What do you use for side fret markers?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on October 3, 2011 at 8:12am

1/8" holes and 1/8" circles cut from medium or light guitar picks with a hole puncher from the scrapbook aisle.  The 1/8 punches can be hard to find, and they are of pretty poor quality, I've found, so they don't last long.  Thus the medium or light picks.  Heavy ones will bend the punch all to hell.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Wirges on October 3, 2011 at 9:39am

I burn them in w/ a wood burner...they turn out very nice.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Hunt on October 3, 2011 at 3:16pm

Sometimes I purchase side markers, such as abalone shell or mother of pearl. Sometimes I burn them in with a wood burner. Sometimes I make my own from abs plastic or brass with a 1/16" punch. Sometimes I use the heads of small brass nails. There is one post somewhere here on website where a guy rolls his own from glue and black construction paper.

 

Brian Hunt.

 

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Permalink Reply by Artist Formerly Known as Matt on October 3, 2011 at 3:21pm

Wes Yates uses the construction paper method.

I prefer to use bamboo  shish-ka-bob skewers.

 

 

AFKAM

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Permalink Reply by Kevin O'Connor on October 3, 2011 at 5:01pm

I like to just drill a 3/32" hole, very shallow, about to the shoulder of the tip of the bit, then put a drop of white latex paint in the hole and let it dry. Looks very nice and clean and is very visible, even in very low light.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Bingham on October 3, 2011 at 5:16pm

I like to use the discarded aluminum shafts out of 3/8" pop rivets. I use the pop rivet heads for bushings to keep the strings from cutting into the wood so there's always a supply of shafts.

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Permalink Reply by Order99 on October 5, 2011 at 1:40am

I've only done the side fret marks on the neck so far- 1/3" inch brass linoleum nails, decent sized heads and very shiny! Haven't tried any markings on the fretboard itself other than 'fretting' a fretless fingerboard with a woodburning pen...I suppose i'd burn the marks as well to match. I've briefly considered small antique copper tacks, but I think i'd have to countersink them slightly in order to avoid a raised surface-that, or a decent nail punch and a light touch...

Mlke-aluminum pop rivets are just awesome, aren't they?

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Permalink Reply by FerneL on October 5, 2011 at 7:47am

A good poska or water resist marker, and express yourself !! never had a problem to sell it because of that !!

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on October 5, 2011 at 9:13pm

Hair brush bristles. The thick kind with the knobs on the end. They are usually tapered...just drill a 1/16" hole, put in a drop of glue, stick the bristle in tight, and trim with a razor blade when dry.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fred Johnson on October 7, 2011 at 10:26am

I sometimes edge the fingerboard with a hardwood strip,breaking this at the marked frets to insert a contrasting wood e.g. on my guinness box guitar I used sycomore  with ebony markers.See the photos on my page because bloody windows is not letting me send you one  

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Permalink Reply by pi_r_squared on October 7, 2011 at 9:06pm

I drill small holes, fill in with a contrasting wood filler, then sand smooth.  Works for side markers and fretboard markers as well. :)

 

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Permalink Reply by Doug Patterson on October 8, 2011 at 7:22am

Thanks for all the input and ideas!  I'm going to try many of these in upcoming builds.  That's what I love about this . . so many ways to be creative.  No one way to do anything.  Excellent!

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