Fret inlay stickers

[Musician78]

I have an acoustic bass. It has no inlays on the neck and the ones on the side are not sufficient for me. Is there a company who makes GOOD inlay stickers? I don't want some cheap pieces of crap that are going to come off the first time I play. I certainly don't have skills enough to actually install real inlays... so yea....

[Hellbat]

No sticker is really going to be too permanent if you take proper care of the fingerboard because the oils and solvents used for cleaning and conditioning will dissolve the adhesives. Any Luthiers in your area? I would think a charge to add simple dot inlays or paint on dots would not be too high. If you want to do it on the cheap pick up some testors model paint, clean the fingerboard really well with naptha or something similar and let it dry off. Get a small round sponge brush and just apply your own dots using the paint. It opens up interesting color options too like gold, copper, silver, etc.

[6string40]

I got some from here and they seemed pretty good...didn't get in the way and didn't peel off. But like Hellbat said, using oils and stuff on the board surely will do something to them over time.

[RacerX]

When I read the thread title, I had just one thought: "Newc, calling Newc!"

[Trussrod]

I've wondered about how these stickers stay on for long with string bends, etc.

[JJDK]

I have seen guitars with pearloid and metallic stickers.....you don't really feel them when you play and they can fool ya from a distance but in the end,they look rather cheezy up close.I would think that a decent luthier could sneak some dots on there in mop or abalone for about $100.Problem is that big stuff requires pulling of the frets and a re fret to be right and not lumpy.

[guitarsjb]

When I read the thread title, I had just one thought: "Newc, calling Newc!"

Yep, me too

[Nightbat]

I've seen those Reissue Ibanezzes (before they were reissued) with their blue and red painted inlays turned to bare wood from use
So I don't think a sticker is gonna hold long

[Newc]

The ones I got off Ebay are holding up well, though I don't obsess over the fretboard with oiling and such. They're no more noticeable when playing than real inlays are, so they're not like speedbumps.


And if you're just drilling holes 1/8" into a 1/4" fretboard and installing dots in the center, why would you redo the frets?

[JJDK]

And if you're just drilling holes 1/8" into a 1/4" fretboard and installing dots in the center, why would you redo the frets?

because sanding the inlay level to the board parallel to the frets in most cases causes the fretboard to get a sanding "dip" in it that is very unprofessional....."some" luthiers are good enough to sneak dots in and not mess it up ....others ruin the board.

the correct way to do inlay is to remove the frets-route the inlay-epoxy the inlay in-sand the epoxy + inlay level with the fretboard using a neck radiused sanding block equivalent to what the fretboard was originally radiused as-then install new frets........

............i despise sloppy work!its either "right" or not at all.

[Newc]

but wouldn't doing it "right" entail using a smaller block to sand the inlays?

[JJDK]

but wouldn't doing it "right" entail using a smaller block to sand the inlays?

smaller block?....no lol!..the only blocks I'll use are the 18" aluminum beams from stewmac with a guiding jig for keeping the center of the beam running dead center of the board.

the fact is the longer the block-the more true the board radius.I have seen guitars with amateurish inlay jobs that were so bad and "dippy" that the board felt scalloped only where the inlays were...........kinda sad really.Dots can be snuck in but not anything bigger ..... not by me or anyone I know.

[Hellbat]

Well if dots can be snuck in and Newc was talking about dots then it looks like you are in full agreement.

[JJDK]

Well if dots can be snuck in and Newc was talking about dots then it looks like you are in full agreement.

Yeah,I was kinda like wtf huh?lol!...i didn't know which direction he was referring to ....all I could picture is little 1/2 inch radius block and someone trying to figure out how to get the sandpaper on it hehe!........I have done quite a few dots without doing a refret using 3/8"-3/4" flat metal files.....MOP and abalone is a hell of a lot harder than fretboard woods so ya gotta be really careful not to make a mess of it....experience helps.

I just put in some nice double spears in last week that came out sweet!................. and I have some crosses going in a sg this week(or next) so you can bet yer ass that the frets are out

[Newc]

Actually I was thinking Fenderish dots and using a Dremel with a sanding drum on the dots, not the whole board. Yeah it takes longer that way, but really, does it considering the defret and refret?