Enthusiastically recommended to us by Julius Borges, this neck rest is made of sand-filled leather making it hefty and slip resistant. This tool is a must for a repair bench.

Forget using a pillow or your lap to support your string instrument while you work. MusicNomad has developed a better way to work on your string instrument. The 5-in-1 Cradle Cube neck support is made of an innovative soft gel material to gently yet fully support either side of the neck. With 5 varying heights and angles, it works great for all string instruments—acoustic guitars, electric guitars, ukuleles, violins, banjos, mandolins and more. Safe on all instrument finishes, our Cradle Cube helps you change strings quicker and do repairs and maintenance in a secure and sturdy way.

The Music Nomad work mat is the perfect mat for your bench.

• Large work surface 36" x 17"/91cm x 43cm
• Made from a high-performance TPE material that is safe for all finishes.
• Easy to clean surface is textured for better traction.
• Handy-dandy rubber strap for easy storage.

This file has two convex surfaces, each with a different radius tapering to a point. 5 1/2 inches overall length - unhandled, #2 cut. 

The Sanding Detailer is a slick little multi-purpose tool that can be used on braces, when fret dressing or for a multitude of other uses. Our variety pack comes with 4 color coded sticks with pre-loaded sandpaper and 5 additional belts in each grit: 80, 120, 180, and 240 grit.

MADE IN THE USA

The Sanding Detailer is a slick little multi-purpose tool that can be used on braces, when fret dressing or for a multitude of other uses. Our variety pack comes with 4 color coded sticks with pre-loaded sandpaper and 5 additional belts in each grit: 240, 320, 400, and 500 grit.

MADE IN THE USA

This revolutionary tool is a breeze to set-up and use and works with any fretwire size. Just a few strokes and your fret tang is removed with no burrs.

• Smooth, fast action
• Accepts straight or radiused fretwire
• Fully adjustable for fret height and width
• Replaceable Nicholson file
• Pre-drilled for easy bench mounting

Replacement files are available separately.

"I have this tool and I've used it on countless builds and refrets. If you are on the fence about it, don't be! These are way better than traditional nippers. Saves so much time. Well worth your money!!!!"

Augment Guitars

This type of file has been used by builders and repairmen for decades for controlled fret crowning work and the delicate work of rounding the fret ends. Even though there are many specialized fret rounding files available today, there are still many that prefer this simple tool.

This 6" (8" overall length) cant standard cut file has two edges ground smooth to prevent marring the fingerboard. The base of the Isosceles triangle measures 1/2" and the two equal sides measure .325". 

Our small or medium handles would dress this tool up nicely. See below for recommendations.

Our double-sided nut files make quick work of filing string slots on your nut. The overall length of these files including easy grip rubber handle is 7¾". The tapered cutting edge is 3¾" long. The files measure .080" at the center and taper to the cutting edge.

Our FN nut files measure 5 7/8" long and 1/2" wide, with a cutting surface of 4 1/2".

This 5 file set has the following size files: .016", 024", .032", 040", .058"

Custom handles are sold separately.

Our FISET nut files measure 5 7/8" long and 1/2" wide, with a cutting surface of 4 1/2".

This 8 file set has the following size files: .056", .046", .036", .032", .024", .017", .013", .010".

Custom handles are sold separately.

The pippin file is a wonderfully versatile tool for slotting nuts, either bone or synthetic. It is teardrop shaped across its width and tapered along its length, allowing for an almost unlimited number of string diameters.

Overall length is 7 7/8", cutting length is 3 1/2", #2 cut.

This file has two convex surfaces, each with a different radius tapering to a point. 5 1/2 inches overall length - unhandled, #2 cut. 

These West African Ebony handles are made right here at LMI so you can be assured of their quality. They are made to work with our FN and FISET nut file sets. They have two flanged inserts with hex head screws meaning you can adjust the file to depth in the handle to get the maximum use of your file. You can buy one handle and interchange the files as needed or buy a set. They'll look great on your bench!

Note: Take care not to over tighten hex screws.

Files sold separately.

Our Professional end cutters are expensive, but well worth the price if you are cutting a lot of fretwire. We used them for a solid month in our shipping department (we cut A LOT of fretwire!) and they didn’t chip once! They even held up ok against stainless wire, although even these cutters will chip over time cutting stainless wire.

