# Inlay Removal / Fretboard dying (CAUTION)



## soldierkahn

Today Im gonna show you how to one, remove those ugly looking dot inlays, and two, fillem in to ebonize your fretboard.

Before we get started, here is a list of materials you will need. 
*'s indicate preferred but not required item

Plastic Wood - Cellulose Fibre FIller
Alcohol - 70% Isopropyl
Masking Tape
Razor blades
*Power Drill
Screwdriver 
*Leatherdye or that Stew Macs shit
Lemon Oil
3M Finishing Pad (replaces 00-grade steel wool)
3M Striping Pads (replaces 0-grade steel wool)
Old toothbrush
Sponges
















Step 1: Clean your fretboard really well. I like to use windex because it wont raise the grain, and it wont damage the wood. Once youve cleaned it with the windex, use your alcohol to dry everything out really good. 






Step 2: once your fretboard is all clean, your gonna wanna take the power drill we talked about, and your gonna want to use a sharp bit. I happened to have some old burs laying around from my Dremel, so i popped it in the drill. What your gonna want to do is make a tiny hole in the center of all of the dots, not all the way through the inlay! The reason we are doing this is to make it easier for the screw we'll be using later to "bite" into the material without you having it "dance" all over it trying to get the screw started.










Step 3: Now youre gonna drill a tiny screw into the inlay, making sure to not go very deep, just enough to where itll bite really good into the material (this will come easier to you as you go). Once you have inserted the screw, grab your pliers and slightly wiggle it to break the glue beneath, and then give it a firm tug to pull it straight out. Once your done with that you need to get the glue out of there. Not a hard task, so im not even gonna go there, lol.






















Step 4: Now grab your masking tape and tape off all your dots as individual elements. Once you have them taped off, take your wood filler and fill your holes, using your finger or a tool to be sure to pack it into the hole firmly (i used my fingers, lol). Once you have your filler set in there comes the waiting part. I like to give it 24 hours to dry, even though the label only called for 3 hours (better safe than sorry right?). 






Step 5: Now, once the material has dried, remove the tape(which is gonna remove a lot of the excess filler), and take your scratch pads and scrub them down clean to look as so. 






Step 6: Now your gonna want to use your masking tape to tape off the fretboard as well as the metal fretwire, just to make cleanup easier. Using a Q-tip, soak it into the dye, and then lightly dab your dots. We want them to have an already dark complection so that when we apply the dye to whole board, the dots arent lighter than the fretboard (you didnt want to see them anyways right?). 










Step7: Now the fun part. Apply a LIGHT coating of dye to the board. Your gonna be applying 8-10 light coats to ensure absorbtion into the wood instead of culminating in a sticky pool on top of the wood. Allow to dry between coats. If you arent gonna use a space heater or something else to aid in curing, allow 4 hours to dry between coats. With the help of the space heater, you can reduce that to 1 hour between coats. 






A little space heater to help cure (dry and harden) everything quicker. After each coat, take your Gray scratch pad (the one that replaces the 00 grade steel wool) and scuff the wood between coats to ensure even and smooth absorbtion. Trust me, in the end youll be happy you did.






Step 8: Now once you have gotten your board as dark as you want it to be, sand everything down again with your Gray scratch pad again, but only do this LIGHTLY!!! We are only wanting to remove excess dye and dirt. After youve completed that, remove all of your masking tape SLOWLY. Then grab your lemon oil and soak it!!!! And i do mean drench that board. Its gonna suck it all back in, and you gona have to apply probably 2-3 THICK coats of lemon oil to it before itll start to "weep" oil back out. I like to allow 2-3 hours between coats to allow for full absorbtion, but you use your best judgement. Once your board starts to weep the oil back out, you have fully renourished it. Now your done. Enjoy your new dotless ebony board.


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## Rick

Man, that looks killer.


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## Apophis

Awesome, but I can swear I saw this before


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## AVH

Sorry man, I don't want to come off sounding condesending, but this is really _NOT_ the way an actual luthier or pro tech would be doing this job at all. I could spend half an hour typing out all the things I see wrong and how it is actually done properly with totally different methods and materials like heat, sanding, rosewood dust, epoxies, etc. It's one thing to demonstrate how _you're_ doing it, but when it comes to actually _teaching_ other untrained people untested and unproven methods, the making of actual _tutorials_ really should be done by actual professional luthiers or techs, IMO. 
But never mind, do whatever you like to your axe. You'll see in a year or two. I just found it painfully obvious that no other techs or luthiers were inputing into this topic that I could see.
Carry on.....

