Part of The Mod Squad ethos is doing a lot with a little, whether that’s your workshop space (aka the kitchen table) or the tools you might need. As we outlined in issue 478, a few well-chosen tools, very few that are guitar-specific, will stand you in good stead to keep your guitars in top condition, not to mention allowing you to carry out some pretty involved mods.
When you start dipping your fingers into the sort of work a pro would normally do, things can become very different. And expensive. We discussed in that previous issue that a set of nut files can be very costly and are really only viable if you plan to take your modding seriously. While there are plenty of outlets for ‘luthiers tools’ in the UK, none have the sheer mind-boggling array of US-based StewMac. I defy anyone who’s interested in this lark to go onto its website and not think, “Oh, that would be handy…” The trouble is, before you know it, your cart is bursting and the dollars are mounting. Then you’ve got shipping, customs and import taxes to consider.