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Chrome dots/inlays

Jeremiah

Senior Member
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I think chrome dots would look really good on some guitars that already had chrome hardware. Obviously it would not be to everyone's taste and would not suit all guitars.

However, I have never seen it done, so I'm wondering if there's some reason it would not be feasible.
 
I don't know if it's feasible or not; off the top of my head I think if you used metal it would tend to expand/contract with heat/cold to a greater extent than the wood around it which might be an issue...
 
I think wood expands/contracts more than metal.  Besides truss rods, tuners, and ferrules, frets,and screws don't jump out of wood.

The biggest problem I see with it is that chrome is a plating.  Dots are sanded down when final sanding of the fretboard is done.  Doing so would sand off the chrome.
 
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom said:
I think wood expands/contracts more than metal.  Besides truss rods, tuners, and ferrules, frets,and screws don't jump out of wood.

The biggest problem I see with it is that chrome is a plating.  Dots are sanded down when final sanding of the fretboard is done.  Doing so would sand off the chrome.
That's exactly the issue. Inlays must be sanded; chrome inlays would be plated.
 
What about a metal that is not plated like nickel silver or stainless steel. Hey, even a silvery metallic plastic would probably look OK from a distance.
 
Jeremiah said:
What about a metal that is not plated like nickel silver or stainless steel. Hey, even a silvery metallic plastic would probably look OK from a distance.

You still need to surface the fretboard after the inlays are installed, so any material that won't respond to abrasives in a manner similar to wood would present a problem. As hard as some fretboard woods are, they're still not metal and so cut faster. Cutting materials of uneven hardness will result in uneven surfaces and/or abused tools, neither of which are a Good Thing.
 
Jeremiah said:
What about a metal that is not plated like nickel silver or stainless steel. Hey, even a silvery metallic plastic would probably look OK from a distance.
Stainless would be the most likely the best bet. Silver and nickel will tarnish to fast... :icon_thumright:
 
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