<crickets>


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## skinhead

I don't know whot it looks in person, but I would do it with other method. Using rosewood dust + transparent epoxi. Mix them and filling there.


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## djpharoah

Looks good - but like Allen said, I have never seen it done like this before. Don't know how it will look say in a year or so.


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## Shawn

Professional or not, nice work and props for attempting it yourself.  I know I wouldn't be able to do it.


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## Drew

Could you get some better pics of the finished board? I'm seeing what looks like a visible blob of dye starting around the 3rd fret and working its way up...


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## ibznorange

im with drew. you can see some streaking and different colored splotches.
when i first saw it (the original post), it looked a little funky. I havent ever seen results of one done this way, but i have seen results from epoxy filled ones (and unfretting fills) and they didnt look so... greasy. that board just looks greasy imo.
Its definately a cool idea though, and its cool that you put it up here as an option. its just good that someone came up and put in the word that if you get it done professionally its done alot differently. I really hope it works out though, cause it seems pretty simple this way. i guess well find out in the long run eh? worst case scenario you get it reboarded i guess.
Best of luck!


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## ShawnFjellstad

i think we need some pics of it outside in natural light.


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## Ryan

I think you took a bold step and you get props for doing at-home mods. This kind of stuff is what originally drew me to ss.org. Like many others have said, it's not the way it should be done, but good work experimenting. I too am interested in seeing what this'll look like in daylight or better pics.


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## ShawnFjellstad

how would this be properly done?


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## Randy

ShawnFjellstad said:


> how would this be properly done?



I'm guessing the rosewood dust and epoxy....?

Also, I'm guessing it should've been dyed or stained using a different product.

I think it looks pretty good though, and it was well documented.


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## The Dark Wolf

Dendroaspis said:


> Sorry man, I don't want to come off sounding condesending, but this is really _NOT_ the way an actual luthier or pro tech would be doing this job at all. I could spend half an hour typing out all the things I see wrong and how it is actually done properly with totally different methods and materials like heat, sanding, rosewood dust, epoxies, etc. It's one thing to demonstrate how _you're_ doing it, but when it comes to actually _teaching_ other untrained people untested and unproven methods, the making of actual _tutorials_ really should be done by actual professional luthiers or techs, IMO.
> But never mind, do whatever you like to your axe. You'll see in a year or two. I just found it painfully obvious that no other techs or luthiers were inputing into this topic that I could see.
> Carry on.....
> 
> <crickets>


What would be the proper way to do this?


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## ibznorange

take rosewood of a similar coloring, sand it to powder, and mix with epoxy. fill it in, sand it, and die with aniline based dye.
i dont know the exact details, but i've peeked in on the process a few times at the shop. 

allen, its that time for you to be not inactive and be like
blam, wham pow all like batman from god knows how long ago!
except, with moddin guitars instead of fighting corny villains. 
villains like visually unwanted fretboards!


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## TripleFan

Instead of dust and epoxy I would take rosewood plugs with the diameter of the removed dots. Just to match the grain which would give you a even nicer and more consistent look.

But I´m amazed by the simplicity of Kahn´s take. I really would like to see pics in a better lighting.


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## ibznorange

lol hopefully it works well.
allens post just sounded kinda from-experience-ominous lol
that makes sense about the plugs actually. i think the dust and epoxy just get used because they are what gets used to fill in gaps during inlaying. i dont know that the grain matters as much when dying, but i guess it depends on how black you get the board too huh


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## The Dark Wolf

Um... Dendro? Hello.


The proper way.


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## TripleFan

Well, dye to an extend is "see-through" by it´s nature. So a visible matching grain texture would simply make a nicer result.

Admittedly if you use plugs you most probably would have to defret the board because level sanding those plugs in between the frets would be next to impossible. If you don´t want to refret your guitar some kind of filling, be it dust and epoxy or wood filler, is probably your best bet.

Oh, and... DENDRO? The proper way?


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## halsinden

and where would someone go about getting rosewood plugs that are the exact diameter of your guitar?

i really want to do this. badly.

H


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## Drew

halsinden said:


> ...the exact diameter of your guitar?
> .



