3Peaks DS-115TZ Screw Removal Pliers Review

Aloha!

Over the years I have stripped the heads of plenty of screws, mostly in household and automotive applications. In these cases it is usually easy enough to drill it out or get a pair of vise-grips on the head of the screw to twist it out (or break it off). The situation changes drastically when working on a pretty guitar, though. A pair of flat-jaw pliers or a poorly used drill bit is a recipe for disaster when working around soft wood.

This is where the 3Peaks DS-115TZ screw removal pliers come into play. These purpose-built pliers have a circular grab area with little teeth that help grab the screw head better to prevent slipping and unplanned damage. These pliers are made in Japan, where they still know how to machine quality tools to good tolerances.

The pliers are about 4 ½ inches long and have comfortable handles that let you get a good grip on what you are doing. They can handle screws with heads up to ½-inch in diameter, though you will probably not find screws this big very often in guitar work. They have a nice smooth action, which might help you not mess things up too badly as you nervously try to get your guitar back to normal.

I have used these pliers a few times for both guitar and household tasks, and they work great! They grip very well, and provide enough leverage to get the job done right. I would recommend putting a bit of tape around the end of the jaws to protect the guitar’s finish, as it is very easy to get close to the wood if the screw is fully seated when it gets stripped out.

3Peaks pliers have not been the easiest to find, but these tools are now being sold through Stewart MacDonald, so luthiers everywhere can get their hands on them more readily. They are not cheap ($29.95), but if you need them you really need them, and it will be well worth your money to pick up a pair before you need them!

Mahalo!

Pick Punch Standard 351 Guitar Pick Maker Review

Aloha!

Today we are looking at a tool that is a little nutty, and that may not make the most sense in the world, but I love it anyway. It is none other that The Pick Punch Standard 351, a tool that allows you to make your own guitar picks.

The Pick Punch is a heavy duty handheld or desktop device that is a step or two above the paper hole punches that we have all used at one time or another. But this one has heavier cutting blades and a die that will pop a nearly endless supply of guitar pick shaped pieces of plastic stock. Where are you going to get this plastic stock? Well, you could buy it from the Pick Punch people, or from sellers on eBay or Etsy, but what is the fun in that? I get great satisfaction from cutting up old credit cards or the endless supply of promotional faux credit cards that banks and the cable company keep sending me in the mail.

This appears to be a quality tool, and I have a hard time imagining it ever wearing out. It punches out picks without too much effort, though the edges can tend to be a little rough. I like smoothing them a bit and beveling the edges with a piece of sandpaper before using them. There is actually a little chunk of sandpaper built into the base of the punch, or a nail file works too.

The Standard 351 got its name because that it the shape of picks that it punches out, but there are other models available that will do triangular (rounder or pointy corners), teardrops, those little jazz picks, and even shirt collar stays.

The Pick Punch Standard 351 sells for $20 or $25, depending on where you buy it. Of course, you could buy a lot of picks for 25 bucks, but this is fun, and it would be a great gift for the guitarist in your life. Really!

Mahalo!

Stewart MacDonald Thread Detective for Guitars Review

Aloha!

When you work on guitars that come from the North America, Asia, and Europe, chances are good that you are going to want to replace a fastener and you will have no idea what size to buy, or even if it is metric or standard thread. Thread Detective has been in the business of making thread checking tools for years, and they are popular in craft and repair industries. The folks at Stewart MacDonald saw this tool and liked it, and asked Thread Detective to put together a set of these tools that is specifically tailored to the fastener sizes that are encountered in luthier work.

When you by this set you get two sets of tools, blue for metric and red for standard threads. These chrome-plated steel nuggets are designed so that they can measure both male and female thread dimensions, and the individual bits are held together by cables so they do not get scattered in your toolbox. They will let you measure 11 metric thread sizes and 13 standard sizes.

