Inlay Opinion Question. 12th fret only v. 5th and 12th fret

Which inlay option

  • 12th Fret Only

    Votes: 38 70.4%

  • 5th and 12th Fret

    Votes: 16 29.6%
  • Total voters
    54
jazzyitalian

jazzyitalian

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Mar 3, 2005
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Lawyer and Hobbist Bass Maker
#1
Easy question. I'm just taking a non scientific survey from you guys to get opinions on what looks visually more appealing. I'm at a toss up.

I own a Manne 5 string with no inlays. I love the bass. But my eyesight is not so good to see the small side dots without using cheap cheater bifocals from the drug store. I don't like wearing the glasses so much.

So I will install 2 square inlays on the 12th fret as my place holder. I've been contemplating adding another one at the 5th fret. I have no visual need to have one there since I can visually identify the 5th fret without counting. I'm Just thinking about doing something slightly different since haven't seen any guitars with inlays on just those two frets.

The 12th fret will be cut for two square inlays. That much is a certainty. The 5th will be one single block. So here are two mock ups. Which do you guys like better? 12 only or 5/12?
Thanks!
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#4
I voted "12th Only", but that's just me. While the "5th and 12th" configuration would definitely be rather unique, I feel that such a clean fretboard would look less cluttered with only one marker.

BassBuzzRS said:
Bigger side dots!
Click to expand...

That's a great idea…keep the fretboard as clean and tidy looking as possible. :thumbsup: You could even go with dots of a "neon" persuasion for extra visibility, especially in low light. That, and you'd be the only one to see it. No one in the crowd would be able to see that, unless you showed it off.
 
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#8
5th and 12th fret inlay. :)

5th and 12 fret inlays are the two most important note reference IMHO. You may not need those inlays but your guitarist may look at you every now and then when you guys are performing.
 
#9
Fun fact, I used to live with Tim of Callowhill Guitars. He had an archtop from Bill Commins that had side dots on the 6th and 12th fret. Insane to me, but Tim was kinda like that.
 
#12
I don't have a position marker on the face of any of my basses. Mostly aesthetic, but it also means you have continuous grain on the fingerboard, which can't hurt in terms of stiffness, strength, etc.
 
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#14
micguy said:
I don't have a position marker on the face of any of my basses. Mostly aesthetic, but it also means you have continuous grain on the fingerboard, which can't hurt in terms of stiffness, strength, etc.
Click to expand...

Good point...And for posterity sake, (I didn't mention this one) the fingerboard material on the Manne guitars are of man made material. It's phenolic resin. It's like bakelite. So there is no distinctive grain pattern. And this resin is very hard.
 
#16
Phenolic is tough stuff. I'd still go without face markers - if you're looking at the face of the fretboard, you're not in a very good ergonomic playing position, and probably twisting your back and neck a lot.

I understand that side dots can be tough to see. I use Sharpie to make supplemental dots on the neck. They do wear off with time, I just reapply them when they start to fade. Although this sounds a bit out of the ordinary, I'd rather have basses that look a bit different on close inspection than be playing wrong notes because I can't see fret markers.
 
#18
George Himmel said:
I like that best so far, but I was thinking closer along the lines of a Rickenbacker shark tooth inlay... Maybe split down the middle if you're committed to the dual inlay at 12...
Click to expand...


I don't want to copy Rickenbacker. The triangle (thought really nice looking) might not work because of the radius of the board. The triangles might turn out to be too small. We'll see....
 
#20
IMG_5691.JPG
jazzyitalian said:
I don't want to copy Rickenbacker. The triangle (thought really nice looking) might not work because of the radius of the board. The triangles might turn out to be too small. We'll see....
Click to expand...
Oh I'm not suggesting a Ric copycat inlay, just the idea of an asymmetric wedge to go with the gesture of the upper horn or the headstock. Hard to describe in words, so I drew a real crude idea on my phone. Just my take!
 
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