I build guitars. Not at scale, not as my primary job, but seriously. The four models we make here are named after family members: Zora is a Telecaster-style, Nadia is a Jazzmaster-style, Dario is an Explorer-style, and Gabriel is a chambered semi-hollow. Each one gets built by hand in a small shop in Lindsborg, Kansas.

I wanted to write this post because I spent a lot of time early on researching what tools to buy, reading forum threads from 2009, and buying things that turned out to be wrong for how I actually work. So here’s what’s actually on my bench.

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Fret Wire

I recently switched to stainless steel frets on the Nadia build and it was a real learning curve. Stainless is harder to work with than nickel, harder on your files, and less forgiving if you’re still figuring out your leveling technique. It is also significantly more durable and it looks good.

The Musiclily Stainless Steel Fret Wire is what I used, and I’m happy with it. If you’re just starting out with fretwork, I’d recommend getting comfortable on nickel first and moving to stainless once you know what you’re doing. I didn’t do that. I learned the hard way.

Fret Nippers

The Knipex End Cutters are the ones. File the nose flat and you have the best fret nippers you can buy. I tried the StewMac fret cutters. I sent them back. The Knipex nipper modified with a flat nose clips cleanly and holds up better than the specialty versions I tested.

I know it feels weird to buy an industrial plier from a German tool company and grind it down, but it works. This is one of those cases where the right tool is not the one with a guitar on the box.

Fret Pressing

I use an Amazon fret press caul set for seating frets. Nothing fancy. The cauls are sized for different radius boards and they work fine in a drill press or arbor press. You can spend a lot of money on specialty fret pressing equipment and it will press frets about as well as this setup does.

Eventually I want to build a proper radius-specific caul system on the CNC, but this has gotten me through multiple builds without issue.

Hardware

For the Nadia build and other Jazzmaster-style guitars, I’m using the Fender Jaguar/Jazzmaster Tremolo Assembly. One note: the trem arm is sold separately. This is not obvious from the product listing and it will definitely annoy you when the bridge arrives without it. Get the arm at the same time.

Software and Design

I design bodies and necks in Fusion 360. I’ve been getting tutoring from UK luthier Martin Harmer who has helped me actually understand what I’m doing in 3D instead of just fumbling around. I also use Neck Diagrams for fretboard layout and visualization before I commit anything to wood.

The design side of this is genuinely one of my favorite parts. The IT brain and the luthier brain overlap more than you’d think.

The Honest Truth About Luthier Tools

The guitar building world has a tool-buying culture. StewMac in particular is excellent at selling you things that feel essential and occasionally are. My general approach now is to figure out what problem I’m actually trying to solve before I buy the specialty version. Sometimes the specialty tool is worth it. A lot of the time, a modified Knipex from Amazon does the job.

Build guitars because you want to build guitars. Start with a kit or a parts build if you’re new. Get your hands on the process before you spend money on the full toolkit. That’s what I wish someone had told me when I started.

Follow the builds in real time at @carverwoodworking on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitch. I run uncut shop sessions and you’ll see exactly how I use all of this.