Because you're British and will probably appreciate the humour of this, I just want to go ahead and say that I think those plugs MIGHT be a little big for inlay work.


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## TripleFan

I´m German and even I appreciate the humor...

OK, obviously you would need to make those plugs yourself. Maybe turning them from spare fretboard offcuts.
But that´s some serious task. As I said you would most probably need to defret the neck plug those marker holes, sand the board, refret, level and crown the frets. This is pro area.
I think Kahn´s way, while surely not the way a luthier or a seasoned repair man would do it, is a innovative and easy to do take on the problem. It surely will not give you the results a pro would achive but it´s something you can do with the limited possibilities you have at home.

Oh, and take my rambling with a grain of salt as I theoretically know much about that kind of stuff but never attempted something like this myself.
I really hope that some of our luthiers or repair guys chime in.


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## Stitch

Drew said:


> Because you're British and will probably appreciate the humour of this, I just want to go ahead and say that I think those plugs MIGHT be a little big for inlay work.





I'mw aiting to see what Allen says about it, because I don't really have an opinion. Its not how I would have done it, but I also am not sure what the 'proper' (and I say that loosely) way to do it is, but I have an inkling.


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## canuck brian

I'm not a "pro" luthier as I'm not doing it full time, but I apparently have more experience doing things like this than most in this thread - you wouldn't be able to hide the dots - there is always going to be something noticable. 

Redoing inlays with the frets still on is one guaranteed way to make sure the board is no longer perfectly radiused. If you used wood plugs, you would DEFINITELY have to pull all the frets, resurface and refret. Rosewood dust could be used also with expoxy and whatnot, but you're going to hit that problem spot with re-radiusing the board. I'm not 100% certain, but I would definitely not place a space heater 1 foot away (or any distance) from my guitar's super thin neck either - severe temperature variations like that...eek.

I re-did a guy's inlays with abalone recently by drilling them out like listed in the first, but I only did this because I was scalloping the board and the radius didn't matter after that as I wasn't affecting the actual frets themselves. That's about the only way to re-do inlays accurately without refretting/reradiusing the fretboard and that's pretty much only going to apply to super simple inlays like dots. 

Far away this might look good, but up close it'll look like shit. I can see the dots in teh pictures so I can only imagine what they look like in real life.


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## halsinden

Drew said:


> Because you're British and will probably appreciate the humour of this, I just want to go ahead and say that I think those plugs MIGHT be a little big for inlay work.





..


buttplugs.



THERE, i did it, i lowered the tone. i had to. its a compulsion. its an affliction. hate me. just HATE ME.

H



halsinden said:


> ..
> 
> 
> buttplugs.
> 
> 
> 
> THERE, i did it, i lowered the tone. i had to. its a compulsion. its an affliction. hate me. just HATE ME.
> 
> H




actually, come to think of its thats a wicked idea.

imagine how ROCK it would be to replace those really stylised i just re-strung and ran onstage / loose flex string ends bobbling about around the headstock with great bit rubbery 12 dildos.

all the volume and tone pots are buttplugs.

get out my head. GET OUT MY HEAD.  

H


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## skinhead

TripleFan said:


> Instead of dust and epoxy I would take rosewood plugs with the diameter of the removed dots. Just to match the grain which would give you a even nicer and more consistent look.
> 
> But I´m amazed by the simplicity of Kahn´s take. I really would like to see pics in a better lighting.



That's IMO the correct way to go. Take some dots with similir colors. The grain doesn't needs to be equal, because you're going to dye the fretboard after (if you will do it).


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## soldierkahn

dont worry gentlemen, im not done just yet. Ive got some fiberglass, and an autobody painter working with me on this and my next one, so more shots will be available once i finish with the body and get the neck squared away.


BTW!!!!!!!! I sanded my 7620 neck down to a 7420's neck radius and feel (the ones with the skunk stripe) (based it off of my 1077XL neck). I got it down great and now it feels AMAZING!!!!!


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## El Caco

Is the right way something like this possibly.
Filling A Hole

I found it while looking for a place to buy rosewood dowels from as I think that would be the most logical way to fill the holes.


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## El Caco

I found these, I'm sure if someone searched aroud or asked a luthier they could find other sizes.

