I don't think this is correct

[Hulk Krogan]

https://www.amazon.com/MIFOGE-Repair...6545487&sr=8-2




Anyway, uh...anybody have a recommendation for a good starter set of tools to do intonation, truss rod adjustments, etc? For some inexplicable reason, I don't trust this one.

[Chris]

I'm assuming the string winder has a notch on it to pull those bridge pins.

[Darren]

↑ This.

[JJ Rodriguez]

Yup, most string winders have a notch in them to get bridge pins out.

As far as setup tools, just buy the cheapest set of allen wrenches you can, because I guarantee you're going to lose them. Buy like 5 sets, have them scattered all over the place

As far as little screw drivers, I'm quite partial to my kit from iFixIt, good for laptops, guitars, etc. Probably want a bigger Phillips screw driver for adjusting the claw on guitars with a Floyd.

For intonation, not a bad idea to get a strobe tuner, whether that's a Turbo Tuner or Peterson Strobostomp. Patience not included.

For a string winder which isn't a necessity, but they are nice to have, I like the Planet Waves one I have, has a trimmer built into the handle for clipping strings. Kind of a handy all in one tool.

[Hulk Krogan]

Huh, learn something new every day. Shows you often I restring my grandpa guitar

[Markus]

Huh, learn something new every day. Shows you often I restring my grandpa guitar

Although I wouldn't pull the bridge pins with strings at full tension like it looks like in the pic.

[RevDrucifer]

That part ALWAYS breaks on me, too. Get one stiff pin and it’s done for.

[Hulk Krogan]

Chris you son of a bitch.

[Chris]

Chris you son of a bitch.

[metalheadpunk]

Most guitar-specific toolsets are super overpriced. Better off snagging stuff separately. For most guitar setup work a set of Allen wrenches and a screwdriver with a standard set of bits/sockets will get the job done.

[Hulk Krogan]

I've accumulated tons of allen wrenches and screwdrivers/bits over the years. I'm actually looking more for stuff like a good straight edge, string height gauges etc but yeah, seems like trying to get them together in a kit means you're either overpaying or getting complete shit.

[JJ Rodriguez]

Never saw much use for string height gauges, or straight edges for that matter. To check if the neck is bowed, fret at the 1st and 24th fret, look where the string is going. For string height, that's a personal preference thing, so adjust it until it feels good, shim the nut if you have to, etc.

If you're talking luthiery and serious fretwork, that's a different story really. Get a fret leveling beam, you can get them on eBay, supposedly they've been precision ground for maximum flatness, attach a strip of sandpaper to the bottom with the superglue/masking tape trick, level your frets, etc.

Might want to look at a notched straight edge for making sure the neck is flat before leveling frets, you can just buy a straight edge though, mark where the frets are for a particular scale length, use a round chainsaw file to file away clearance for the frets, etc. Beats spending whatever the hell Stewmac wants to charge for something similar for something you can pickup and modify at your local Home Depot or whatever.

[Dominic]

As far as setup tools, just buy the cheapest set of allen wrenches you can, because I guarantee you're going to lose them. Buy like 5 sets, have them scattered all over the place

I vehemently disagree with this. Cheap Allen keys will round out your bolt heads. I bought a Wiha set, FWIW. The Ibanez multitool Swiss army-style thing is pretty good, but doesn't always fit and I suspect it was designed to not take much torque – so if you need to apply some, you'll have to use something else, and then it'd really better be a good fit and not be made out of Ping metal.

For a string winder which isn't a necessity, but they are nice to have, I like the Planet Waves one I have, has a trimmer built into the handle for clipping strings. Kind of a handy all in one tool.

I've two of those, slightly different ones. Cool space savers in the gigbag. But I prefer to use one of these, mounted on a mini Bosch cordless screwdriver:

https://www.thomann.de/de/planet_waves_drill_bit_pw_dbpw_01.htm

[Leon]

WIHA's are nice. I really like their small torque wrenches/drivers.

[JJ Rodriguez]

I vehemently disagree with this. Cheap Allen keys will round out your bolt heads. I bought a Wiha set, FWIW. The Ibanez multitool Swiss army-style thing is pretty good, but doesn't always fit and I suspect it was designed to not take much torque – so if you need to apply some, you'll have to use something else, and then it'd really better be a good fit and not be made out of Ping metal.

I've got multiple sets of the cheapest allen wrenches you can possibly get, haven't stripped out my truss rods or the allen bolts for any of my Floyd hardware on like 5 guitars with trems

[Dominic]

Dude, if it works for you, it's cool! YMMV!

[JJ Rodriguez]

My thinking is is that cheaper allen wrenches would be less likely to strip your hardware if they're made of shitty pot metal that's soft, would be softer than the hard steel of your hardware.

[jim777]

I've accumulated tons of allen wrenches and screwdrivers/bits over the years. I'm actually looking more for stuff like a good straight edge, string height gauges etc but yeah, seems like trying to get them together in a kit means you're either overpaying or getting complete shit.

A good straight edge is a great thing to have, no doubt.

[Hulk Krogan]

Yeah, I'll probably stop by the hardware store and pick one up this weekend. Maybe get a spare + some tin snips to make a notched one as well.