Can I have inlays installed on my new guitar or will it mess up the fretboard?

guitar inlay image

J P

I'm trying to order a new guitar without inlays (the inlay this guitar normally comes with are way too distracting) and I'm wondering if it is possible to put some small dot inlays on without wrecking anything? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Answer
Usually people want to go the other way: they have their name or fancy inlay put on. Yes, it can be done. I would be hesitant to try it myself, but there are many artisans and luthiers who do custom inlay work.
If you simply want a round dot, it isn't too hard. I once built a mandolin for my kids....it's playable but basic. For the fretboard, I used a piece of dark walnut. The way I made the dots was to drill a shallow hole and insert a short piece of dowel. File it level with the fretboard and put some clear finish on it. You end up with light colored wood dots (dowels are birch) against the dark fretboard. Stewart Macdonald has real dots which you could install the same way.....drill the correct sized hole and glue the dot in. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Inlay,_pearl/Pre-cut_inlays.html

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How much would guitar inlay installation cost?

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chris p

I'm buying a bolt on guitar with a rosewood fretboard. I'd like to get custom inlays installed, it has none besides the 12th fret and I'd like to have the 3rd,5th,7th,9th,15th,17th, and 19th inlays to have letters on them, the 22nd to have a symbol I made, and the 24th fret to to have a 2 short words. Any clue on how much this will cost me and any websites were I could get this done?

Answer
Thats a job you will have to get a quote from a local guitar shop. Or go to harmonycentral.com forums and go to the electric guitar section and ask. Theres people there who could tell you exactly where to go.

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Can you give me some really cool electric guitar inlay ideas?

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crimsonsta

Nothing obscene. Any idea you have would be appreciated be it a simple design for each fret or something as complex sd the prs dragon design. Also would it be cool to have a pickguard with the end of the design part of the inlay?

Answer
how about little guitars? The yin yang symbol? The zodiac signs? A pair of dice showing the appropriate fret #? Various street signs? Hologram diamonds?

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Can I have inlays installed on my new guitar or will it mess up the fretboard?

What are some guitars with Cross Inlays on the frets?

guitar inlay image

James D

I would love to get a guitar with cross inlays on the frets.
So what are some good affordable guitars with cross inlays. THANKS.

Much love to yall

Answer
I could be wrong but even if i am this ia an awesome guitar try the PRS Paul Allender guitar its sic and so is Cradle

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How to Clean off a Rosewood Fretboard?

Can you give me some really cool electric guitar inlay ideas?

guitar inlay image

crimsonsta

Nothing obscene. Any idea you have would be appreciated be it a simple design for each fret or something as complex sd the prs dragon design. Also would it be cool to have a pickguard with the end of the design part of the inlay?

Answer
how about little guitars? The yin yang symbol? The zodiac signs? A pair of dice showing the appropriate fret #? Various street signs? Hologram diamonds?

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How much would guitar inlay installation cost?

guitar inlay image

chris p

I'm buying a bolt on guitar with a rosewood fretboard. I'd like to get custom inlays installed, it has none besides the 12th fret and I'd like to have the 3rd,5th,7th,9th,15th,17th, and 19th inlays to have letters on them, the 22nd to have a symbol I made, and the 24th fret to to have a 2 short words. Any clue on how much this will cost me and any websites were I could get this done?

Answer
Thats a job you will have to get a quote from a local guitar shop. Or go to harmonycentral.com forums and go to the electric guitar section and ask. Theres people there who could tell you exactly where to go.

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How do I make my guitar inlays shine?

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Maddox

The inlays on my fretboard are bluish mother of pearl inlays.

Can I make them shiny again?

Answer
Mother of pearls already have a semi-gloss finish. You can't get them to have a high lustre since all inlays have the same texture.

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Can I have inlays installed on my new guitar or will it mess up the fretboard?

guitar inlay image

J P

I'm trying to order a new guitar without inlays (the inlay this guitar normally comes with are way too distracting) and I'm wondering if it is possible to put some small dot inlays on without wrecking anything? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Answer
Usually people want to go the other way: they have their name or fancy inlay put on. Yes, it can be done. I would be hesitant to try it myself, but there are many artisans and luthiers who do custom inlay work.
If you simply want a round dot, it isn't too hard. I once built a mandolin for my kids....it's playable but basic. For the fretboard, I used a piece of dark walnut. The way I made the dots was to drill a shallow hole and insert a short piece of dowel. File it level with the fretboard and put some clear finish on it. You end up with light colored wood dots (dowels are birch) against the dark fretboard. Stewart Macdonald has real dots which you could install the same way.....drill the correct sized hole and glue the dot in. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Inlay,_pearl/Pre-cut_inlays.html

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How to Clean off a Rosewood Fretboard?

