Question For Bruce Taylor

[Memphis Mike]

Hey Bruce. I want to have neck inlays installed on my Ovation Acoustic Elite Standard.

In other words just some inlayed dots that mark G, A, B etc up the neck.

Can this be done and do you think it would effect the tone or damage the neck in any way?

[Bruce Taylor]

Should be no problem -- unless there's something really weird about that model. What's the fretboard made of?

Side dots or fingerboard inlay?

[Donn]

Dumb hillbilly! Don't permanently screw up your guitar. Once you've learned how to play it, you won't need the visual cheats anymore (how many players stare at their fretting hand while they play?). Use some kind of stickers, or little dots of nail polish for temporary cheats.

[Bruce Taylor]

Hey it's true...edit feature's down! Whoah...better watch what I say (when I think of the word's I've eaten on this forum, over the years...)

I just looked up the ovation online...yer basic rosewood fingerboard. Easy as pie. Get the inlay at Stew-Mac, buy a good brad point bit and do it yourself.

[Bruce Taylor]

Donn, it's an Ovation, not a prewar Martin.

There's nothing wrong with customizing an instrument, if you do it respectfully and well.

[Memphis Mike]

The fretboard itself is rosewood, the neck is mahogany.

You might be right too Donn but I find I still rely on the dots to tell me where I'm at.

It's got the small ones on the side but they're hard to see in a darker place such as the club I'm playing in next weekend.

[Donn]

Why do a permanent mod when you won't need it after a short while?

[Wild Dingo]

Just get some fluro marker and dot the dots Mike... mmm I thought you were past looking at your fingers and dots? Well you oughta be if your playin in public mate... no offence meant but well :rolleyes:

[Bruce Taylor]

You won't be drilling into the neck. Pearl dots are like the following are just .050" thick"

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Inlay,_pearl/Pre-cut_inlays/1/Pearl_Dots/Pictures.html#details

But if this is just for one club date, then by all means use stickers.

[Bruce Taylor]

Hmph. Picture didn't show and I can't go back and edit it.

http://www.stewmac.com/catalog/images_1sm/0001_1sm.jpg

[Memphis Mike]

Originally posted by Wild Dingo:
Just get some fluro marker and dot the dots Mike... mmm I thought you were past looking at your fingers and dots? Well you oughta be if your playin in public mate... no offence meant but well :rolleyes: I've seen a whole hell of a lot of pros including people like Clapton that still look at their fretting hand when playing. That is where you all don't have a damn idea what your talkin about. If you played you would know.

The heck with it.

[Memphis Mike]

BTW, thanks for the info Bruce.

[Donn]

I play every day, and I can fret G A and B without looking.

[Memphis Mike]

Well then play Jetho Tull's "Aqualung" all the way through without looking including the lead riffs. That's one of the songs we're playing next weekend.

If you can do it, I'll throw all my guitars in the trash can.

Anybody can play "Dead Skunk In The middle Of The Road" without looking.

[Bruce Taylor]

Here's Martin Barre (lookin' a bit like Aqualun himself, these days):

http://www.f4studios.com/albums/album05/163_6377.jpg

[Bruce Taylor]

Here he is again (but Ian's not looking at his fingers):

http://www.martinbarre.com/photos/jtull_kiss_1.jpg

[Wild Dingo]

Dont be such a friggin waker Mike... were offering options to what your planning mate thats all you dont want to go that route no worries dont but gettin all phissd off and carryin on about isnt gonna achieve anything is it?

Come a long way from a couple of years back havent you mate? from not knowin shyte about guitar playing to playing Aqualung at a public gig? good one! well done :cool: seriously!

[Memphis Mike]

"Come a long way from a couple of years back havent you mate? from not knowin shyte about guitar playing to playing Aqualung at a public gig? good one! well done seriously"

I've been playing for 10 years.

[Bruce Taylor]

One more of Martin...the man can't keep his eyes off his left hand!

http://www.portaldorock.com.br/images/jtull/2004/jt7.jpg

[Memphis Mike]

They're just yankin my chain Bruce. I've got a songbook with around sixty songs in it and I can play everyone of them by reviewing the material.

[Bruce Taylor]

Go Mike! I'd love to hear. Too bad we can't post sound files here...

[Memphis Mike]

I played a Taylor Guitar today. Man it was sweet. Too rich for my blood right now though. :(

[Peter Kalshoven]

Guys, I've played guitar with Mike a few times. I don't care if he do look down. The boy has chops. Let him be, now.

Break a leg next week, big fella.

Pete

[Memphis Mike]

Hey thanks Pete. Good to hear from you. smile.gif

[Todd Bradshaw]

There's nothing wrong with fret markers. If you want them, put 'em on and use them whenever you want or need to. I own two fretless basses, one fretted bass, two six-strings and three twelve-strings. They all have fret markers, at least on the sides of the fingerboards. I've played for almost 40 years, worked on albums and recording sessions for various people and use my fret markers a lot. If that makes me a wanker, at least I'm a pretty well respected one! MP3 samples available:

http://webpages.charter.net/tbradshaw/

There are very few professional guitar players or studio musicians who don't rely, at least to some extent, on their fret markers. Anybody who says otherwise doesn't have the experience to know what they're talking about. If you're playing standing up with a strap you may get more use out of good side dots than those on the fingerboard, but it kind of depends on how you hold the guitar. I noticed that somebody even makes a stick-on strip of LED's these days for playing in dark rooms. In general, I'd much rather listen to somebody who looks at their fingerboard than to somebody who doesn't.

[Wild Dingo]

Todd mate my comment ala "waker" was in direct response to Mikes comment...


I've seen a whole hell of a lot of pros including people like Clapton that still look at their fretting hand when playing. That is where you all don't have a damn idea what your talkin about. If you played you would know.

The heck with it.I meant no offence with my comments ala...

Just get some fluro marker and dot the dots Mike... mmm I thought you were past looking at your fingers and dots? Well you oughta be if your playin in public mate... no offence meant but wellI believe from myself and although I cant speak for Donn its my belief that we were simply offering our opinions and comments as an alternative to drilling or otherwise marring his guitar permanently

I certainly wasnt implying that anyone who looks at their finger placement is a wanker at times every guitarist will do so specially with major riffs and such but Mikes reaction visavie the "to heck with it" post was well in my opinion him being a waker

Its his guitar he wants to mar or mark or flamin drill the **** out of it heck he can go for his coit... no skin of my nose as I said I was offering my opinion and comments in light of his question and what I know and have experienced over the years... yes we will look down but we should KNOW instinctively where we are with our finger placement when we play in public

Anyways no worries go for broke Mike and hell have a bloody ball!! :cool:

[Todd Bradshaw]

Why is it that we should "know" where are fingers are? It certainly doesn't make what you play any better. If you want to work on knowing something, work on being able to know what a phrase sounds like as you play it - to the point that you can simultaneously, think, hum and play random phrases at the exact same time. That's when you know the instrument, whether you're looking at the fingerboard or not.

[capt jake]

FWIW, as Bruce stated, installing these small inlays are a pieces of cake! Mother of Pearl or Abalone finishes quite easily. I finished the inlays on two necks (side and fretboard) in just a few hours.