DIY Guitar tech/Luthier tools.

[devilfish]

Hi,

After searching and reading various threads about people making or adapting their own tools for guitar tech/repair work. I'm interested in fathering some success stories on what tools they managed to modify/make themselves and how they did it.

For instance, I imagine it's not that difficult to make a notched straightedge with the right saw or even drill bit from a pillar drill? sure you can just cut it in length, mark out the fret distance and make a fret sized notch at each point in a steel rule.. allowing you to jump the frets and read the neck's relief more accurately?

Byt yeah, if anyone has any good success stories on making their own inexpensive tools please contribute to the thread!

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: DIY Guitar tech/Luthier tools.

Hi,

After searching and reading various threads about people making or adapting their own tools for guitar tech/repair work. I'm interested in fathering some success stories on what tools they managed to modify/make themselves and how they did it.

For instance, I imagine it's not that difficult to make a notched straightedge with the right saw or even drill bit from a pillar drill? sure you can just cut it in length, mark out the fret distance and make a fret sized notch at each point in a steel rule.. allowing you to jump the frets and read the neck's relief more accurately?

Byt yeah, if anyone has any good success stories on making their own inexpensive tools please contribute to the thread!

I've not made these, but there are quite a few DIY luthier tools that I've seen out there.
Most useful everyday looking tools that I've seen are the fret bender, the fret edge beveler and a knob puller.
For building guitars the neck-angle routing jig looked indispensable.
I've seen projects to make your own "pin router" for cutting binding on acoustics and my favorite, making your own radius sanding blocks using a table saw.

I've got most all of the parts to make a Stewmac/Erlewine neck jig, I just haven't found the motivation to make the damn thing.

MM

 

[WhoFan]

Re: DIY Guitar tech/Luthier tools.

when i was in guitar making class part of the fun was seeing what home made tools people in the class came up with... We made radius sanding blocks on a table saw!!! i will not say how as it's dangerous...

i made a fret wire bender out of a small shoping cart wheel and 2 siding door roller bearings... the shoping cart wheel had treads that fit the tang of the fret wire perfectly... and the siding glass patio door bealings/wheels fit the crown of the fret just right!

but one of the best tools i saw the acoustic guys making was taking the guts out of a toaster oven and installing it inside a cast iron pipe for steam bending acoustics side wood....

we found some hand saws from a hobby shop with a kerf close to Stewmacs fret saws...

made a fret puller by grinding the nose down on a pair of front nose cutters...

i was making a fret press arbour out of a normal stock arbour i bought but found hammering them in was just fine and never used the arbour idea...

but in the end we all found out that ya some tools you can make but others you really should buy the real deal... better tools make a better end to a project...

 

[David Collins]

Re: DIY Guitar tech/Luthier tools.

I'd say more than half the tools I own fall in to this category ranging from incredibly simple to over-the-top complex. About the only tool I haven't made is a notched straight edge, as I still can't for the life of me figure out how the wood between the frets is at all important in a setup.

Any specific tool applications you're looking for here, or just instrument specialty tools in general?

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: DIY Guitar tech/Luthier tools.

I made my own nut files by working out which blades on a set of automotive feeler gauges corresponded to the strings i use (i got all strings covered except the low E, which is easily done with other tools), and then filed tiny notches like saw-teeth along those blades with a triangular jeweller's file. They work superbly.