Birdseye Maple 'Eye' dot Inlays

[Archie Macfarlane]

I'm wondering if anyone who has built their own necks/guitars has ever tried this or if it would work bahaha

On say a dark fingerboard RM RW or Ebony instead of clay dots what you do is get a bit of Birdseye Maple, find the Birdseye 'Eye' figures in there of a suitable size and of a good colour contrast, you get say a black piece of paper with a dot inlay size hole  in it, and you don't cut necessarily perfectly on the 'eye' circle but a little off each maybe time varying it for each inlay so you get the contrast. And then this is really finicky but you label the fret number location and put a finish on the tiny top of the circle eye dots that you've cut to get it to pop and sparkle against the fingerboard

I hope this made some sense to you guys it was an idea I had kind of like a natural Guthrie govan inlay because he has the like ebony circle dots
Also inspired by a two tone maple idea I had aka plain fretboard roasted back which I've never seen done really but have been told it would work

THANKS

 

[Fat Pete]

Why not? I'm trying to get my head around attempting to make my first neck and considering contrasting wood inlays.

If you wanted a gloss finish only on the dots, you'd probably have to do something like install them slightly recessed and drop fill a finish into the holes (which would probably rule out rosewood or other woods with visible pores).

I'm not sure what you mean by labelling the fret numbers?

 

[docteurseb]

I made 1/4" curly maple dots last year. Did an experiment where: you insert them recessed (I also dyed them first), fill with clear epoxy, sand/buff flush with the fingerboard:

https://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=31594.75

I have plenty left as I never got to use them on an actual neck.

This gives a cool look like PRS Private Stock guitars that also are often spec'd with dyed curly maple bird inlays.
In their case though they do this the right way: take a whole piece of curly maple, dye it, then lay out some epoxy layer. Once dry, they laser cut the inlays and install them.