Lets see some pics of those Fancy Fretboard and Headstock Inlays!

[naccoachbob]

Originally Posted by M.D.Smith

I really like this one.

Ditto! Priceless.

[harvl]

Thanks everyone for the compliments. The inlays that I like the best are ones that push the limits of what has been done... yet tasteful... and that is often a very thin line. I know that Larry, Grit and myself, as well as some of the up and comers like Craig and Jimmi (who incidentally was a student of mine...but I take very little credit for what she does) look at the inlay as more than just decoration but as an art form that just happens to choose a guitar as the canvas.

I've always found it odd that there is often a bias about highly inlaid guitars and some sort of perceived sacrifice in tone but that couldn't be further from the truth. Ironically, customers who can afford a "museum" quality guitar can afford to use the best woods I have (same with the one-of-a-kind Martins, which come from Chris' private stock) The Samurai and Geisha guitars are the most expensive I've ever made but they are easily two of the best sounding guitars too (according to Thom Bresh, the Samurai is the best I've ever made... but what does he know...). I'm always amazed when someone plays them and says "man that really sounds good!" as if the inlays somehow sucked the life out of it. The amazing guitars that Howard does with the dovetails and creative laminations have far more of a potential effect on tone than a few pieces of shell and they sound fantastic. In the right hands things that don't seem to make sense have a way of turning out.

For me, the biggest challenge with doing guitars like this is that for the builder they are addictive. After 350 guitars certain aspects of the building process seem more like work than they did on the first one... On a project that you "live with" for a year or more every step is fun and you get so drawn into the art that you forget that it's going to sound great until the day you string it up. When you are done you want to do another one that kicks everything up a notch and the clients for guitars like that are few and far between (although I have been fortunate) so it takes some added patience. Sometime though you get to do an inlay for a customer that doesn't cost a fortune but still has all the little details. This is my favorite "single" inlay, and it cost less than a Voyage Air ...instead of a house...


This inlay is only about 1 1/4" tall.

[jonathanvaljean]

What a wonderful thread idea! I just partook in guitar glory!

Of all the beautiful inlays that have been displayed, this one is my favorite thus far... Note to self: Contact Jimmi Wingert about adding immaculate beauty to my blank fretboards!

Originally Posted by riorider

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[naccoachbob]

Well said, Harvl. (Is it Harvey?....... I think it is).
I watched Larry Robinson's 3 dvds on inlay, and have looked at his, Jimmi's, Grit Laskin's, and now yours and I marvel at the artistry. Even the simplest take so much time to conceive, organize, cut, rout, glue, sand, and fine tune. Materials choices, concepts, technique all have to meld together in order to produce the fine products shown on this thread.
Folks doing this gotta love it.
When I got mine back from Jimmi, it inspired me to try to do rectangles in MOP on the fretboard on my own. It doesn't get simpler, but it's a taste, and it's a start.
Just like when I saw the work Steve Kinnaird does, and got some of his guitars in my hand. It made me want to create something myself.
It won't be a vocation for me, but it's a hint of what it takes. It's a thrill to watch the best in the world do it and to try to emulate them.
Ya'll is cool folks!

[Dario57]

(Larry Robinson as well, copper inlays)

[SuperB23]

I thought I would bump this older thread up to see some more beautiful inlays. I'm getting a presentation grade Bourgeois from a friend here on the forum next week so it will be my first foray into the fancy fretboard inlays!!!

[KevinLPederson]

I found this thread and even though its a little old, I thought instead of starting a new one, I'd just post a couple things up here.

So Here are a couple inlays I've done. I have some others. Some never make it to the guitar.







This inlay of the last supper I never used. I always had plans to put it on a guitar then those plans changed. I sort of improved at my inlays and I felt like I had "passed" this one by - so I've never ended up using it. I cut this in 2009 I believe. I'll post the other inlay that I cut at the same exact time. I did them together since it was easier with all my tools out.

I'll add some more inlays here.

One I'm making for healdsburg will have a nice inlay on it, if I can get permission. And if I can't, I'll just do something else

Kevin.

[ChuckS]

As fancy as inlays get on any of my guitars:

Plain by comparison to some of other work displayed here, but it's the fanciest I have handy.

[peteathome]

Originally Posted by Haans

Mine are pretty traditional...this is about as fancy as I get. Larson floral.



This is a favorite of mine though...



I used to get pretty fancy with mandolins...

Wow! The skill on display in this thread is off the charts! For me, the simpler the better. The headstock shown in the second picture here is perfect. Love it!

[Kevin A]

From some years ago...12th fret inlay.

[tadol]

Heres a taste of something by the godfather of pearl, Mr. james Patterson - his book is still the reference for all this - excuse the poor pictures -









And this isn't his fanciest work -

[philo426]

Fantastic work.One question on the elaborate Hot Rod and Martin Lady inlay.Wont drilling for the tuning keys destroy the inlay work?.Also how fragile are the inlays on the fretboard and will they fall out over the corse of years?

[harvl]

Originally Posted by philo426

Fantastic work.One question on the elaborate Hot Rod and Martin Lady inlay.Wont drilling for the tuning keys destroy the inlay work?.Also how fragile are the inlays on the fretboard and will they fall out over the corse of years?

Well great care has to be taken when drilling out for the tuners but in most cases it’s not a big deal. With Martin it was a bit more of a challenge because they drill from the backside of the headstock and drilling tends to blow out when the bit exits. They may have drilled these from the front, not sure but I do know they had some concerns about it.... but then after 180 years you can figure these things out I guess.

I glue in my inlays with CA (super glue) so they really can’t fall out. In the old days epoxy was the glue of choice and sometimes it would break down over the years. Some of the inlay materials are softer than I’d like but as a rule I try to use things that are at least as hard as the ebony fretboard is. One of the keys with guitars with this much inlay is they tend not to be “gigging” guitars so they usually belong to customers who have several guitars and don’t get played as much. Even so what I always try to do is put inlays with the softer materials higher up the fretboard where there is less playing generally and it’s less likely the strings will touch the fretboard. Most fretboard wear takes place on the first 5 frets.

Harv

Here are some updated pics of 2 of the Martin headstocks with tuners in place... as well as a more recent Martin project.

[Inked]

Those are simply amazing!