Yes, I'm a bit biased. I'm a fan of CruzTOOLS' solid line of problem-solving musical instrument tools. I own and use one of their Guitar Player Tech Kits [Tape Op#69] (awesome for general guitar tech tasks), as well as a Jack and Pot Wrench [#83] (handy for tightening/loosening the awkward nuts on tone/volume pots). Their Drum Multi-Tool is a godsend to have around the studio; it allows adjustment of pretty much any type of drum hardware, vintage or modern. And I reviewed the ingenious Sound Hole Truss Rod Drivers [#111], which enable the adjustment of inconveniently located sound-hole truss-rods in some acoustic guitars.

I recently got my hands on the newest version of theCruzTOOLS Guitar/Bass Multi-Tooland love it to the point where I want to take it with me everywhere —just in case I encounter a guitar that might need tweaking. (Okay, I'm biasedanda bit weird.) But, you know, at the gig or in the studio, temperature and humidity changes can cause guitar problems to crop up. String height, intonation, pickup height, and truss-rod rotation are all things that can be addressed easily, presuming you have the right tools.

Enter the highly portableGuitar/Bass Multi-Tool. Fully folded up, it fits in the palm of your hand and includes every non-cutting tool I can think of for adjusting guitars. This includes four SAE and five metric hex wrenches, to cover most truss rod, bridge, vibrato system, and pickup height adjustments. I should mention that the four truss-rod-sized hex wrenches (1/8'', 3/16'', 4 mm, 5 mm) have ball-ends for easy insertion, without stripping the socket, even when used at a slight angle. There are also one flat and two Phillips screwdrivers. And, new to this second generation of theMulti-Tool, there is now a precision ruler/straight-edge for fret and string-height measurement, as well as a 5/16'' socket driver, for accommodating Gibson-type truss-rods. The tools fold into both sides of a blue plastic, one-piece frame; it's that kind of lightweight-yet-very-tough plastic that vandal-resistant municipal parkbenches are made of.

The build quality is very nice; the tools are chrome-finished pro-grade S2 steel. And the whole thing is not particularly expensive, either. Small and versatile, theCruzTOOLS Guitar/Bass Multi-Toolis perfect for toting to a venue in a gig bag, or keeping handy in the studio, where last-minute guitar adjustments always seem to be needed.$15.95 direct;www.cruztools.com)

–Pete Weisswww.weissy.com