Fingerboard inlays?

bopeuph · #1 04-14-2008, 11:06 AM

I have heard it's not that difficult to put some wooden inlays on the fingerboard like Edgar Meyer's. I think it would be a nice addition to my bass. A teacher told me he drilled some small holes into his fingerboard and filled it in with wood filler. This guy is a great player; he's the principal for the Orlando Phil.

I was wondering this: what if I filled in a drilled hole with a piece of a wooden dowel from a hardware store, then sanded it down? Would that be difficult? How much would it reasonably cost for a luthier to do something like this?

Nick

Jeremy Darrow · #2 04-14-2008, 12:17 PM

My teacher has marked his fingerboard in a few places with very inconspicuous pieces of tape, I'm probably going to do the same soon, but have a few ego issues to work out first (I don't need any dumb tape!). I recently saw a bass with ebony inlaid just proud (poking out) of the fingerboard in a few key places. It was easy to see from the players perspective, looked absolutely elegant, and was invisible from ten feet away.

I think you're asking for trouble drilling into your own fingerboard if you don't have some experience with this sort of thing. It's tricky to drill into a curved surface, especially into something as hard as ebony, without leaving some nasty scars. Also, if that dowel expands more that your fingerboard in humid weather it could split your fingerboard. Talk to a luthier first, it may not be that expensive, and the luthier will do a nicer, tidier job.

Best of luck, I'd like to see pictures if you do it.
Jeremy

bankerwithabass · #3 04-14-2008, 12:30 PM

Do talk to a luthier if you want to do this. My experience with doing something similar is that I had 3 small pieces of tape on the E side of the finger board. Well that worked great for quite a while but then I went and sat in on someone elses bass and found myself lost. I went home and took the tape off as fast as I could and now I play with confidence on any bass. Talk to your teacher about this as well.

bopeuph · #4 04-14-2008, 03:16 PM

It's not exactly a dependency. I don't need the inlays; I don't have much of a problem with intonation lately. Mostly, it's when I am making a large jump or starting in a higher position and want to start the note better in tune.

Also, there is a venue in town where I seem to be the only bass player in town that can't hear myself when I'm on that stage. If I turn up, the drummer says I'm too loud. The amp is an old Polytone (probably a 10 or 12" speaker) that looks ancient, and the stage is too small for me to put my Polytone 15 anywhere on that stage, let alone propping it up somewhere. I figure if I have at least something to help me out at those venues, I would do much better.

Besides, the inlays just give a nice flavor to a bass.

Nick

Jake deVilliers · #5 04-14-2008, 04:03 PM

Hey Nick, the problem with a slice of dowel is that its end grain, at 90 degrees to the rest of the board.

You'd probably be best served by getting a pro to cut you some dots and install them with the right Forstner Pattern bits to keep things nice and crisp.

You might consider abalone side fret marker dots at 2mm or the 1/16" plastic ones.....they'd be quick and easy and fairly subtle.

bopeuph · #6 04-14-2008, 04:09 PM

Thanks.

I hear wood is the way to go, in case any fingerboard shaving ever has to be done, then the inlays will shave nicely too. That's why I thought dowels would be a good idea.

Nick

eeyorebass · #7 04-14-2008, 04:20 PM

If it's just a matter of you seeing them, I would suggest putting the dots on the side of the fingerboard. That's where mine are. You can just see them in this pic:

They are near the bottom edge of the fingerboard, where the fingerboard meets the neck, so you'd have to do a lot of fingerboard planing for them to cause an issue as far as that's concerned.

Of course, if you like the look of them on the front, like Mr. Meyer's, that's different. But, as others have said, I would at least talk to a luthier before tackling it myself. Just to get an idea of technique and best materials to use.

Jeremy

jgbass · #8 04-14-2008, 05:08 PM

I had a luthier do this on one of my basses. And, when I was ready to say goodbye to them, it was easy for him to take them out. Was not that expensive. They were nice, pearl-like inlay dots on the side of the finger board, about 8 to 10 of them, I believe.

