Basic Toolbox for working on your own guitars

Bill McCloskey · Posted 30 Jul 2024 8:36 am

Let say I was interested in learning how to repair and setup pedal steel guitars: change copedence, rerod add levers and pedals.

What would be the basic tool set that would be necessary to do this kind of work? Assuming you have zero tools right now.

Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Hi, Bill.

For starters, it would be nice to have a work stand to set the guitar in the upside-down postition, like this:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=398813&highlight=

Beyond that, I would say a good set of screwdrivers and hex wrenches in various sizes would cover most copedent changes.

Bill McCloskey · Posted 30 Jul 2024 9:53 am

Thanks Tucker. Less tools than I thought

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

A word from my bitter experience:

Get a magnet!!

Tweezers can be useful. Allen wrenches? Some situations require a short L-shaped one for access to tight spots.

And get a magnet!
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

A compact flashlight and a small inspection mirror might also come in handy. And don't undo any screws or clips anywhere near a deep pile rug – you may never see them again. Very Happy

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

Extendable inspection mirror. A good light that remains where aimed, So both hands are free.

Anytime you work with machines, A precision way to measure small parts inside on out is very important. A good dial caliper is very handy.

When you turn a steel over in a cradle to work on it, First tools you want, Is recovery tools. Big Tweezers, Magnetic pick up tool. Little allen wrenches, Small screws and parts have fun hiding under pull rods and cross rods sometimes falling in the changer levers. Picking up and turning over a D10 to recover a screw or allen wrench gets hard on the back quick. And then on hands and knees for the floor chase under the work bench, Makes it worse.

Small Allen wrenches to work under some guitars are best bought in pairs, To work on some guitars set screws in the bell cranks, The short leg on the allen wrench needs to be cut real short, MSA Classic and GFI steels for a start.

A 4"-6" Vise-Grip is also very handy when a nylon tuning nut does not want to adjust, To remove find the problem and apply wax or lube.

A tool with a good handle and hook is nice for working on Lower Return Springs. Just unhook the spring, Moving the adjustment screw on a return spring to release it can cause a tuning nightmare.

Bamboo grill sticks and cotton balls make great long Manley Q-tips to remove dirt or apply lube way down in the guitar.

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

Some of the specifics depend on the type & size of fasteners your particular guitar(s) uses.

All the previous info is useful.

h
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Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L

Jon Voth · From: Virginia, USA

A set of eyes, 30 yrs or younger. Switch them out like that movie-Minority Report-or however you want to do it; that's going to help you A LOT.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Most of the critical stuff is already stated, like a good set of slotted and phillips screwdrivers, a full hex key set (SAE and metric), a lighted, telescoping inspection mirror, flashlight, etc. I always have needle-nose pliers with me. I find that a headlamp (flashlight clamped to a headband for no-hands illumination) can be very useful. And yeah, a magnet for chasing parts that fall on the floor. But still good to have a nice, large, firm, black or other uni-color mat underneath the steel so parts can be easily seen and grabbed when they inevitable fall off, and NOT onto the Berber carpet in my music room, into which any small part will completely disappear. Or onto a hardwood floor upstairs - they can bounce into a different room.

I have small, long socket wrences (again English and metric) that I mostly use for guitars and amps, but occasionally come in handy for steel. I have a good micrometer and caliper to measure small part sizes. I keep a power string winder around that takes some of the curse out of changing 20 slotted headstock tuners. And I keep some eraserheads (the kind that go over the used-up eraser on a pencil) to keep pedal steel strings in place while I'm winding the string.

There are pedal steels that require special tools. Such as c-clip or snap-ring pliers for some brands. I have run into Torx screws on steels and amps - I forget which ones - I have a couple of tools that have an assortment of Torx and Pozidrive heads on them. But it's hard to know exactly what you need until you take a look underneath. I wouldn't just go out an buy tons of tools until you figure out what your steels require.

Um. .. yeah, good glasses. Seriously, it is hard to work on pedal steels if you can't see at a pretty good resolution.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

If I were rebuilding a workbench from scratch, these would be my first few items.

-- cradle (I built my own but otherwise the Ross Shafer product is a sure thing.)
-- Needlenose pliers -- for me, essential.
-- Allen wrenches.
......- Ball-end allen wrenches -- nice.
......- Short-legged -- sometimes very very helpful.
......- if you have any parts that need really small allen wrenches, like 1/16", get a few. They lose their edge. And not ball end.
-- Electric screwdriver with a socket -- really nice if you are removing nylon nuts to change a setup. NOT high priority. But nice if you do a lot of rod moving.
-- Adjustable lamp -- nice for positioning light right where you need it.
-- not shown -- a set of open-end wrenches in the 1/4--1/2" range for lock nuts.

Pliers and electric driver and open wrenches are cheap and good enough to pick up at Harbor Freight in a quick walk-thru.
Allen wrenches I'd get elsewhere.

Brooks Montgomery · From: Idaho, USA

Good info. This thread would make a great “sticky”
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A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first.

Jim Cooley · From: The 'Ville, Texas, USA

A good headlamp is indispensable; nut drivers can help with a hex head in a hard to reach place; a telescoping magnifying glass.

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

I don't work on anyone else's pedal steel, except my own. Along with the basic allen wrenches, I like the long allens that can reach under rods, I've bent a few of my duplicates for just this purpose.
But main thing that I think is needed is a stand to set the body on upside down, enabling you to reach under and pluck strings. For years I have simply used hardback books, sitting a few under the front side of the body next to the top neck and then a few books under the back side, next to the back neck. I cover the books with a cloth to keep the books from rubbing or scratching the steel body. Crude and simple but it does work and is stable, But I like the work stand shown in the post!

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

The Clem Schmitz booklet has a good section on tools:

It's somewhat push/pull-centric, but is easily adaptable to other instruments. Available on eBay, or straight from Clem. Highly recommended.

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

A good sharp pair of scissors are now needed, With some string companies sealing each string in a plastic sleeve with rust inhibiter, Makes it easier when changing strings.

Samuel Phillippe · From: Douglas Michigan, USA

And a good list of words not normally used in front of the family........
Sam

Bill McCloskey · Posted 1 Aug 2024 1:13 pm

Ha. Truer words, Samuel, truer words. Wow, this thread really took off. Fantastic responses. This should be made into a sticky.

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

What Sam said!

In addition the tools at my workbench, I keep a small metal box in my packseat with everything I might need to fix a broken guitar at a gig. It includes:

-Needle nose pliers
-Wire cutter
-Tuning key crank for string changes
-Small screwdrivers, 1 each flathead and Phillips
-Small crescent wrench
-Combination wrenches to fit pedal swivels, lock nuts, and other undercarriage nuts
-Allen hex wrenches to fit all hollow hex head screws, including splits and compensators.
-Assorted spare parts according to which steel I am playing.
-And a drum key. Always carry a drum key. Try to remember to get it back when you loan it out, which you will. All the very best people do.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Yep. It has become a minor joke in pretty much all of my bands.
'Hey Jon. do you happen to have a....'
'Yes. Here.'

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