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fret marker ideas

Posted by Philip Hopper on October 17, 2018 at 4:06am

Good morning all, I have started working on my next 3 string guitar and I have decided on a fretless neck, the last fretless neck I constructed I scorched the fret markers with a hot wire but found the scorch marks spread into the grain making the finished article look a bit untidy. Has any other members got any ideas they would like to share on method and materials used.  Cheers Phil

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  • Kigar October 23, 2018 at 10:08am

    I suppose it could look that way but it also can look clean. 

  • Philip Hopper October 22, 2018 at 11:01am

    Hey Kigar that is an idea I like, reckon that method will make it look like it has been to hell and back. Cheers Phil

  • Kigar October 22, 2018 at 9:40am

    You can get a similar effect by either staining first then cutting to expose the raw wood, or cutting slots and coloring with paint then sanding the flat surface to clean it up.

  • Bob Johnston October 22, 2018 at 8:13am

    Awesome!  Let me know how it turns out.  I'm thinking about somthing similar using purple heart and maple.

  • Philip Hopper October 22, 2018 at 6:03am

    Good morning Bob, I have decided to try something very similar using a dark wood veneer laminated into the neck and then sanded back and polished up.  Thanks Phil

  • Bob Johnston October 21, 2018 at 5:18pm

    I made a maple fretboard, cut the frets with a Japanese saw a little larger than my fret saw.  I then used putty made with walnut sawdust mixed with dark Titebond glue to fill the slots.  After sanding and varnish it turned out pretty good.  The person I made the CBG for was too impatient to learn to use a slide so he had me put frets in it a few months later.

  • Philip Hopper October 20, 2018 at 3:20pm
    Thanks for the ideas, I reckon I I'll try the burning idea. Cheers phil
  • Kigar October 20, 2018 at 10:41am

    Couple ideas - try them on scrap first if you can.

    use a stain that makes the darker part of the grain black.

    lightly go over the neck with a torch for a similar effect.

    Try burning it after a light coat of finish is applied and dried.

  • BrianQ. October 18, 2018 at 11:59am

    I’m guessing it doesn’t have a temperature control? Maybe you just need a little more practice? I had that problem too when I first started with woodburning? Good luck 

  • Philip Hopper October 18, 2018 at 3:28am

    Thanks for the suggestion Brian, I have a pyrograph burning machine of which I have tried various species of wood and they all leave an untidy scorch mark, I guess I will just have to keep researching. Cheers Phil

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