How to Inlay Mother-of-Pearl Into a Fretboard
Guitar fretboards have long been inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Its unique iridescence and visual appeal make ordinary guitar necks stylish. Mother-of-pearl, or nacre, is from pearl oyster or abalone shells, but real mother-of-pearl is limited to high-end and vintage instruments. Normally, synthetically-produced mother-of-pearl inlays are used, and the effect is much the same as the real thing. Inlaying mother-of-pearl onto your guitar's fretboard brings it a new look, and you can accomplish this at home. A few special tools, along with a little time and patience, yield professional results.
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Things You'll Need
- Mother-of-pearl inlays
- Machinist's ruler
- Etching tool
- Small router
- 1/16-inch (1.5-millimeter) router bit
- Wood epoxy
- Nine C-clamps
- Sandpaper (600, 1000 and 1500-grit)
Instructions
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Choose a mother-of-pearl inlay style. Real mother-of-pearl inlays are costlier than imitation ones and are harder to work with, as they might chip if not handled correctly. Styles range from simple dots and blocks to shark-fin shapes and other custom designs. Most guitar parts distributors and guitar retailers sell a variety of mother-of-pearl inlay sets.
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Align the mother-of-pearl inlays at the appropriate frets. Each fret is sized differently, and sets have specific inlays designed for each of the nine frets that require inlays. The third, fifth, seventh, ninth, 15th, 17th, 19th and 21st frets are normally inlaid, each fret getting smaller as they progress up the neck. Using a machinist's ruler, measure the length and width of both the fret and the inlay to determine the distances on the sides, top and bottom to properly center the inlay. Do this at each fret.
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Hold the inlay in place while you trace the outline with an etching tool, lightly scratching the surface. When finished, remove the inlay and rub white chalk over the outline to mark it clearly. Wipe off the extra chalk so only the outline shows. Outline all of the remaining frets in this manner.
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Attach a 1/16-inch (1.5 millimeter) router bit to the router. Start the router and begin making the recess at the center of the outline, working your way out to the edges as you go. Be careful to closely follow the line at the edges. When finished, repeat, as the small router bit requires a second pass to make the recess deep enough, according to Sean J. Barry at the Inlay website. Make the recesses for the remaining frets.
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Use a small chisel to chip out any remaining wood in all the inlay recesses, especially the corners. Apply wood epoxy evenly into each recess before placing each inlay into the appropriate frets. A small C-clamp, lightly tightened on each inlay, ensures proper fastening. Wipe off any excess epoxy after clamping.
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Allow the epoxy to dry for an hour, then remove the clamps.
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Feel the frets, making sure the inlays are smooth and flush with the fretboard surface. If they are not, lightly sand the inlays, starting with 600-grit, then 1000-grit and 1500-grit sandpaper, until the surface is smooth.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images