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IronShadow

I recently purchased Guitar Inlay Stickers, and it asks to clean off your fretboard before applying the decals for better results. The instructions also say that it if you apply any sort of Oil to the fretboard, you should wait a few weeks before applying the decals. I have a BC Rich Platinum Series Warlock, with a Rosewood Fretboard, so my question is, what is the best means of cleaning it off without drying or hurting the fretboard? Also, any sort of Oils is also out of the question.

Answer
Methylated spirit should do the trick, used sparingly; you could use cotton wool buds (Q-tips). Oil would prevent the stickers from adhering.

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What are some guitars with Cross Inlays on the frets?

guitar inlay image

James D

I would love to get a guitar with cross inlays on the frets.
So what are some good affordable guitars with cross inlays. THANKS.

Much love to yall

Answer
I could be wrong but even if i am this ia an awesome guitar try the PRS Paul Allender guitar its sic and so is Cradle

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Where can I find a store/online where I could buy guitar fret inlays?

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Rockaholic

I just bought a guitar and it doesn't have fret inlays. Where can I find a place where they sell guitar fret inlays. Like the stick ons.

Answer
I'm afraid that "stick on" inlays would not do too well on a guitar fretboard.
I found one guitar forum that addressed the subject.
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-94023.html
No help for you there, though.

I did find mother of pearl sheet of veneer you can use to make inlays on ebay
http://crafts.shop.ebay.com/items/Crafts__W0QQ_nkwZVeneerQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZCraftsQQ_sacatZ14339

However, this is not something you'd just "stick" on your fretboard.

Inlaying MUST be performed by a qualified Luthier (guitar maker), unless you want to F*** up your guitar for good and all.

Stick on anythings would work for appearance , hell, use gold stars or little colored dots you can get at the stationary store. but the minute you try to play your guitar( unless you are strictly playing chords, no string bends or anything fancy) the strings will catch on the edges of them and rip them off.

Now when I was a little kid (8) I took lessons form a guy from the Kingston Trio( a very famous folk group in the 50's and 60's)
He had this funky chord system for beginners in which we placed multicolored stickers on the fretboard about 3/8' long and when placed 6 across the fretboard, completely covered the upper part of each fret.
each color represented a different chord. For instance, all yellow spots were for a C chord or something like that.
I saw them on a concert TV show a while back and the guy still had those stickers on one of his guitars like 25 years later.

So if all you want is a visual reference on your fretboard (aren't there at least dots on the edge of the neck?)

you could take some of those little silver dots from the stationary store and put them in the proper frets, right below the upper fret wire. That way when you play the string won't hit the dots and may stay on for a while.

That's the only option I can think of for stick on "inlays"

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How do i find out what kind of guitar i have?

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ty b

I have a jackson guitar that i bought from a friend and i've been looking for a few hours and cant find out what it is. Anyone help?
I wanna find out what model of jackson i have i know its a electric but i wanna know what model it is so i can get specs incase i want to sell it.

Answer
Jackson makes essentially 5 body styles with a few different types of neck and headstock configurations'
The RR model is the Randy Rhodes "swept V" style
The "dinky" is their classic "super strat" style
The kelly is a contoured "Explorer" style
The warrior is a X style
The PC1 is similar to the dinky but with more of a "strat" look
All models except the pc come with the standard Jackson headstock or reverse headstock and various types of shark tooth and dot inlays.

To find out the exact specific model than go to your local Jackson dealer or call the company and give them a description and the serial #

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What does dot buster guitar inlay mean?

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Max M

Hi, im wanting to get new guitar inlays. The AC/DC thunderbolts. It says its a dotbuster and im not sure if that means stick it on like a sticker or actually cut and install?

Answer
I had custom inlays done on a Hamer bass I ordered back in the mid-80's (it was a modulated radio wave across the whole neck). That was $400 to have done.

I'm figuring that's about what it would cost you today to have your existing inlays pulled, the fret board routed, and new inlays cut and installed.

It's not the material that's expensive (unless you're using high-grade abalone), it's the labor.

It what you're talking about are stickers, save yourself the aggravation...they'll look great as long as you don't touch your guitar. But, as soon as you start playing they'll come off at the worst possible moment (right in the middle of your big solo).

Greetings from Austin, Tx

Ken

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What does dot buster guitar inlay mean?

guitar inlay image

Max M

Hi, im wanting to get new guitar inlays. The AC/DC thunderbolts. It says its a dotbuster and im not sure if that means stick it on like a sticker or actually cut and install?

Answer
I had custom inlays done on a Hamer bass I ordered back in the mid-80's (it was a modulated radio wave across the whole neck). That was $400 to have done.

I'm figuring that's about what it would cost you today to have your existing inlays pulled, the fret board routed, and new inlays cut and installed.

It's not the material that's expensive (unless you're using high-grade abalone), it's the labor.

It what you're talking about are stickers, save yourself the aggravation...they'll look great as long as you don't touch your guitar. But, as soon as you start playing they'll come off at the worst possible moment (right in the middle of your big solo).

Greetings from Austin, Tx

Ken

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