There is not too much else going on here, and the tools work exactly as they are designed. These are not tools that you will use very often, so they will probably never wear out, but they are a definite time and frustration saver.

If you want to pick up a set of Thread Detective for guitar tools, there is only one place in town to get them ,and that is Stewart MacDonald, The powerhouse luthier supply company. They are not cheap, at $49.98, but they are truly awesome.

Mahalo!

Stewart-MacDonald Adjustable Toggle Switch Wrench Review

Howdy!

The toggle switch nut on Gibson Les Paul guitars can be a frustrating part to remove or install, despite the fact that it is super easy to get to. You see, since it is on the front of the guitar and so easy to see, Gibson wanted it to have a nice appearance. So they used a knurled ring to hold the switch in place, and there are no flats on which to fit a conventional wrench.

This means that most folks end up using a pair of pliers to get it loose, which can easily lead to a scratch in the finish or a chewed up nut. Plus, if you are really careful not to damage the nut when installing it, chances are good that it will not be tight enough and that it will loosen up over time.

There are special tools available, but they are made of plastic and strip out quickly. Fortunately, there is an answer to this problem. The marketplace for luthiers, Stewart-MacDonald, offers exactly the tool for the job: the adjustable toggle switch wrench.

This thing is made of metal with a plastic screwdriver-type handle. You can rotate the barrel around the wrench part so it fits snugly on the nut, and it does exactly what the company says it will do. You might think it is a waste of money to buy such a specialized tool that may not be used very often, but $17.71 is cheap insurance when working on your treasured guitars. Check out Stewart-MacDonald’s website for ordering details!

Mahalo!

Review: Ibanez MTZ11 Multi-Purpose Tool for Guitars

Good day!

It is disheartening to arriving for a gig to find out that your guitar is not playing well, and not having any tools to try to make things right. At the least, a guitarist should make sure that they have a few basic tools with them at all time, and there are dozens of different multi-tools out there that fit the bill. I found my favorite a few years ago when I was in Japan and I needed to do some work on an axe I picked up over there. This tool is the Ibanez MTZ11.

The MTZ11 comes in cool colors (I chose red), and it is small enough to fit into any gig bag pocket. It measures around 3.75 inches long by 1.4 inches wide by 1.3 inches tall. It has 11 tools in it, including two Phillips head and a flat head screwdriver, 5 hex wrenches (1.5 to 5mm), a 7mm hex that will accept standard bits, and a 50mm ruler. These tools are made of high-grade steel, and I have not noted any wear to the screwdrivers or hex wrenches despite fairly heavy use.

But what really sets this one apart from the other tools on the market is the 50mm steel ruler. This is really handy for setting action and pick-up heights, and I would not buy a multi-tool that does not have a ruler in it if I had to buy another one.

The Ibanez MTZ11 multi-tool is cheaper than buying all of these tools separately, and it certainly is a tidy package. It is not terribly expensive, coming in at around $21 on Amazon, which is really cheap insurance if your gig is at stake. Check one out if you get the chance!

Mahalo!

Schatten Multiple Knob and Bushing Puller Review

Aloha!

It can be pretty nerve-wracking to try to pry a knob off of a guitar, as using a screwdriver can easily lead to a broken knob, a scratched top, or both. It can be many times worse when trying to get a tight bushing out of a headstock or body. That was why I was so happy to get ahold of a Schatten multiple knob and bushing puller.

Puller have been around for ages, and are often used in heavy mechanical operations, such as removing bearings from transmissions or pulleys from engines or other machinery. These tools use leverage and evenly applied pressure to steadily pull the pressure-fitted components apart. As a side note, it is often fun to misuse tools of this type during crazy household repairs! Schatten applied this theory on a much smaller scale for more the delicate operations that are conducted during typical luthier repairs and modifications.

When you buy this tool, you will get an acrylic puller tube with a protective ring to prevent finish damage, a long bolt with a wing nut, the puller blocks (alight one for knobs and a heavy one for bridge and tailpiece studs), and a selection of screws that will thread into common bushings.