Exotic Woods - E.I. Rosewood 5/16" x 5-7/8"


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## TripleFan

I think the methods on the Allied Luthiers link would only work well with as tiny imperfections as showed. Any bigger and it would get too noticeable.
I recently drilled an ebony board for MOP dots. One hole showed a slightly gap which I filled with ebony dust and superglue. Even on ebony with it´s faint grain texture you can notice the filler. Don´t get me wrong. It´s barely noticeable. But it´s there and you can see it if you know what you´re looking for. And that´s a gap with a fraction of a millimetre and not a 6mm hole to begin with.

I think Brian has a point here. You cannot get it completely invisible no matter what you attempt. It´s probably just a question how unobtrusive you want it. If you want it immaculate and blank get it reboarded.


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## ibznorange

sweet, im thinking of knocking the shoulders off of my s7320 when it comes in (that poor guitar is gonna get raped, then brought back up to par). youre not having any stability issues with it? like the truss rod didnt poke through anywhere right? lol that would be alllll bad


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## Rick

soldierkahn said:


> dont worry gentlemen, im not done just yet. Ive got some fiberglass, and an autobody painter working with me on this and my next one, so more shots will be available once i finish with the body and get the neck squared away.
> 
> 
> BTW!!!!!!!! I sanded my 7620 neck down to a 7420's neck radius and feel (the ones with the skunk stripe) (based it off of my 1077XL neck). I got it down great and now it feels AMAZING!!!!!



That's killer, dude.


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## soldierkahn

ibznorange said:


> sweet, im thinking of knocking the shoulders off of my s7320 when it comes in (that poor guitar is gonna get raped, then brought back up to par). youre not having any stability issues with it? like the truss rod didnt poke through anywhere right? lol that would be alllll bad




As far as stability goes, i cant tell you yet, as the guitar is still in pieces. Once its all back together, ill let you know, but i didnt have to take that much off. They are actually VERY close to each (the 7620 and 7420 necks). Same thickness, only the 7620 has the "shoulders" like the beginings of the Wizard II profile. All you do is sand the shoulders off and then match the grit with the rest to smooth it over. I take it all the way down to 2000 grit sandpaper wet sanding. Then im gonna spray a light semi-gloss over it to seal it. Then just tack on the shitload of Lemon Oil.


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## djpharoah

Bro - why did you wet sand the neck? Shouldn't it be a dry sand? Also dont know about lemon oil to seal the back.


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## Randy

djpharoah said:


> Bro - why did you wet sand the neck? Shouldn't it be a dry sand? Also dont know about lemon oil to seal the back.



I dunno what the lemon oil's for, but I thought the poly was for the back?

Either way, I believe tongue-oil is the way to go on the neck.


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## soldierkahn

well, Ibanez does a LIGHT glaze of semigloss for their "unfinished" necks from the factory, so i want to return it to that feel. Cuz all i do when i get a new Ibby is take 0000 grade steel sool to the neck and then hit it with lemon oil to moisturize....


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## Stitch

You stick lemon oil on unfinished maple?


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## Jason

Stitch said:


> You stick lemon oil on unfinished maple?



I thought lemon oil on unfinished maple is a big


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## soldierkahn

Stitch said:


> You stick lemon oil on unfinished maple?




no my lovely. Im gonna spray a couple of light coats of Semi Gloss clear once im done sanding the the neck wood down. Just enough to SEAL the wood. Then after all is said and done, ill re-oil EVERYTHING.....

Just like i do when i get a new guitar from the shop. Thats what i was originally trying to do.

Step 1: Sand neck down to desired profile

Step 2: Make baby smooth

Step 3: Return the neck to the way Ibanez does before they send out the guitar

Step 4: Oil my neck back up for play


============================

I know lemon oil on a bare neck is a


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## Chris

Workbench'd.


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## 8string

Looks like a lot of work... I think I'm going to reboard my 7321 instead and get some nice stainless steel frets in the process.


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## soldierkahn

if you want something stronger to fill in the holes, you can use "Bondo", autobody filler. It wont have the grainy look of rosewood, but itll be solid. i opted for the grainy look


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## CrushingAnvil

Post some pics bro, whats-his-face does have a point, Props for giving it a go though, I'd never do that to my 7620 though


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## andreeee

i have a shitty ibanez that id be keen to do this on but it has those sharktooth inlays. do you think itd be possible to get them out cleanly?


