Traveling Tool Kit: Crack Rods
Before the school's untimely demise, I took Hideo Kamimoto's guitar repair class. I saw him make excellent use of simple 1/4" steel rods to poke around inside instruments, aligning cracks and such. These rods bend relatively easily so they can pry, lift, or reach around corners, and they're strong enough to do the job. And, they're cheaply replaced. At home, I have a 3/4" hole in my bench where I stick the rods to bend them effortlessly into whatever crazy shape I need.