Tools?

[erogenousjones17]

Basically, I'm tired of getting flack from the guys at the only decent luthier shop in town, so I want to try my hand at a complete setup on my new Strat. This includes adjusting the relief and shaping the nut myself, both of which frighten me a little, to be honest. What tools would you folks recommend, while keeping in mind that I'm not made of money? I'm thinking nut files, feeler gauges, radius gauges, etc.

(Sorry if this thread belongs somewhere else!)

 

[tfarny]

Warmoth nut files, some good 3m sandpaper, a couple of files, allen wrenches sized to your saddles / truss rod etc., and good screwdrivers in the normal sizes. Most helpful is a quiet spacious table with plenty of light to work on and some old t shirts to set stuff on. A desk lamp is good too. A small vise grip would be nice but I don't have one. You do not need radius or feeler gauges, in fact really the only thing that's not readily available at the hardware store are the nut files, and the Warmoth ones are a great deal, I would get all 8 if I were you.

Are you fine tuning a precut nut or starting from scratch with a blank? I've made a few myself from bone with minimal tools, it's not that hard but buy some extra bone because the first couple are a learning experience.

 

[erogenousjones17]

At the moment I'm fine-tuning a precut nut, but it's a cheapo plastic Mighty Mite number, so I was thinking of upgrading to a bone nut once I've cut my teeth on this one. I've got everything you mentioned except the nut files, and to be honest it never occurred to me that Warmoth sells them; I'd only ever really noticed the ones from StewMac, but they're a better value from the Big W. I'd sorta forgotten that radius gauges (for adjusting siddle height) are easy to make, and I've seen feeler gauges used to measure the depth of nut slots, but they're probably not necessary, like you said.

I figure it's better in the long run to learn to do this myself; it's rewarding, plus no more jerkoff tech guys laughing at my "cheap, crooked project guitars." I'm not bitter, really.  :laughing7:

Oh, I've also got Erlewine's book and have read it cover to cover, which I'm pretty sure is a fundamental step in tinkering with guitars.  :icon_thumright:

 

[blue313]

plus no more jerkoff tech guys laughing at my "cheap, crooked project guitars." I'm not bitter, really.  :laughing7:

Good for you, those "techs" don't deserve your money.  It's always best to do it yourself. That way it can be exactly how you want it, not just someones interpretation of it.  In this case...the interpretation of a jerk.

 

[-CB-]

www.frets.com has how to cut a nut slot perfecto every time - to do it, you'll need nut slot files and a good magnifiying lens (eyeloup is good, hold it backwards....)

For the rest of the setup, all you need is a capo, the eyeloup and the tools to turn the truss rod nut and saddle section screws

No feeler gauges needed.  To me, they cloud things on the nut.  The guitar will tell you when its just perfect - IF - you follow the very easy directions given by Frank Ford over on www.frets.com

For relief... the string will tell you.  You first check the relef on a guitar you like the setup on, then make the relief on your new guitar very close to the same.  Relief is very hard to set "by the gauge" unless you use a precision straight edge on the fret tops.  Its much easier to set it using the string as a straight edge - pressing it at fret 1 and fret 22 (or 21)...the amount of gap you see under the string is quite small, but not overly critical - hence the use of the eyeloup or magnifier

 

[erogenousjones17]

Wow, I've never seen that website before, but it looks really helpful, even after browsing it quickly. Thanks CB!

 

[koshersteel]

also invaluable, a 6" steel ruler with 32nds on one edge and 64ths on the other. I'll also stick up for feeler gauges, you can usually find a set at an auto supply store that are thinner than you will find at a regular hardware store or stew mac...