Collection: Luthier Tools

Q: What is in a luthier tool kit?

We sell our luthier tools one at a time rather than as a boxed set, so you build the kit the job needs. A typical starting set is a notched straight edge, a feeler gauge, nut files, a fret rocker, a sanding set, masking tape and wood glue, which comes to about $85 here.

Luthier Tools and Supplies for Building, Adjusting and Repairing Guitars The tools we use in our own workshop, sold one at a time so you buy what the job actually needs

Our luthier tools follow a guitar from raw wood to the last turn of the truss rod: shaping and drilling, sanding and masking, leveling frets and cutting the nut, then measuring relief and action, and keeping the finish clean afterwards. We stock 27 guitar tools and luthier supplies from $7, chosen because we reach for them ourselves, not because they fill a catalogue.

27 tools from $7 Sold individually, no boxed set Used in our own workshop Worldwide shipping

Measuring & setup Which tool for which stage Fret & nut tools

Buying for someone who builds or repairs guitars? See our luthier gifts.

Five jobs, five sets of tools

Notched straight edge and fret rocker on a guitar neck

Guitar Setup: Measure, Tune & Adjust

Straight edges, feeler gauges, action rules and neck rests: the numbers behind a guitar that plays well. From $7.

Shop the guitar setup kit →

Guitar Fretwork & Nut Tools

Leveling beams, crowning files, fret protectors, nut files and erasers, for the work that decides how it plays. From $9.

Shop guitar fret tools →

Guitar Cleaning, Polishing & Care

Fretboard oil, string cleaner, polishing pads and the full polishing kit for a new finish. From $7.

Shop cleaning and polishing →

Guitar Sanding & Surface Prep

Sanding sets from P240 to P1500, masking tape, copper shielding tape and test wood before you commit. From $7.

Shop guitar sanding tools →

Carbide burr set for shaping guitar wood

Woodworking, Routing & Shaping

Carbide burrs, drill bits and wood glue for carving cavities, rounding horns and gluing up. From $11.

Shop guitar woodworking tools →

By build stage

Which tool comes out when

Shape and drill

Carbide burrs for cavities and contours, drill bits sized for guitar hardware, and glue that holds while you clamp.
Woodworking and shaping →

Sand and mask

Work up the grits before any finish goes near the wood, mask the neck pocket, and test your color on an offcut first.
Sanding and surface prep →

Frets and nut

Find the high fret with a rocker, level it, crown it, then cut the nut slots to depth. This is the stage that decides how the guitar feels.
Fret and nut tools →

Measure and adjust

Relief, action, intonation. A straight edge and a feeler gauge turn opinions into numbers you can repeat on the next guitar.
Measuring and setup →

Building a kit rather than a guitar from scratch?

You need far less than the full bench. Screwdrivers, a drill, tape, sandpaper and glue will get most of our DIY guitar kits together, and the measuring tools only come out at the setup stage. Our guide to the tools needed to build a guitar kit lists exactly what to buy and what to skip.

Paint, oil and lacquer are in a separate range

Tools live here, materials live next door. Dyes, grain filler, nitrocellulose, Tru-Oil and water based lacquers are all in guitar finishing, and the ready-made boxes are in our guitar finishing kits. The sanding and masking you need before any of it is on this page.

Guides

How we use these tools

Tools recommended for building a guitar kit

Essential tools for a build

What you genuinely need for a first kit, what can wait, and what is worth spending on.

Fret leveling

Finding the high fret, leveling, crowning and polishing, with the tools for each step.

Action and intonation

Reading the relief, setting the action and getting the intonation right, in numbers.

Polishing compounds and pads for a guitar finish

Sanding and buffing a finish

Taking a cured finish from flat to mirror without burning through the lacquer.

FAQ

Questions about luthier tools

Which tools does a first build need?

Less than most people expect. Screwdrivers, a drill, masking tape, sandpaper and wood glue will get a bolt-on kit assembled. What makes the difference at the end is measuring: a notched straight edge to read the neck, a feeler gauge for the action and a fret rocker to find a high fret. The full list is in our tools needed to build a guitar kit guide.

What is in a luthier tool kit?

We sell our tools one at a time rather than as a boxed set, so you build the kit the job needs. A typical starting set is a notched straight edge, a feeler gauge, nut files, a fret rocker, a sanding set, masking tape and wood glue, which comes to about $85 here.

Are these tools suitable for a first build?

Yes. They are the same tools we use in our own workshop, and none of them need a bench setup. Start with measuring and sanding, and add fret and nut tools when you reach that stage.

Do I need special tools to adjust a guitar?

You can get a long way with a ruler and an allen key, but you are guessing. A notched straight edge takes the frets out of the reading so you see the relief itself, and a feeler gauge turns action into a number you can repeat. See the guitar setup kit.

Do you sell tools for fret work?

Yes: leveling beams, crowning files, fret protectors, nut files and fret erasers, all in our guitar fret tools range. Leveling and crowning is the one job worth buying proper tools for, because a high fret cannot be tuned out.

Do you ship tools to the US?

Yes, we ship to the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Delivery options and cost are shown at checkout before you pay, see delivery methods.

Trust & service