How to Replace a Fretboard's Inlay
A well-made guitar not only produces exceptional tone, it may also exhibit exceptional craftsmanship. Like any wood craft, guitar making utilizes a variety of decorative embellishments such as inlay. Fretboard inlays not only provide visual interest but they also help mark the fret positions, guiding guitarists during play. Inlays can become damaged and require careful removal, avoiding excess damage to the surrounding fretboard. With some simple tools and the right technique, you can replace a fretboard inlay in a few steps.
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Things You'll Need
- Clean towel
- Thick book
- Guitar
- Hair dryer
- Hobby knife
- Compressed air
- Cyanoacrylate glue
- Replacement inlay
- Razor blade
Instructions
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1
Lay a clean towel on your work surface and place a thick book such as a telephone book on the towel.
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2
Lay the guitar on the towel so the book supports the guitar's neck.
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3
Remove the strings from the guitar.
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4
Apply heat to the inlay you wish to replace with a hair dryer for approximately five minutes.
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5
Pry around the edges of the inlay with a hobby knife, stopping to reheat the inlay if necessary, until the inlay comes loose.
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6
Scrape away any adhesive debris in the indentation with the hobby knife and blow it away with compressed air.
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7
Fill the bottom of the inlay indentation with cyanoacrylate glue and press the replacement inlay into the indentation. Allow the glue to dry for approximately one minute.
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8
Scrape away any excess glue from the fret with a razor blade held at a 90-degree angle to the fretboard.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Do not heat celluloid inlays. Celluloid is extremely flammable and can become damaged even if it does not catch fire. Vintage guitars from the first half of the 20th Century are more likely to have celluloid inlay. Use a sharp, ultra thin hobby knife to scrap along the edges of the inlay to remove.
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images