Our economy cutters work fine to do a few fret jobs, but they will chip over time. These cutters work great on nickel/silver wire, but will not work cutting stainless steel. We recommend our SPSC diagonals for harder wire.

Our reasonably priced diagonal, wide jaw pliers are solid-jointed. They won’t last forever, but they’re priced so they can be replaced when needed. The cutters are forged, high-carbon steel. he diagonal face is ground for flush cutting.

GraphGear 500 features a 4mm long tip design for rulers and templates. Metallic mesh grip on a slim, beveled barrel promotes control when writing. Weighted at your fingertips for precise drafting and template work. Pre-loaded with Pentel Super Hi-Polymer .5mm HB lead; never needs sharpening, is super strong, and produces a clear dark line. 

The Nut and Saddle setup gauge is machined of aluminum with four troughs (two on each side) measuring depths of 1/32", 1/16", 3/32", and 1/8". Each slot can accommodate a 1/4" wide nut or saddle. You simply place the nut or saddle in the trough and draw parallel lines on both sides of the piece, depending on how much material you want to remove.

This simple gauge allows you to easily mark a nut or saddle when wishing to remove material. The innovative slider makes for easy adjustment of the gauge. The Imperial side is marked in 1/32" increments and the metric side in 1mm increments. Simply set the gauge for the height nut or saddle you want. Place the nut or saddle against the gauge and scribe a pencil line. Then, simply sand to that line. 

This is a great little tool if you need to remove a small amount of material from a nut or saddle. Simply determine how much material you want to remove. Place the gauge over the material and score with a blade or mark with a sharp pencil then remove the excess in the usual fashion.

Gauge depths: 1/32", 1/16", 3/32" and 1/8".

The fingerboard radius gauge is helpful when radiusing a fingerboard or bridge by hand, or for a variety of other repair and building situations.

The fingerboard gauge has seven radius designations: 7",9",10",12",15",16",and 20".

The LMI Digital String Height Gauge will help you to achieve the perfect set-up on your guitar so it is comfortable to play while avoiding hazards like string buzz.

• Compact and easy to use
• Clear base plates provide an unobstructed view of the measurement process
• Digital display can be set to decimal or fractional inches and metric (mm)
• Reset zero with a press of a button for precise readout
• Hold feature freezes display for precise measurement
• Accurate to 0.001"

Chris Monck of Highline Guitars reviews the Digital String Height Gauge:

The D’Addario String Height Gauge is an all-in-one tool to help you set up your guitar with the highest possible level of precision. Made of stainless steel, this durable tool helps you easily measure the height of your strings and pickups, neck relief, and other critical measurements. This tool compares favorably to others on the market and is affordably priced.

Our hardwood Radius Blocks are 8" or 12" long and 3+" wide. They come with two radii on each block, one on either sanding surface. These radius blocks work well for radiusing the fingerboard or leveling your frets.

Our hardwood Radius Blocks are 8" or 12" long and 3+" wide. They come with two radii on each block, one on either sanding surface. These radius blocks work well for radiusing the fingerboard or leveling your frets.

Our hardwood Radius Blocks are 8" or 12" long and 3+" wide. They come with two radii on each block, one on either sanding surface. These radius blocks work well for radiusing the fingerboard or leveling your frets.

Our hardwood Radius Blocks are 8" or 12" long and 3+" wide. They come with two radii on each block, one on either sanding surface. These radius blocks work well for radiusing the fingerboard or leveling your frets.

Our hardwood Radius Blocks are 8" or 12" long and 3+" wide. They come with two radii on each block, one on either sanding surface. These radius blocks work well for radiusing the fingerboard or leveling your frets.

Our hardwood Radius Blocks are 8" or 12" long and 3+" wide. They come with two radii on each block, one on either sanding surface. These radius blocks work well for radiusing the fingerboard or leveling your frets.

This 3-sided straight edge is made for checking fret height, or rather finding the one or two frets that are high or low. The edge lengths are calculated so that any edge can bridge three frets. It is designed to work on all standard guitar scales. The gauge is machined from 1/4" aluminum and is then black anodized. The longest edge is 3 3/8".

These machined polycarbonate straight edges are an inexpensive alternative to high end (Starrett and the like) straight edges. They are milled on the 1/4" edge to an accuracy of .005". Not meant for super-accurate measurements, they are great for neck alignments and checking for level frets. They are drilled on one end for hanging. These edges are blank and cannot be used as a measurement device.

