How to Make Block Inlays for a Fretboard
Most guitars have fret markers known as inlays on the neck to help the guitar player identify the various frets he may play. The inlays and side markers help guitar players quickly identify the fret they're playing on stage during a live show or in the studio while recording. Block inlays can be added to any guitar and can be purchased or made. In order to make the block inlays, you will need some templates and the material, which can be anything from metal and wood to mother of pearl or plastic.
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Instructions
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1
Purchase block fret marker stickers from an online guitar supply company. This will give you the templates you will need to make your own inlays. Purchase the material you will use for your inlays, whether it is a different type of wood or possibly mother of pearl, which is a popular material for fret board inlays.
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2
Trace the various inlays from the sticker set onto the material itself. Use a scribe or razor knife to trace outside of each inlay. There will be inlays for the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and twelfth frets as well as the fifteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth and twenty-first frets. Some guitars will also require a block inlay on the twenty-forth fret as well. Make sure that you have traced the correct number of inlays for the amount of frets your neck has.
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3
Cut each inlay out using a small handsaw or vertical band saw. Stay as close to the outline as possible, but if you must, leave extra material outside of the outline because the extra material can be filed or buffed away. File each inlay to its final dimension following the scribe line you created in Step 2.
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4
Buff the edges of each inlay using a buffing wheel on a bench grinder. Clean up all of the edges, especially the points of each corner on each inlay, so that your hands don't get cut during installation. Buff in an even, sweeping motion to give each inlay a professional look.
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5
Stain or paint the blocks if you've chosen wood inlays. Use a complementary color stain or paint to improve the look of the guitar. Black inlays on a maple neck will look amazing, as well as white ones on a rosewood neck of a white guitar. Choose carefully, as they will be hard to remove after you've glued them into place.
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Tips & Warnings
Use pliers with a piece of felt to hold the small inlay during the filing and buffing process to prevent damage to your hands in close quarters.
Cut and file carefully because wood and mother of pearl chip and splinter easily.
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images
