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I am a player building my own instrument. My electric guitar is otherwise done, but I have a hard time seeing the side position markers in anything but ideal light. They are black plastic dots on maple finished with a hard, catalyzed, dyed ("walnut") tung oil finish, so they don't offer nearly enough contrast. They are also smallish, but that's not my main problem.

I had the idea to drill out what I have for larger black plastic rod, cut it flush, then drill the black plastic for smaller white plastic. But then I thought, someone has surely thought of this already. Is there anywhere to buy plastic rods that are intrinsically high-contrast?

Thanks for all help.

I have used aluminum rod (hobby shop), cut it flush and sand/polish out the tool marks. That should show up better in stage lighting. I have also used aluminum tube with brass wire/rod inside it but I have concerns that the brass will eventually tarnish even under finish. I have also used the aluminum tube and filled it with saw dust from the fretboard and CA. If I were to use black and white plastic, I would look for some small diameter plastic tube that fits snugly around your black rod. I'm not sure where to get such a tube but a large arts and craft store or hobby shop may have such a thing, I have never looked. I have bought thin white plastic rod in the model railroad section.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

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Alex

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How about this glow in the dark stuff? http://www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk/pr ... -1679.aspx

Available in black and white 3mm diameter.


Bob

I was able to find 3mm carbon fibre tubing at a hobby shop. Used CA to glue tube in, sanded flush, enlarged the tube opening, popped in the side dots and CA. Worked fine. Try hobby shops or shops that build model airplanes.

I do the same .. 3mm CF tubing, and then a 2mm shell dot inside ( i like to do this on koa, maple, ziricote, mad rw, looks great) .. you could substitute the right size white plastic if you wish ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
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I used the glow int he dark stuff on the last electric I did, pretty nice but the inside was a bit off center. As long as I installed it the same way it looked fine, but I did one where the off set was not accounted for and it was noticeable. I like it though.

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Someone once suggested using plastic knitting needles for side marker dot stock. You might even find some vintage celluloid ones on eBay.

I once worked on a bass for a blues guy who had to wear shades as part of his stage gear. Occasionally during the set the lights were cut between songs, and when they came back on he had to be playing. I put 3/8" rosewood dots on his maple neck under the original side dots. Looked strangely cool, and no more issues getting oriented in a hurry.

Takes some kind of fantastic skill to drill existing markers on center and put in contrasting centers. I would go with the tubing idea with contrasting fill in the center. Think I have seen where someone used something like LEDs to show up under poor light conditions. Then maybe that was one of my bad dreams.
Tom

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