Do you guys like this?

[nnickusa]

I've got to decide on a fretboard inlay set for a 12-string I'm building for a mate. I do't want to buy more pearl just yet, so a quick forage in the pearl jar gives me this lay out. Like?

I've bound the board with white/blackpurfs and curly maple binding, so I think it's busy enough without going over the top on the inlays...'sides, I really do like plain dots a lot of the time...

[kiwigeo]

The big markers don't work for me......personal preference and individual taste of course. I'd use only the small markers and I'd only use two markers at the 12th fret. I build alot of classicals so I guess Im heavily influenced by not having any markers or only side markers.

[Shane Woonton]

I'm with Martin. I would just use the small dots. If you only have those in the image, go for 5,7,9, two @ 12, 15. It's the way Collings do theirs and I think it looks nice and clean.

Cheers,

Shane

[Tod Gilding]

I would use the small ones only, if you have enough with two 1 under the B string and 1 under the A string at the 3rd one at the 5th 2 @ 7th 1 @ 9th 3 as you have using one large for the centre @ 12th and 1 only from then on @ 15th 17th 19th in small size.

[Wayde Christie]

What everyone else said

It's interesting to me that everyone has a similar opinion... I often find in my day-job as a web designer that my clients have a certain expectation that a website is going to look a certain way. If I design something that deviates from their perceived norm too much, it's often hard for them to cop.

Personally I *expect* fret markers to look a certain way, and if they deviate slightly, my brain detects they're different and gets upset.

Yeah, it's "dot-ism"

[Wayde Christie]

This layout feels a bit 70's to me but only because Brian May's guitars have loads of dot markers

[Kim]

Must agree, when it comes to FB's it really is a case of less is more...Big shell is loud and does not allow the wood to do the talking.

[simso]

What size do you need to get out of trouble.

We machine pearl dots in the leftover sections of our sheets of pearl when doing inlays, postage and a beer one day and Id be happy,

[Craig]

Here's a more subtle alternative I've made in the past rather than the solid mother of pearl or Paua dots

FEB41.jpg (52.52 KiB) Viewed 14687 times

A bit more work than you might first imagine. Cut some round pieces from the fretboard offcuts to match the grain of the wood where they are to be placed. Glue those pieces into sections of brass tube and inlay them in.
I also did the same to some plain Ebony bridge pins to match

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THREE441.jpg (31.59 KiB) Viewed 14687 times

[nnickusa]

Nice work there Craig. Very elegant.

I've decided to just go 5,7,9,12,15 which uses up my 6mm dots.

Steve, I'll shout you a beer anytime. My Mum's moved back to Perth after50 years away, and as I haven't seen her for ten years, I'll likely visit someday soon. Will look you up then....Thanks for the offer.

[simso]

If you need them, Pm me your address and I'll post em to you

Steve

[simso]

Craig,

Simply elegant