Using it is easy. Attach the correct puller block to the bolt and slip the u-shaped opening in the block under what ever it is you want to pull out. Slide to tube over the bolt, put the wing nut on top and crank it down until whatever it is you are working on pops loose. That is it, easy peasy!

I have used my puller a lot: Stratocaster and Les Paul knobs, headstock bushings, and even the bridge studs from my Explorer. It worked well every time, and I have not broken any of the parts or screwed up the finish on my instruments. What more could you ask for?

If you decide to pick one up, the $48.50 price might be a little off-putting for what seems to be a basic tool. But, the Schatten multiple knob and bushing puller is a well-made tool that will last for hundred of repairs, and the cost savings in reduced time, less broken parts, and not having to do finish touch-ups will make it worth every penny. Check one out for yourself!

Mahalo!

Snapz Acoustic Guitar Bridge Pin Puller Review

Hi!

There are a lot of ways to pull stuck bridge pins from acoustic guitars, and many of them involve misusing tools that were designed for another purpose, as well as the possibility of damaging the instrument or the pin. There are a few different tools out there that are specifically designed for this task, and the Snapz bridge pin puller is one of my favorites.

This tool is very easy to use:

1) Slide grip ring up so the jaws can move

2) Press tip down onto bridge pin so the jaws will open up and pop over the end of the pin

3) Slide grip ring down to lock the jaws into place

4) Pull on the handle to remove the pin

And that is it! The Snapz bridge pin puller is made of plastic, so it is a lot less likely to damage your bridge and your wood, plastic or bone bridge pins. A friend of mine said it seems kind of cheap since it was made of plastic, and that he would rather have one made of metal, but that seems like a bad idea to me. They makes things like chisels and files out of metal, and I would rather minimize the exposure of my delicate wooden instruments to such things.

An added bonus is that the pin is held captive by the tool, so it is less likely to fly off under a workbench or into a dark corner when it finally pops loose.

These things are cheap enough that I bought a couple of them so I could have them at home and in my emergency kit. It is better to be safe than sorry, and I would rather have one of these with me than having to resort to a pair of pliers in an emergency.

If you are thinking of picking up a Snapz bridge pin puller, make sure you shop around. I found them for $7.50 from Stewart MacDonald and Amazon (plus $6 shipping!) or $10 from Allparts. It really is a neat tool, and you should try one!

Mahalo!

Why Tool is not my favorite band

Aloha everybody!

In another brazen stroke of ego, I am going to use Al Gore’s tremendous internet to share a bit about Tool. Though they have cranked out some awesome music, there are a plenty of things hold me back from loving this band.

In case you have unplugged yourself from the music scene since 1990 (and it seems like a lot of people have), Tool is a Los Angeles-based progressive rock band. They have released 4 albums and an EP, earning three Grammy awards along the way.

Tool’s rabid fan base (more on that later), assert that Tool’s music is genius, the lyrics are brilliant poetry and nobody has better performance skills.

Well, on some level I agree with parts of this. Over the years, Tool has honed their craft. They have some truly great songs, and their production is slicker than snot on a doorknob. I think they are all first-rate musicians, and that Danny Carey is a brilliant drummer that really holds everything together.

1993’s Undertow was the breakthrough album for the band, and was very good as a whole. All of the songs had plenty of anger yet were still listenable. I really think this album was their high-water mark, and we have seen a steady increase in self-indulgent offerings from Tool.

Their 1996 album, Aenima, won the band their first Grammy award. And it certainly is a slick album, with some sort of deep concept throughout. By the way, I think the concept of the album is that the recording industry and their fan base are mindless sheep (chew on that for awhile, fainbois). But this album is also where Tool started working in a lot of non-musical crap into their content. And, of the actual songs they recorded for this album, there are only a few stand outs.