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## soldierkahn

i honestly wouldnt suggest taking out large inlays like that. i would either deal, get a new neck, or have it reboarded. taking out those massive inlays would take a hell of a lot of time, not to mention a paint to keep level. 

you could try taking them out and then using them to cut out black inlays to throw in there. that may be a suggestion


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## andreeee

soldierkahn said:


> you could try taking them out and then using them to cut out black inlays to throw in there. that may be a suggestion


You'd still be able to see them I think, I want a board with no inlays at all.


I'm keen on a new neck, Ibanez headstocks aren't my thing. Would it be hard to find one that fits?


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## CrushingAnvil

andreeee said:


> i have a shitty ibanez that id be keen to do this on but it has those sharktooth inlays. do you think itd be possible to get them out cleanly?



Just unleash a router on those suckers


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## freakerman21

I am working in the idea and I must say is not the best way.
I'm trying different alternatives. 
Following this way, when you clean the fingerboard, you still see dots in a lighter color. Now I'm doing this, but using a darker filler and mixing it with the dye before filling the hole. I will post about the results. Also, I'll try the rosewood dust with epoxi.


A couple hours later....


Another fail. The wood filler doesn't dry properly when mixed with dye. So the next step is baswood dust + epoxi.

Note, the color and texture in the mixing of wood filler and dye is perfect in a 98&#37;. What would happen if I add the epoxi to the mix????

Later.....

Before trying the epoxi with rosewood dust, I have tried a mixture of diferent wood fillers on diferent colors and also add some rosewood dust.

Let' see.


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## chimpinatux

If i was thinking of doing this but didnt have any rosewoood plugs, would using ebony (which i do have from some offcuts) work? 

Again, what would the preferable concoction be to dye it?


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## Detuned0

So wait, does this mod actually do damage to the neck? I have the materials needed and am considering it. I'm not concerned with it possibly looking bad but don't want to damage anything.

BTW, I'm doing this on my 7321 which already has the neck pickup filled in and new paintjob. All home done and not quite perfect lookng.


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## Axayacatl

I'm bumping this because I'm really curious about the results. 

I'm thinking of doing this to my RG1527 but would like some further feedback first. 

I am thinking of ordering black inlay dots to fill the holes. I found some here
Inlay Dots, Binding, Fretboard Materials | Allparts.com

I think the correct measurement is 1/4. 

Let me know if you think that this will work better.


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## Detuned0

Well I thought I'd post an update.

I decided to go ahead and do this to my Squier first before my 7.

I drilled and filled the inlays just fine, however the dying proccess did not work. I had the exact same materials as the op. Maybe it was because I didn't use windex or alcohol? I was really hesitant to use those and I didn't really sand the fretboard much either. When I applied the dye it dried and just ended up as a thin layer on top of the fret board that luckily rubbed off with a little scrubbing. I used black sharpie on the inlay spots and since the fretboard is already pretty dark it looks I no longer have inlays so that part was a success.

I also bought a bottle of lemon oil (closeout $2!) and I never knew the wonders of it, very impressive. I will be using some everytime I change strings now.


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## vigil785

You have to put more than one coat of dye on it. The alcohol dries the board out so it soaks up the dye better. I dyed the board on my guitar, I only did three coats and was trying to get it finished for band practice. It was really dark the first few weeks but now you can see how it eventually rubbed off on some spots when the light hits the fretboard just right. It still looks pretty dark though, I just should have put more coats on it like the original tutorial said. I think you are supposed to do between six and eight coats, and let them dry really well in between. I would try it again if I were you, this time take about a weeks worth of time to dye it really well. I'll be doing mine again soon.


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## xmetalhead69

I don't know why everyone on this forum is so anti inlay


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## AeonSolus

xmetalhead69 said:


> I don't know why everyone on this forum is so anti inlay



i guess it distracts you when you're headbanging?


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## MaxOfMetal

xmetalhead69 said:


> I don't know why everyone on this forum is so anti inlay



It's all psychological. 

Most beginner guitars, such as those cheap pieces of shit nearly all of us started on, have either tried and true dot inlays, or in some cases big "simple" ones such as the Sharkfin and Sharkteeth commonly found on entry level Jackson and Ibanez guitars. 

The removal of these things that reminds us of cheaper lesser guitars gives us the feeling of having a "better" guitar. 

Though, that's just my take on the majority of this. Not everyone feels this way, but from what I've found it holds true on many occasions. Myself included.



