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Hello all,
On my first build I used MOP for side dots. I did not have any on the fretboard because I prefer a clean look. However, I do use the side dots. I have seen the usual white, black, and MOP dots around. I have also seen David Myka's work that uses pieces of brass or silver tubing that he glues different dots in (they look really nice by the way).

Just wondering if you have any examples of something different that you have seen around for inspiration on my next build.

and yes I have seen the fiber optic ones that are out there.....

Thanks for the info...

Matthew

I have used 1/4" dots cut in half before. I made a jig so the binding would be held tightly in a groove and drilled a 1/4" hold so that it overlaped the edge by half. Glued in the half dot, sanded it flat on the exposed side and then put on a thin line along that edge so it appears under the half dot when the binding is installed. I hope that makes some sense. I thought it looked quite nice.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

I took a 1/16 pearl strip and cut off squares. I can't remember if I laid them in as squares or diamonds. Looked good.

I let a squarish abalone inlay run off the edge of the board to double as edge marker. You could see it, but pearl and abalone isn't shiny on it's edge.

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I did one with maple filling the area between entire frets (3, 5,7,9 12, 15, 17) in lieu of dots in an otherwise all koa binding. This was done for a sight-impaired player since "dots" were not visible to him. Looked really trick when all done.
Of course, you can also go to the semi precious stones if you are looking for "real bling". Rio Grande has all sorts of small ones. How about cubic zirconia in place of diamonds. Only problems might arise if the player wraps the thumb around the neck to get bass notes. You might have to recess the faceted faces flush with the binding.

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Hank Mauel

You may want to check out mosaic pins used for knife making.

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Chris

A friend of mine uses #14 gauge copper electric wire. Looks pretty cool, but I still prefer the easy to see white plastic

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John Ressler

I have cut my own from cut off pieces from back and sides. Looks kinda cool, too me anyway. You can pick up various sizes of rolled pins at any hardware store and sharpen a bevel on the outside. Just find a pin with an inside dia. that you like, chuck in your drill or drill press and cut slowly or you'll burn the wood.

Chuck

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i don't have any pictures of it, but i know of a guy who drilled holes on the edge of the fingerboard and came through on the surface of the fingerboard - leaving a very oblong shape on the surface, and a much less oblong surface on the edge when the rod (can't remember what material he used) was shoved through. kind of a neat ideal.
phil

I remember a while back, seeing some really awesome side dots on a guitar on Kevin Ryan's site. The were roman numerals that denoted each fret. I'm sure they're very difficult to pull off unless you had them laser cut, but they looked incredible.

I use wood dowels that I make myself. Bloodwood, Satinwood, Spruce, Ebony..., whatever has a good contrast to the fret board edge.

Steve

I have Diamonds set aside. I have an old Cocktail ring that was my Moms, with 24 real but lesser quality diamonds. After I start building good stuff I plan on using them.

not dots, rectangles. this is what i have done on my last two guitars. probably not what you are looking for.

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yakmatter.com

I really like Michael Bashkin's:

http://www.bashkinguitars.com/bashkin-g ... c?album=37

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Mark Burton

Hook 'em Horns

i saw a very simple and different side dot . A builder friend of mine is an artist and he was out of side dot material. So without any fanfare he took one of his colored pencil leads and used that. It looked so nice he started using it on a regular basis.
It is something that is available , inexpensive and very pretty. Try it , you may like it
john hall

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I got a silver tube about 1/8 inch in diameter. I slice off little circles to inlay, filling the center with a round of the same wood as the binding. The silver looks nice under finish and it's easy to see.

John

On my only build thus far, I realized I hadn't ordered anything for side dots. So looking around I found a bunch of bamboo skewers in my kitchen drawer, already sharpened on one end. So I drilled an appropriate sized hole, CA glued it and nipped it off. Flooded the end with CA and sanded flush. It looks pretty nice, though not exactly uniform in color. But I like the 'organic' look of it.

Darrin