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A well known builder has just finished a guitar for me but has put the fret markers in the wrong place. He is suggesting drilling them out, plugging and redrilling in the correct positions. I don't see this as an acceptable solution. Am I incorrect?

Depends how clearly it was specified beforehand.

If it was very clearly specified and the luthier messed up, I would not accept the proposed solution.

If there was room for misunderstanding, I would just live with the fret markers the way they are.

See if he'll give you some credit and leave them. Win-win.

Wait - just re-read. Are they not in the 3-5-7-9-12 positions or are they incorrect regarding where you wanted them aesthetically?

Sorry to not be specific. I specified what I wanted exactly in print in an email: 1 dot at 5, 2 at 7, 1 at 9, 2 at 12 and 1 at 15. This is the traditional Martin pattern. I sent him the dots. He put 2 at 5, 1 at 7, 1 at 9, 2 at 12 and 1 at 15.

I have played guitar for 60 years and depending on this configuration has become second nature. Ive tried other shapes in other places and it just confuses me. I don't think plugging is acceptable because it cant be invisible due to the impossibility of grain and color matching.

I presume you went to a builder (and the extra expense) because you wanted something very specific. The fact you are asking for help here says you are not happy and never will be with the suggested solution.

I would think this could only be rectified by replacing the fret board with a new one that matches your specification.

If this is not possible then walk away.

Can you live with the suggested compromise for a reduced rate ie. equivalent to an off the shelf guitar because if you don't have it, that's what it will be.

If it is a black Ebony fret board the dots are in changing the dot positions can be done and the old holes filled invisibly.

I'd probably allow him to plug an ebony board, primarily because it can be made invisible for practical purposes. On a rosewood board it's much more difficult to hide.

If you have the email and it was clearly stated what you want, then he should probably just make a new board if that's what's required for complete client satisfaction.

Thank you for your kind replies. The board is ebony but all the recent ebony Ive seen shows grain and color. Used to be it was solid black but even if if was solid black how could plugged holes not be seen? Anyway I change guitars every 2-3 years so what do I put on the add to sell it? "Fret board has plugged holes that are invisible". Would buy a guitar with that description? I don't know, Id sure like to have the guitar but on the other side its not right and its not my fault.

If Mark Hatcher says it can be invisible, I would believe him. Your initial post is a little misleading, they are not in the wrong place, but you asked for 1 at 5 and 2 at 7 and got 2 at 5 and 1 at 7 if I read correctly....although not what you asked for, it does not seem like that big of deal to me and an easy fix..., but in the end it is your guitar and you need to be happy with it.

One time a luthier carved the wrong neck profile on my guitar. I said fine, I'll keep it... ;)

Personally, I'd just keep the inlays as they are, especially if the luthier was nice to me. I realize that different fret markers can be confusing at first but ultimately we should not be looking at the fret board while playing anyway... ;)

But if you really want the configuration that you asked for, I think the luthier should graciously do another one. It seems to me like swapping a simple ebony board for another simple ebony board shouldn't be that much of a deal? It's not like there were intricate inlays or precious woods involved.

This seems like a fair compromise to me....

Tell the builder that if he's confident it will be invisible, he can plug the holes and proceed. (That's another thing to consider...if you sent the dots, you might want to acquire more if you have specific preferences. The originals might be sacrificed during the removal process.) If you find the plugged holes obvious or even just objectionable when the guitar is complete, he will install a new fretboard at no cost, or give you a discount $XXX agreed to now. Your option at the end.

I'd like to see how it looks now.

As a luthier that also does plenty of repair work, I have replaced inlays before and made it invisible on non-ebony boards. This honestly doesn’t sound too bad beyond the initial disappointment. I would have him take pictures before and after and see if it meets your approval. I would imagine it could be done easily by most builders. No special note on a resell would be needed because there would be no structural or aesthetic compromise with the final result.

He said it would cost me $250 to replace the board which is what I think should be done though I didn't ask for it. When I said no he suggested plugging. I need to give it fresh eyes in the morning.

I want to get this straight. This is a new custom order build, and an error was made during the build, and the builder want you to pay for correcting the error. Is this accurate:confused: