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13 Tools Every Guitarist Needs

13 Tools Every Guitarist Needsplay icon
Dave Johnson
By Dave JohnsonMay 29, 2025
Dave Johnson
Scale Model Guitars founder Dave Johnson was born and raised in Peoria, IL. Mostly self-taught from working in various music stores early in his career, in 2009 Dave moved to Nashville and worked in the Gruhn Guitars repair department until early 2014 and as an in-house repair tech at Carter Vintage Guitars. Highly skilled in vintage repair and with over twenty years of experience, he is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most trusted names in town. Find his work at scalemodelguitars.com.
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Nashville luthier and guitar tech Dave Johnson shows us the baker's dozen of tools he thinks any guitar picker requires to be a guitar fixer.

1. Basic Setup Kit - 3910

2. ESP multi spanner - 1344

3. Guitar Tech Screwdriver Set - 3000

4. Nut File Set (for medium guitar strings) - 0882

5. Fret End File - 1175

6. Nut and Saddle Vice - 1816

7. Radius Gauges - 5432

8. String Spacing Ruler - 0673

9. Nut and Saddle Files - 4556

10. Leveling Beam - 4643

11. Fret Rocker - 3770

12. Offset Diamond Crowning Files - 5059

13. Fret Hammer - 4895

The Ultimate Guitarist's Tool Chest Giveaway

Whether you're setting up your first guitar or fine-tuning a custom build, these are the 13 tools every guitarist needs. Now you can win them all. We've partnered with our friends at StewMac to give away a complete pro-level toolkit valued at over $750.

Click here to enter

basic setup kitdave johnsonfret hammerfret rockerguitar technashville luthiernut file setradius gaugesstring spacing rulertoolstech tools

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