIRK

 

[3bolt79]

I just ordered a set of digital calipers from Temu. They have everything you will need to get started. The calipers were 3 bucks each. Or, if you don’t mind spending a little, get a set up kit from Music Nomad. Has everything you need to get started. Has a rubber mat and neck cradle as well.

 

[Maggot_Brain]

When it comes to measuring tools such as a 6 inch scale with 64ths on it.. buy a quality one. Some of the cheap Chinese made kits come with the metal measuring card for action, they’re not accurate when comparing to a quality one. Other than that, some harbor freight level tools can suffice

That's why I suggested the one from General Tools. It's cheap but not because it's junk. They used to be 8.95 for some reason.

 

[Maggot_Brain]

I just ordered a set of digital calipers from Temu. They have everything you will need to get started. The calipers were 3 bucks each. Or, if you don’t mind spending a little, get a set up kit from Music Nomad. Has everything you need to get started. Has a rubber mat and neck cradle as well.

That's the 1 thing I forgot. I use my digital calipers to measure allll kinds of stuff. Never expected I'd use them as much as I do. Fret height & width, nut dimensions, strings when I forget what's on a guitar lol... All sorts of stuff.

I also tried to spread the cost out for other things like nut files. I only needed 1 for a certain slot so Ive been purchasing 1 at a time when I need them. I usually try to use Graph Tech nuts so I haven't needed to slot an entire nut yet. I've only needed to modify already existing slots so I just bought the specific file I needed. Started with high E/0.010" file and added more after that one.

 

[CB91710]

When it comes to measuring tools such as a 6 inch scale with 64ths on it.. buy a quality one. Some of the cheap Chinese made kits come with the metal measuring card for action, they’re not accurate when comparing to a quality one. Other than that, some harbor freight level tools can suffice

And triple check how the scale is printed (or preferably etched)
Not all scales put "0" at the edge of the tool. It's not always a bad thing, particularly for drafting, but it can make the tool useless for measuring from a surface or bulkhead.

I've also found those with printed scales to be absolute junk. The paint wears and chips, leaving you with a shiny piece of stainless that's only useful for drawing a straight line, but not for measuring.
You want the scale to be etched.