Right now, I just do not have any use for them. My teacher keeps reminding me that I really do know where the note is. And, most of the time, he is absolutely right.

Eric Hochberg · #9 04-14-2008, 06:29 PM

Try them with self adhesive labels (as dark as you want) cut with a hole puncher. Works great and isn't permanent.

Mark Perna · #10 04-14-2008, 07:25 PM

I use two basses. My main bass has a 42.5 inch scale and my outside bass is a Kolstein travel bass with a 39.5 inch scale. That's a HUGE difference. I use the main bass most of the time and don't need any visual aid but when I have to switch back and forth my innate sense of where the note is can get a little shaky particularly going back to the big bass after playing the little one.

I have absolutely no ego about these things. All I want to do is play in tune. The damned thing is hard enough to play in tune as it is. I put slivers of scotch tape on the side of each fingerboard in 3 places corresponding to the G, A and B on the E string. I can barely see them a foot away and they are completely invisible at 10 feet. When I switch, it can be very helpful in getting oriented to the new scale. I never practice the Kolstein, I only gig with it so I don't want to spend the first set trying to find the notes on the bass. If a quick glance will keep me in tune and make me sound that much better, then I'm all over it. Usually by the end of the first set I've mentally adjusted to the new scale and don't need the visual aids anymore.

mark

arnoldschnitzer · #11 04-15-2008, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bopeuph

Thanks.

I hear wood is the way to go, in case any fingerboard shaving ever has to be done, then the inlays will shave nicely too. That's why I thought dowels would be a good idea.

Nick

As Jake said above, you don't want end grain dowels because they will tear and possibly rip out in the future when the fingerboard gets re-dressed. Use wood plugs of face grain made with a plug-cutter. Or use the small plastic dots (which he also suggested). Those pose no problem when planing, because they are soft.

Wilbyman · #12 04-15-2008, 07:28 AM

White out....still use it....interestingly, when I was in Beerman's over easter there was a small italian solo bass with whiteout dots all over the board.

W

uprightben · #13 04-15-2008, 09:51 AM

I have done this kind of thing on non-instrument wood working projects. To do it you need a forsner bit that is the same diameter of your inlay, and you either need to devise a jig that will hold the drill at a perfect 90 to your board, or you wil need to remove your board and use a drill press. Do not drill pilot holes, as this will make the forsner bit chatter. Also, whether you use a jig or a drill press, everything must be completely rigid, i.e. no flexing or drifting. If you want to make your own inlays, then get a plug cutter the same dia. of your forsner bit. If you have a drill press, then the plug cutter is easy to use, just follow the directions. No matter what you use for an inlay you will have to trim/sand it flush to your board without taking anything off the board it self. If any part of this sounds out of your wood working league, you better go see a luthier.

WendellD · #14 04-15-2008, 11:50 AM

I put small white dots on the side of the finger board using a round toothpick dipped in some white craft paint my wife had. Some of them tend to wear off in a couple of years and you have to renew them. On my finger board it's not permanent, I can fleck them off with my fingernail and never know they were there.

arnoldschnitzer · #15 04-16-2008, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uprightben

I have done this kind of thing on non-instrument wood working projects. To do it you need a forsner bit that is the same diameter of your inlay, and you either need to devise a jig that will hold the drill at a perfect 90 to your board, or you wil need to remove your board and use a drill press. Do not drill pilot holes, as this will make the forsner bit chatter. Also, whether you use a jig or a drill press, everything must be completely rigid, i.e. no flexing or drifting. If you want to make your own inlays, then get a plug cutter the same dia. of your forsner bit. If you have a drill press, then the plug cutter is easy to use, just follow the directions. No matter what you use for an inlay you will have to trim/sand it flush to your board without taking anything off the board it self. If any part of this sounds out of your wood working league, you better go see a luthier.

This is all good advice. Just wanted to add that I've done a lot of fingerboard "dots" and have never had a problem with brad-point bits wandering, as long as I use an awl first to make a slight hole which guides the bit in. I line it up by eye, and the results have always been fine. It's not rocket science.