Tools for Guitar Instrument Repair

The action of a guitar is defined as the distance between the strings and the neck.

Having your guitar-playing sound great to an audience not only requires lots of practice, but occasionally maintenance and repair to sustain the instrument's performance. While many simple fixes, including tightening guitar strap buttons and adjusting tuners, may require just a screwdriver, a handful of specialty tools are helpful when repairing your guitar or making major adjustments.

String Action Gauge

Useful whether repairing a guitar, building one from scratch or conducting a scheduled setup, a string action gauge allows for the measurement of string height clearance at the frets along with the saddle and the bridge.

Fret Cutter

Over time, the wood on a guitar's neck can begin to erode, leaving the edges of metal frets to begin to reach down beyond the neck and affect the playability of the guitar. A fret cutter presses squarely to the neck surface and allows for the excess fret pieces to be trimmed.

Fret Files

Due to the high levels of tension placed on a guitar's neck by playing and from the strings, warping of the maple or rosewood can occur, causing the strings to rattle or become unplayable. Buildup of dirt and oil from human hands also affect performance. Fret files, usually sold in sizes from 1 inch to 6 inches, allow players to smooth out the fingerboard surface of their playing instrument.

References

• StewMac: String Action Gauge
• StewMac: Fret Cutter
• StewMac: Fret/Fingerboard Leveling Files