Guitar Inlays
Guitar Inlays
INLAYS
WHAT ARE GUITAR INLAYS?
Guitar Inlays are various decorative materials that have been set into the wood of an instrument using the 'inlay' technique. Although inlays today can really enhance the appearance of an instrument; being presented in various shapes, forms and patterns on different parts of the guitar; - the original purpose and position was the fretboard, acting as a guide for easily identifying frets and defining hand position while playing.
Inlay designs start with the most simple design being the dots, which are laid on the fretboard at a pattern where the dots are placed on the odd numbered Frets, which actually outlines the natural notes of the C Major Scale on the open E Strings with the exception of the 9th Fret.
Note: - There are 12 Notes in the chromatic scale; including flats & sharps on the fretboard, until you start again and repeat the original note an octave higher. An Octave is when you have reached your limit of 12 frets/notes and find yourself back at the first note, only a pitch higher.. and so it continues. This makes the double dots marker on the fretboard an important point, as this makes you aware that you're about to play an octave higher, especially in Lead solo's when you're improvising and looking to add some colour to the sound.
FRETBOARD SIDE VIEW INLAYS
Because inlays change from guitar to guitar, some more complex than others; some more distracting than others, Guitars have an added feature of dot inlays placed on the side of the instrument that faces upwards towards the musician, in the same places of the the original dots on the fretboard which acts as a guide for artists to follow while playing.
FRETBOARD INLAY SCHEMES
With the guitar, there are two main fretboard inlay schemes used: -
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* The most popular scheme used is:
- Single inlays placed on the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th frets
- Double inlays placed on the 12th Fret identifying Octave Change
- Single Inlays placed on the 15th, 17th, 19th and 21st frets
- And if present.... double inlays on the 24th fret.
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* Another less popular scheme used is:
- Inlays placed on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 22nd and 24th Frets.
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Some Guitars include a single inlay on the first fret and then follow one of the schemes above.
INLAY MATERIALS
Think of Inlays as a Guitars Tattoos. Inlays enhance & beautify the features and individuality of an instrument. Many different materials can be used to 'inlay' shapes, patterns & sometimes art into the woods of a guitar.
Inlays don't really play a role in affecting the sound of an instrument, but do help guide a guitarist on notes on the fretboard; while adding a unique and artistic edge to the overall style of the guitar. Some materials used can end up looking seriously beautiful with interesting & unique patterns and colours.
Below is some materials used with a bit of detail into their characteristics : -
Polymer Clay
Polymer Clay is a type of modelling clay that sets & hardens. Some famous artists have created amazing art pieces from Clay that are kept in museums around the world; so do not underestimate the look of clay in it's raw form. Clay can be transformed to create some of the most incredible art works ever seen.
Abalone Shell
Abalone Shell is the shell of a very large Sea snail or marine gastropod of the Ocean.
The Thicker inner layer of the shell comprises of Nacre - (Mother-Of-Pearl), producing a range of strong, changeable colours that makes the shell very attractive for decorative objects. The Nacre varies in colour from Silvery White, to Pink, to Red & Green to Red, to Deep Blue, to Green to Purple. Often this material is referred to or classified as 'Mother-Of-Pearl' in Guitar specs.
Wood
Wood inlays are made by carving and cutting out the desired pattern or shape from the wood of an instrument, leaving behind a pocket to be filled with another type of wood that is cut to the exact same shape. Like Guitar tonal-woods, popular woods used are Rosewood, Maple, Mahogany, Ebony and others.
Gemstones
A gemstone is a piece of mineral crystal which is cut & polished and used to make jewelry and other precious looking adornments. Gemstones are strong materials that display a wide range of beautiful colours and patterns that in turn enhance the features of adornments they are used to decorate. Some gemstones are 'Precious' making them extremely expensive and more rare, while others are 'Semi-precious' making them more affordable but still having some valued features.
Stone
Stone is a natural material that is formed with one or more minerals or mineraloids merging into a solid aggregate. Depending on the environment and surroundings of the stone, each can produce different colours, patterns and styles, making them more appealing for use as decorative materials for various purposes.
MODERN STYLES
LuminLays
Luminlays is a new, modern invention that helps light up the normal position of the inlays on a fretboard. Luminlays are made with high-quality fluorescent materials that is powered with a small pocket size light charger. This type of inlay can help those that struggle with seeing their fretboard or don't know it well enough during dark lighting conditions while performing live etc.
Stickers
As we know now, Inlays are used to guide a guitarist on their fretboard while playing, and enhances the physical beauty of the instrument overall. Stickers is the most budget friendly way to add these features to your guitar if it didn't come with inlays originally. Stickers have been designed to imitate the pattern texture of popular materials used in real inlays, and have also been cut to the standard and poplar inlay shapes and fretboard patterns i.e: Shark fins; Blocks, Dots etc. They are also super easy to place on the instrument, but can look cheap and start to peel eventually.
FRETBOARD INLAY DESIGNS & STYLES
ACOUSTIC HEADSTOCK INLAYS
GUITAR BODY INLAYS
SOME PRS - PAUL REED SMITH GUITAR ART
