feasible to change face dots?

[thewrathchilde]

Is changing face dots on a neck.possible? If so how.difficult is it or how would you do it. I constantly come across necks I like but don't like the plastic face dots. Was thinking if it was possible I could get the neck and then change the dots out for Abalone or Mother of Pearl.

Steve

 

[Cagey]

It's possible, but it's not practical. Replacing them is easy enough - they're not toenails - but you need to be able to surface them to match the fretboard and that's almost impossible to do with frets installed. I imagine that even if you could machine them close, you'd still need to sand them level, at which point you'd invariably wreck the frets.

Wait until you need new frets and while the old ones are off, replace the inlays. Then you can surface the whole 'board at once and all will be well.

Or, just buy a new neck. You know you want to. Do it. And get some stainless steel frets while you're at it. You'll be very pleased.

 

[drewfx]

The cheapest and easiest is to just try inlay stickers.

Many reject them on principle, but I find they are both unnoticeable when playing and look 100% real from any reasonable distance. Of course you have to be someone who can get past knowing they're not "real".

I use the guy in Japan, but there are others:
http://stores.ebay.com/Jockomo-InlayStickers?_rdc=1

 

[-CB-]

Actually.... its very possible.  Dots you can do.  Blocks... traps... very hard to do.

Folks over on the Les Paul forum have replaced dots numerous times... careful filework, spot sanding as they go.

I think the trick is to have a VERY thin replacement - say .045 or even .040... and float it to almost level.  Less to sand off.

And - without saying, what G does on their necks may or may not be what W does with their neck dot installs...so.. ymmv.