Axayacatl said:


> I'm bumping this because I'm really curious about the results.
> 
> I'm thinking of doing this to my RG1527 but would like some further feedback first.
> 
> I am thinking of ordering black inlay dots to fill the holes. I found some here
> Inlay Dots, Binding, Fretboard Materials | Allparts.com
> 
> I think the correct measurement is 1/4.
> 
> Let me know if you think that this will work better.



Those inlays dots will work perfectly, I used the red 1/4" ones on my RG7620VK. Fit perfectly.

Though, is your RG1527 one of the earlier "big dot" models? If not, and it's the current "small dot" type, then those 1/4" inlays will be too big for an easy slip in. Unless you plan on drilling new (bigger) holes.


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## El Caco

Bullshit, I don't like inlays because I prefer the simple clean look and I look at side dots for reference not inlays.


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## xmetalhead69

imho nicely done inlays can look amazing, obviously not cheap shitty dots though


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## MaxOfMetal

s7eve said:


> Bullshit, I don't like inlays because I prefer the simple clean look and I look at side dots for reference not inlays.





MaxOfMetal said:


> Though, that's just my take on the majority of this. Not everyone feels this way, but from what I've found it holds true on many occasions. Myself included.


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## El Caco

I think you'll find the majority of people who are not fussed about inlays agree with what I've said. Personally I also like offset dots or just something small at the twelfth although I make exception for the Loomis crosses.


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## MaxOfMetal

s7eve said:


> I think you'll find the majority of people who are not fussed about inlays agree with what I've said. Personally I also like offset dots or just something small at the twelfth although I make exception for the Loomis crosses.



All I'm saying is perhaps part of why *some people*, *not all*, like the blank board is because subconsciously they relate certain features of a guitar to a lesser one. 

I am in NO WAY referring to everyone, and am basing this on both my own personal reasons for not liking dot inlays, as well as other people I've talked to in my over ten year journey as a guitar player.


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## Andrew_B

Dendroaspis said:


> Sorry man, I don't want to come off sounding condesending, but this is really _NOT_ the way an actual luthier or pro tech would be doing this job at all. I could spend half an hour typing out all the things I see wrong and how it is actually done properly with totally different methods and materials like heat, sanding, rosewood dust, epoxies, etc. It's one thing to demonstrate how _you're_ doing it, but when it comes to actually _teaching_ other untrained people untested and unproven methods, the making of actual _tutorials_ really should be done by actual professional luthiers or techs, IMO.
> But never mind, do whatever you like to your axe. You'll see in a year or two. I just found it painfully obvious that no other techs or luthiers were inputing into this topic that I could see.
> Carry on.....
> 
> <crickets>


 


TripleFan said:


> Well, dye to an extend is "see-through" by it´s nature. So a visible matching grain texture would simply make a nicer result.
> 
> Admittedly if you use plugs you most probably would have to defret the board because level sanding those plugs in between the frets would be next to impossible. If you don´t want to refret your guitar some kind of filling, be it dust and epoxy or wood filler, is probably your best bet.
> 
> Oh, and... DENDRO? The proper way?


 




TripleFan said:


> I´m German and even I appreciate the humor...
> 
> OK, obviously you would need to make those plugs yourself. Maybe turning them from spare fretboard offcuts.
> But that´s some serious task. As I said you would most probably need to defret the neck plug those marker holes, sand the board, refret, level and crown the frets. This is pro area.
> I think Kahn´s way, while surely not the way a luthier or a seasoned repair man would do it, is a innovative and easy to do take on the problem. It surely will not give you the results a pro would achive but it´s something you can do with the limited possibilities you have at home.
> 
> Oh, and take my rambling with a grain of salt as I theoretically know much about that kind of stuff but never attempted something like this myself.
> I really hope that some of our luthiers or repair guys chime in.


 
iv used the saw dust + epoxy, and saw dust + super glue methods many times for filling cracks and stuff....

thing is, that area will pretty much always be darker....
so its not always a prefered method...




canuck brian said:


> I'm not a "pro" luthier as I'm not doing it full time, but I apparently have more experience doing things like this than most in this thread - you wouldn't be able to hide the dots - there is always going to be something noticable.
> 
> Redoing inlays with the frets still on is one guaranteed way to make sure the board is no longer perfectly radiused. If you used wood plugs, you would DEFINITELY have to pull all the frets, resurface and refret. Rosewood dust could be used also with expoxy and whatnot, but you're going to hit that problem spot with re-radiusing the board. I'm not 100% certain, but I would definitely not place a space heater 1 foot away (or any distance) from my guitar's super thin neck either - severe temperature variations like that...eek.


