Guitar maintenance tools recommended to begin...

[TubeGeek]

I want to learn more about proper setup and maintenace of my guitars.  Right now i own:

Usa fender stratocaster
Gibson sg standard
Gibson les paul traditional (bought this yesterday!)
Epiphone resonator
Epiphone ej-200 jumbo acoustic
La Patrie classical
Lanikai ukulele
Fender '57 precision bass

I have recently purchased a few things to get me going such as a collection of books on everything i need to know about setup, repairing, maintaining and modifying guitars.  3 of the books are dedicated to certain guitars: the strat, p bass, and les paul.  The 4 th book i ordered is the stew-mac book that is highly recommended.

Now for some tools. 

Stew-mac sells a basic setup kit.  I think this will be necessary.  Should i get the standard or metric set, does it matter?  I live in canada and the metric system is easier to use but all the books talk in standard...any recommendation?  Im kinda leaning to the standard because i don't want to convert everything each time i want to do something. Maybe it is not a big deal???

Next i was considering the truss rod kit.  I don't know what i need so i figure the kit covers it all.

What else is recommended?

[G._Hoffman]

If you really want to get into it seriously, you'll need truss rod tools, nut files, a good straight edge, a six inch ruler (you could use either system, but it is probably better to to use whatever your books are using), a variety of screw drivers, nut drivers, basic electronic stuff (which you probably already have, if you are on this board), and a string winder and cutter.  If you want to be a little more involved, you'll have to get a strobe tuner (nothing else will do for setting intonation - nothing).  If you want to do fret work you'll need a good brass hammer, small and large end nippers that have been ground flush, a big flat file for leveling frets, and some kind of file for re-crowning them (I don't much care for "fret files," and much prefer an 8" bastard file with the edges ground safe; it works faster and is more versatile, but it does take considerably more skill to use), and something for truing fingerboards (this can be as simple as a 24" level, or more complicated such as one of Stew-Mac's aluminum sanding beams.  More advanced repair work involves some pretty specialized wood working tools (deep throat clamps, jacks for gluing braces and the like, heating pads, etc.), as well as some more basic ones (chisels, files, a drill press, band saw, belt/disc sander, some way to sharpen your chisels).  There's a whole bunch of other stuff, but you'll never really know what you need until you need it.



Gabriel

[TubeGeek]

I was hoping you'd chime in on this one!

I'm only looking to get into the basics of setting up and adjusting a guitar. 

Will the basic kit and truss rod set from stew-mac be enough to get started and not constantly run into road blocks when setting my guitars up?

Any preference or recommendation on metric or standard tools?

I do want to get a strobe tuner...I'm looking at the Peterson strobo-flip tuner.  It seems like a real nice one to have around the studio and on the bench when setting up or making adjustments etc.

[G._Hoffman]

I was hoping you'd chime in on this one!

I'm only looking to get into the basics of setting up and adjusting a guitar.  

Will the basic kit and truss rod set from stew-mac be enough to get started and not constantly run into road blocks when setting my guitars up?

Any preference or recommendation on metric or standard tools?

I do want to get a strobe tuner...I'm looking at the Peterson strobo-flip tuner.  It seems like a real nice one to have around the studio and on the bench when setting up or making adjustments etc.

The only thing in that "kit" that you really NEED is a straight edge.  Everything else is better done with a 6" ruler (Stew Mac has one as part # 4894, but you can buy esentially the same ruler at any hardware store.  At least in the US, I don't know about Canada).  Their "set" of truss rod wrenches is probably more than you need.  Just get the ones for your guitars, and maybe the tapered "Gripper" wrench for Fender Guitars (1/8").  But if you want to do a good setup, you will almost certainly need nut files.  You can maybet get away with their set of double edged files, but I MUCH prefer the standard Gorbet files (THESE ONES HERE).  You don't need all of them, just enough for the strings you actually use, but having them all can be nice sometimes.  I really like the abrasive cord they sell too.

Personally, I like SAE tools, but I think of almost everything in 1/32", and that is just habit.  I can see 1/32"; I can't see 0.5mm.  A lifetime of training, right there.

A strobe is essential to setting intonation.  Nothing else will do.  The digital ones will work, but the analog ones are better (if you happen to have $700-$2,000 laying around!)  


Gabriel

[TubeGeek]

Thanks for the info.  I have placed an order with Stew-mac, next step will be to start learning.