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Looking for opinions on an inlay for the 12th fret. I thought rather than position markers I'd simply put a decorative inlay at the 12th fret. I like the first one but I think it might be to crowded, as the inlay is close to the frets. I considered a more elaborate design spanning a few frets but I don't think I'm quite ready for that. Is the second one better? ...or does it look amatuerish? I could put in slotted squares and diamonds... Dots might be too boring...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

...or something like this?

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I'd rotate #3 180° and use that if it's the only inlay on the board.

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

Steve: This was my first immediate thought for the first one. I think they are both quite nice but think the second looks better for the space.
Tom
See there is a third now. I think it's getting away from being a 12th fret marker. Nice work though.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I'd go for number 3.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

no. 2

Three for sure.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Number 3.

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Kevin Mason
Mason Guitars and Ukuleles on Facebook
http://masonguitars.net

Okay, here's another idea...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I think 1 and 2 are too big. 1 would look nice if it was about 1/3 the size. I'm with Roger - #3 rotated 180 degrees.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

My 2 cents:
#1 is too crowded and looks kind of arbitrary.
#3 looks strange to me because it is unevenly weighted across the the centerline of the fret board and it makes me wonder what happened to the rest of the vine inlay.
#2 is the one I like the best of the first three because it fits the space better (with a slight counter clockwise rotation) and it has some symmetry across the centerline.

I like #4 the best. It's the most interesting looking right away to me especially if it's the only inlay on the board. I like how it emphasizes the fret and the neck body joint by spanning the fret and it has a cool symmetry across the both the center line and the fret. From a distance, it reminds me of a sine wave (as in sound) and echoes the curves of the cutaway. Close up, it still has the traditional look of a vine inlay component. It looks more creative to me than the first three.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

None of the three

#4 looks great!

I like #2 myself.

I'm not sure which one would look best, but I'm sure everone's eyes are going to be popping when they look at that guitar, Steve! Can't wait to see it completed!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

3

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

I would either leave the board blank (like a classical), come up with a marker scheme that makes sense, or do an elaborate inlay over the whole board. A single smaller than large inlay at the 12th fret just doesn't look right to me. YMMV.

For better or worse this is what I decided on... (I'll just be making another guitar anyway...)

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Good looking guitar. What sort of bridge are you going to use?

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Jay - This is the bridge I was planning to use. I was just going to keep it simple...

The inlay is enough flare for this one...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Funny, but I liked No. 3 Because Of the assymetry, which I think would complement the assymetry of the upper bout.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."