And, their latest two albums, Lateralus and 10,000 Days, complete their spiral into the Hubris Hut. I think there are only about 3 good songs in the bunch. I attended a few of the shows for the Lateralus album tour, and their performance gave me the same cheated feeling that I get from these later albums. They played very little of their older material, but they found time for Maynard to stand like a statue for 15 minutes while a pre-recorded synthesizer track and light show played. Come on…

But Tool fans continue to eat this up and ask for more. Why is this? The short answer is that Tool fans are insane.

Because Tool’s music is more progressive than anything else played on the radio, their fans have deluded themselves into believing that the music is deep and intelligent. This could not be farther from the truth. Writing songs about religion, violence, sex and abuse does not put them in a terribly exclusive club.

But, because the fans have “discovered” this deep and intelligent band, they feel that they should be exclusive members of a club that should only include deep and intelligent persons such as themselves. This is personified by the Tool Army, their official fan club (toolarmy.com) which charges members fees from $40 to $99 to join. This is the ultimate indication of zealous these fans are, not to mention how the band really feels about their fans.

Of course, true fans think that they are the only ones who “get it”, and that the vast majority of other Tool fans do not “get it” and are therefore unworthy to be fans, and should not be included in the club. Of course, the sad truth is that anybody can understand Tool’s music if they step back and realize that a lot of what the band does is for their own entertainment, at the expense of people who buy their records and who pony up for concert tickets.

Anyway, step back a little and think about why you really like this band before sending me hateful e-mails. And, look at the bright side: if you are a Tool fan you are probably not a Rush fan!

Mahalo!

1980 Gibson Les Paul Silverburst Guitar

Here is guitar you do not see every day, unless you are Adam Jones from Tool (this is just about all he will use). It is a rare 100% complete and original vintage 1980 Gibson Les Paul Custom in the desirable and very hard to find Silverburst finish.

Maybe I should provide a little history on these. The original run of Silverburst Les Pauls was made between late 1978 and 1982. There were a few differences between these and other Les Paul Customs of the era. Most noticeable is the color, of course, but these also received chrome hardware (instead of gold) to better match the finish. Also, these were built with maple necks (instead of mahogany) which give these a distinctive sound.

Over time, the finish on these did not hold up well. Usually all of the finish comes off the neck, and sometimes on the backs as well. Another issue is that the finish usually turns green, making them look like more of a phlegmburst.

This one has a carved maple top over a mahogany body, with multi-bound top and back. The binding is in great shape.

Overall, it is in excellent condition. It has the original finish. As with almost all of these Silverburst finish models the color is somewhat greened, but not as much on this one as a lot of them I have seen. There is only extremely minor surface wear and one barely visible hairline finish crack.

It has a great playing neck with great original fretless wonder frets. It has an ebony fretboard with pearl block inlays, and it is bound as well. The headstock is multi-bound, like the body.

The original pickups sound amazing, especially in this body with the metallic finish and the maple neck. It has a really classic tone. The original pots have the standard 2 volume and 2 tone set-up, with a 3-way pickup selector switch.

The hardware is in really good shape. It has a raised 3-ply pickguard, a tune-o-matic bridge with stop tailpiece, and Gibson logo tuners with keystone buttons. These tuners do not have the built-in speedwinders, but some Les Pauls from this era did come with them.

This one is relatively light, given the usual weight of Les Pauls from this era. It weighs in at right around 10 ½ pounds

So how does it play? I owned over a dozen real Les Pauls over the years, and played dozens more. This one has got to be one of the best. The tone, the action, and even the look are unsurpassed.

Amazingly, this one still has the original Gibson protector hardshell case. It is in pretty good shape, especially when compared to a lot of these I have seen. All of the latches work fine.

Sadly, I had to let this one go, only because I had a buyer that willing to pay top dollar for it to go with all of the other ones he had already collected. It could not have gone to a better home.