Looking Good?

Some musicians say their guitar is just a tool. And of course somehow it is. It’s the guitar player’s tool. But when you buy a guitar, you want it to sound good, be easy to play, but also it needs to look good. Or should I say look good on you?

Whatever guitar you get, at some point they all need maintenance. And then strange things happen. To perform maintenance properly, you need the right tools. But many a guitarist refuses to acknowledge that guitar maintenance requires special tools. They cheerfully start messing up their beloved instrument with a hammer and a pipe wrench!  In an emergency, you’ll use the tools that are available. But for regular maintenance?

I’m not one of those musicians. I always use the right tools for the right job. Sometimes those tools can be very pricey. Like recently, the jack of my telecaster came loose again. If you want to tighten the nut, you have to be sure the jack itself does not turn. This can easily be done with a special tool. There’s a cheap Chinese junk version or a very expensive American one.

I’ve decided not to buy either one but instead make the perfect tool myself. It took some brain activity, some old screws and a piece of scrap wood. Of course, the fact that I design and make small wooden memory urns came in handy. I tried to give it a perfect finish that matched my sunburst Jazz. I just love to make things.

My personal Jack Tool, not only working great but also:

Looking Good!