Right Tool For The Right Job

Since my other hobby is owning/driving (and repairing) Little British cars, the sub-hobby of that is collecting tools is included in there. Specifically the right tool for the right job. No using a screwdriver as a prybar or the end of a wrench as a hammer. In a work shop environment you don't cut corners. In the field however, rules are made to be broken.

Working on guitars, the same principals are applicable. If you need to tighten up a tuner's nut, the proper socket size ensures that the nut wont get stripped, or at the very least, the finish coating get chipped or flaked off. But at a gig it's not feasible to have a full tool kit to handle every possible issue that may arise. Also being a guitarist doesn't mean you need a bank of tools, but being able to take care of some problems quickly and easily can make things easier. Enter the multi tool.

I remember the TV show MacGuyver, where the only tool he needed was a swiss army knife to get out of any bad situation. I've had a few over the years, and they can be handy for a quick fix around the house or even tightening a hose clamp on a radiator. But since the 1980's Multi tools really took things to the next step.

The overall idea is it's a quick fix solution, to save time finding a tool in a tool box, or even getting to the tool box. It's supposed to be quick and accessable, as well as small enough to wear on a belt or key chain.

For the past decade my multi tool of choice is a gerber. It has a pair of pliers for tightening up any nuts or bolts, Screwdrivers, scissors, bottle opener, and wire cutters. I think I paid $30 for it and for changing strings on a guitar it really is all I need. Tightening up a strap button or even changing the height of a pickup, super easy.

Along with my guitar gig bag, I usually bring a back pack to gigs/practices and have one of these multi tools in there. I don't like to have a big piece of metal like that rattling around in any guitar case or gig bag, that's just asking for trouble.

Now there are companies that offer up guitar-centric multi tools, and every time I see one, the price is usually too high, it's not well made, and usually useless for anything other than a string change. I can't tell you how many times at any gig where a band mate or even a sound guy asked for a pair of pliers. You don't find them on "guitar tools".

So while I do have a bit of a tool fetish, and I am happy with my Gerber, I have been looking around at some new options and I figure I'd share them with you.

Leatherman makes a cool inexpensive version called the Skeletool:

It's got a screwdriver attachment, knife, pliers, and wire cutters, and the belt clip is nice.Overall leatherman is a good place to start for any multi tool, the quality is great, and they're highly functional.

There are alot of other combo tool setups, but my wish list though would be a multi tool with a Phillips & flat head screwdriver ends, Hex/Allen wrench sizes for Floyd rose tremolos, a truss rod adjustment wrench, pliers, and wire cutters. It's pretty simple, However I have yet to see someone come up with this combination. Some how, we get saws, and multiple knives, and can/bottle openers. Not to say that these don't come in handy, but alot of times, at a gig or the studio those might not get alot of use. Ok maybe the bottle/can opener will.