I'm looking to put together a maintenance kit for my new Strat and would like to have suggestions and recommendations. The idea is to have all the necessary tools and equipment in one place, easily accessible, and portable.

The spec sheet for my ADStrat is not as yet available but even if it were, I don't believe that the specific sizes of nuts, screws, and required Allen key sizes would be listed. I'm assuming that all components are imperial but is it possible that the nut on the tuners is metric? It seems to be somewhere between 3/8" and 7/16" however 13/32" is not a standard size. The 10mm spanner seems to work but I really would like to have the correct size.

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

Your new sStrat will come with the required allen wrenches for the saddles and truss rod nut. I don't remember what size they are, but I am sure someone here will. Yes, the nuts on the non-vintage tuners are 10mm. Screws are simple Phillips Head. There is really not much to worry about. You might want to buy this book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076032 ... 00_details

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Bill

For string/bridge/saddle height adjustments:
A short metal ruler with 1/32" increments

For neck/truss adjustments:
Automotive feeler gauges

For scale length/saddle position adjustments:
a high quality tape measure or yard-/meter-stick
(although the latter might not fit your "portable" criteria)

For re-stringing:
Wire clippers, small dropper of 3-in-1 oil for string contact points.

These are just a few.

good luck,
david

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Paul Balmer's book (The Fender Stratocaster Handbook) is an excellent source of information and there's even a chapter called "Essential Gig Bag Accessories" which addresses my question on what to pack. Still I am curious to hear what other memebers have in their gig bag and any info on hardware specific to my 2011 American Deluxe Strat.

According to amazon.com, the 2nd edition of The Fender Stratocaster Handbook is due to be released on June 15. I think I'll pre-order a copy.

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

Back when I was OCD about set-ups, I used to keep all that stuff in a gig-bag.
One could easily lose one's mind trying to account for everything in a repair/maintenance kit.
Now it's just spread out all over a small table in our playin' room.

All I keep in a gig bag now is a chord/scale reference guide, a spare set of strings, and wire clippers (which can also be used as finger-nail clippers).

...oh...and a tuner...because I admit I'm just not aurally there yet

A big hammer; and for those really tough jobs, an even bigger hammer.

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You dig?

I have been racing RC cars off and on for close to 20 years and I learned long ago to NEVER use those cheap allan wrenches. They are soft and will soon round out messing up your screws.

You an either go to your local hobby shop of shop online at a place like Tower Hobbies and pick up a set of precision ground and hardened tipped allan wrenches. Like these.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wt ... LXGBP3&P=0

Not a bad idea to get some good screwdrivers too.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wt ... LXFAK1&P=0

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Gary

Extra tremolo springs, string cleaner, truss rod wrench, saddle wrench, and fresh strings. Basically, you don't need much. Those are the few things you'll ever need in a pinch...

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


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