From the May/June 2019 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY GREG OLWELL
Outside of a few of the points of instrument care that this magazine drives home regularly—proper humidification!—your acoustic guitar is an instrument that’s built to last and usually needs little attention to be playable and healthy. Still, guitars can use a little care from time to time. For the segment of the guitar-playing community that likes to futz with its instruments, the GrooveTech Acoustic Guitar Tech Kit ($59.95 street) covers the essentials. While not necessarily a comprehensive collection for the aspiring professional luthier, the kit offers a well-appointed assortment of quality tools and information for even barely handy guitarists to do their own basic maintenance, such as a cutter and winder for string changes; a ruler, feeler gauges, capo, and wrenches for truss-rod adjustments and checking string height; and a flexible, telescopic mirror for peering inside the box to look for issues at the bridge or loose braces.
The zippered case is sized to fit in the accessory compartment of most gig bags and has a small storage pocket and a printed setup guide to march you through the concepts and execution. (Measurements such as string height are offered throughout the guide, but be aware that what works best for you and your playing style might differ from the suggested specs.)
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While the GrooveTech Acoustic Guitar Tech Kit won’t be essential for every guitarist—loads of us just aren’t interested or know our limits and leave the work to the pros—it’s a nice and useful kit that covers the items that most guitarists would need for basic maintenance and keeps them in a handsome package at a reasonable price.
Tech Kit Contents
- Ruler (obverse, inches to 64ths and mm; reverse, setup specs)
- Bit driver
- Bits: 4mm and 5mm soundhole truss rod, 1/4″ and 5/16″ truss rod drivers; #1 and #2 Phillips
- Thickness gauges
- String cutter
- String winder
- Capo
- Telescopic mirror
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.