Note: Because our straight edges are milled from polycarbonate, they will cold flow under the right conditions. We, therefore, suggest hanging them rather than storing them on a surface.

These machined polycarbonate straight edges are an inexpensive alternative to high end (Starrett and the like) straight edges. They are milled on the 1/4" edge to an accuracy of .005". Not meant for super-accurate measurements, they are great for neck alignments and checking for level frets. They are drilled on one end for hanging. These edges are blank and cannot be used as a measurement device.

Note: Because our straight edges are milled from polycarbonate, they will cold flow under the right conditions. We, therefore, suggest hanging them rather than storing them on a surface.

An excellent 0000-grit steel wool - it contains none of the random coarse strands that plague most steel wools.  It is durable, long lasting and free of oils (a common cause of fisheye problems in finishes). Users of our steel wool swear by it!

The FSWS synthetic wool won't rust, splinter or shred. It is easier on hands, resist clogging, and can be rinsed and reused.

Alisyn fingerboard oil is a clear, clean, and odorless synthetic oil that lasts many times longer than conventional lubricants – enough to oil about thirty fingerboards in one bottle. It will help protect from cracks due to temperature/humidity extremes, as well as enhance the natural beauty of the board. A light coating of oil on the strings can help prevent corrosion due to acidity in the players hands. 

This inexpensive, multi-faceted stuff is well known to many in the guitar world as an excellent cleaner and polisher. Because it is free of wax, abrasives, silicones or acids, it can be used to spruce up even delicate vintage finishes. Use it on hardware, tuners and over pickguards. Polishing instructions are included on the bottle.

Luthiers will love how just a small portion darkens streaky fingerboards and bridges as it conditions the wood. It can be applied even after the board is fretted without danger of tarnishing the frets. One bottle is enough for dozens of fingerboards. 

It is also a great choice for the oil component of a French polish.

Alisyn fingerboard oil is a clear, clean, and odorless synthetic oil that lasts many times longer than conventional lubricants – enough to oil about thirty fingerboards in one bottle. It will help protect from cracks due to temperature/humidity extremes, as well as enhance the natural beauty of the board. A light coating of oil on the strings can help prevent corrosion due to acidity in the players hands. 

Robbie doesn't recommend using Lutherie Wax on the fingerboard and instead suggests his O'Brien Lemon Oil. This product does not contain silicone, water, or wax and does not build up. It can be used to clean, moisturize and protect your fingerboard.

Here's how Robbie applies this oil: "I apply a couple of coats at about 15 minutes apart when applying to a guitar I just built. After that, I apply one coat every time I change the strings. Let it soak in for a few minutes and then wipe the excess off."

O'Brien Lutherie Wax is made from high-quality ingredients in the O’Brien Guitars workshop in Parker, Colorado. Robbie recommends using it for many things including heel and end blocks, bridges, necks, and even as an entire finish on an instrument. He also uses it on his power and hand tools to keep them friction and rust-free.

Robbie doesn't recommend using Lutherie Wax on the fingerboard and instead suggests his O'Brien Lemon Oil. This product does not contain silicone, water, or wax and does not build up. It can be used to clean, moisturize and protect your fingerboard.

Our three Meguiar's polishes, used together, will yield a mirror-like gloss on any finish. They are perfect for new finishes as well as finish repair work. Odorless and safe, they are chemically inert and silicon and wax-free.

Order of use

• FCP - Medium Cut Cleaner
• FFP - Cleaner
• FSP - Polish

A tack cloth is a specialized type of wiping cloth that is treated with a tacky material. It is designed to remove loose particles of dust, dirt, and lint that would contaminate a surface finished. This 3M product feels very tacky, but leave no residue. It can be placed back in the package and reused. 

MusicNomad’s Guitar Detailing Towel uses super soft, high-quality microfiber, which contains 90,000 microfibers per square inch. The higher pile designed fibers lift and trap dirt and grime from instrument surfaces. We recommend this towel be used with the Guitar Detailer and Guitar One products.

A tack cloth is a specialized type of wiping cloth that is treated with a tacky material. It is designed to remove loose particles of dust, dirt and lint that would contaminate a surface finished.