 

i would make plugs....

i know of another way...
but i dont recall who showed me (or where i saw it done) so im not telling 

using timber fillers for anything more than grain filling is getting lame...
if i wasnt lazy, i would go take a picture of a filing cabinet that my parents stupidly bought years ago....
the dude who built the bloody thing used more filler than wood....
then it all shrunk....




s7eve said:


> Bullshit, I don't like inlays because I prefer the simple clean look and I look at side dots for reference not inlays.


 


s7eve said:


> I think you'll find the majority of people who are not fussed about inlays agree with what I've said. Personally I also like offset dots or just something small at the twelfth although I make exception for the Loomis crosses.


 



clean is the new black


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## Axayacatl

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's all psychological.
> 
> 
> 
> Those inlays dots will work perfectly, I used the red 1/4" ones on my RG7620VK. Fit perfectly.
> 
> Though, is your RG1527 one of the earlier "big dot" models? If not, and it's the current "small dot" type, then those 1/4" inlays will be too big for an easy slip in. Unless you plan on drilling new (bigger) holes.



thanks! I measured and I am pretty confident my 1527 has 1/4" dots. 


Does changing the inlays to inlays that are exactly the same size and width really affect the radius and in general alter the playability of the neck? I'm not sure why it would. Would it ruin things? 

Help with the question above would help me out because if changing the dots would ruin the guitar then I may as well just sell it (or just the neck).


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## MaxOfMetal

Axayacatl said:


> thanks! I measured and I am pretty confident my 1527 has 1/4" dots.
> 
> 
> Does changing the inlays to inlays that are exactly the same size and width really affect the radius and in general alter the playability of the neck? I'm not sure why it would. Would it ruin things?
> 
> Help with the question above would help me out because if changing the dots would ruin the guitar then I may as well just sell it (or just the neck).



It depends on how well you seat the inlays. When I put mine in they were flush enough to only need me to lightly steel wool and buff the tops of them to get them fully level. 

If they aren't very flush when in place, then you're only option is really going to be to sand. It would be very much at all, and in theory you will be altering the radius of the fret board (NOT FRETS) very slightly. It shouldn't be enough to adversely effect playability. Just realize that it all depends on how careful you work.


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## Axayacatl

MaxOfMetal said:


> It depends on how well you seat the inlays. When I put mine in they were flush enough to only need me to lightly steel wool and buff the tops of them to get them fully level.
> 
> If they aren't very flush when in place, then you're only option is really going to be to sand. It would be very much at all, and in theory you will be altering the radius of the fret board (NOT FRETS) very slightly. It shouldn't be enough to adversely effect playability. Just realize that it all depends on how careful you work.



cheers that makes my decision much easier. I didn't want to render the neck useless.


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## MaxOfMetal

Axayacatl said:


> cheers that makes my decision much easier. I didn't want to render the neck useless.



You would literally have to TRY to do such a terrible job that you would completely ruin the neck. Worst case scenario, it just won't look as pretty. If that happens, just take it to a tech to fix it up. Much cheaper then buying a whole new neck. 

Good luck bro, and hit me up with any questions you may have.


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## Axayacatl

MaxOfMetal said:


> Good luck bro, and hit me up with any questions you may have.



Thanks! Will do. I'm going to write up a step by step list and put it up here for comments/modifications. Should include the removal, installing, and dying process.


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## Curtis1

Sorry to bring alive an old thread but im very interested in it. Currently in the process of doing a trial run on my old strat copy, trying different methods on each dot to find what works best. If darkening the fretboard im considering just buying black dot inlays. What do you think?


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## bob123

Curtis1 said:


> Sorry to bring alive an old thread but im very interested in it. Currently in the process of doing a trial run on my old strat copy, trying different methods on each dot to find what works best. If darkening the fretboard im considering just buying black dot inlays. What do you think?



No, the dots will be shiny and the fretboard will not. It will most likely not look good, sorry.


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## Curtis1

So can we all just agree that there is essentially no way of doing this if you want it to look any good? Unless of course you get an ebony fretboard?


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