Guitar Maintenance Part one – Tools
By MNJ
To maintain a guitar properly, and to avoid unnecessary damage to the hardware, it’s essential to have the correct tools for the job. You will need a couple of flat head screwdrivers, a couple of PosiDrive screwdrivers, a couple of Phillips screwdrivers, two pairs of wire cutters, a stringwinder, a nut-spinner, two sets of Allen keys in imperial and metric sizes and a guitar tuner.
It’s important that the tools are good quality – cheap screwdrivers will mangle screw heads and cheap wire cutters will become blunt very quickly. Good quality watchmakers’ screwdrivers are good for the smaller screws on a guitar but won’t tackle the larger jobs like removing a neck. It’s also essential before any work starts to understand the type of screws used on guitars and familiarise yourself with the differences.
Using the wrong size and type of screwdriver can strip screw heads very easily, especially on some of the soft metal type found on cheaper guitars. The general rule is to always make sure the screwdriver sits firmly in the screw head before attempting to turn it, and never force a screw. If it won’t turn, there’s a reason. There are no parts on a guitar that need any sort of force to adjust them. As an example, when adjusting string length with an intonation screw, always slacken off the string first otherwise the tension of the string over the bridge saddle will make the screw too tight to turn and the force required will damage it.
Wire cutters should be handled with care, especially around acoustic guitars, as the cutting edges can do a lot of damage to a finish if dropped. End cutting pliers work well for any excess after re-stringing, and it’s best to cut the string four or five millimetres from the binding post to ensure that it’s unlikely to slip back through. Take care not to impale your fingers on string ends, this can be very painful and may put paid to any guitar playing activity for a few days. Changing pickups is the only other job on a guitar that requires wire cutters – they shouldn’t really be used for anything else for fear of damaging parts and finishes.
Allen keys are available in two sizes: imperial and metric. As a general rule, American made guitars require the imperial size and Far-Eastern and European guitars use metric. Most if not all new guitars come with all the Allen wrenches necessary and they should be kept in a safe place. If you have to buy replacements, it’s best to acquire a loose set rather than the folding type, which has limitations in getting to awkward spots because of the size of the handle. Unlike a screwdriver, it’s almost impossible to use the wrong size Allen key because if it doesn’t fit properly, it simply won’t turn the screw. Using a very slightly undersized one may work but it will damage the socket. This can be fatal on a truss rod as it’s almost impossible to repair once damaged. Some truss rods have hex nuts rather than Allen sockets and these are awkward to get to, so find out the size and get hold of a nut spinner or nut driver. Because it has a handle it will supply enough pressure to turn adjust the nut. Long nose pliers or ordinary spanners are definitely not recommended for this job.
The humble plastic stringwinder is a marvellous invention and an absolutely essential accessory for any guitar owner. It does two jobs, it takes the arm ache out of putting strings on the guitar, and it will lever out the bridge pins on an acoustic. Stringwinders are so cheap that there’s no reason not to have one in every guitar case accessory pocket. However, they will only work properly if the machine heads are in good condition and turn smoothly.
Luckily, machine heads on modern guitars, even the cheaper ones, are much better quality than in the past and any closed back tuners will work fine. I wouldn’t use a stringwinder on machine heads that are loose or very old, as the pressure exerted is likely to cause them to disintegrate. Prising loose bridge pins is another job where care should be taken. It’s best not to lever the pin out against the bridge saddle as the pressure may cause it to crack – lever against the mass of the bridge behind the string instead. Never try to take a bridge pin out with the string tensioned, the string is likely to ping out and hit you in the eye, and the ball end will likely cause some damage to the bridge itself. There are some mechanised string winders on the market and although the idea behind them is smart – some can even tune the string to the correct pitch – they are extremely unwieldy and awkward to use and don’t really save any time.
Last and definitely not least is the guitar tuner. This is essential for anyone setting up the intonation on an instrument. A decent one with a steady needle or display is recommended as adjusting the intonation on a guitar requires a degree of accuracy not quite so critical in just tuning up to play.
Before attempting any work on a guitar, clear a suitable space away from children and pets, put down some carpet or a sheet for protection, make sure the area is well lit and have all of the above tools at hand. A neck support is also handy. One of these can be made with a couple of blocks of wood glued together with a piece of felt on one side. Even better is a block with a curved bottom, so the neck sits flat on the felt surface and the guitar can be at any angle. Once this is all in place, stop! Take a breather, a big slug of decaff, and proceed – with care.
Next Article: Changing Strings >>
Tags: essential guitarist tools, guitar maintenance, guitar tools