Ganesh Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 can anyone tel me how to make LED inlays on my guitar project? thanks Ganesh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 yup, but I cna tell you it involves removing the fretboard, and you will spend literally hundreds of dollars experimenting. LED's are not inexpensive for the sizes and brightness you will need. Also, each color LED requires a certain resistor for the same brightness. I've been playing with it, but in all honesty, I haven't offered it yet, because I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to cost effectively do it. At this point, I would save myself about $100 plus shipping charges over having SIMS do them. However, if you want to try, it's simple, work out your wire strands for the LED's, you'll also need to consider the resistor for each LED based on the power supply you will use. Then you drill where you want them to go in your fretboard, then you have to route a channel in the back of your fretboard to put the wire harness in. Then you need to reglue the board, and figure out your electronics in the guitar body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 14, 2003 Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 I'm thinking a light chamber then using fiber optic's would look a bit cooler at this point myself since you have to remove the board and route out anyway. Welcome to the forum Ganesh Seriously your going to have to first remove your fret board, then drill and route as LGM said then of course get all the wire leads down through the body of the guitar into a main board which will supply them with the power and of course add a switch somewhere so you can turn them on and off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted May 14, 2003 Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 I've played with that a bit too Brian, and I still believe it's feasable, but man, what a ton of work, drilling micro holes for the fiber optics, and then having to put a radius on the bottom of each hole so it has a smooth bend and then putting grooves on the bottom of the board for the fiber optics, I just hope it works or I'm gonna be pissed LOL!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassman Posted May 14, 2003 Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 I considered installing inlays, only in the "players view" paert of the neck, if you catch my drift, on my fisr bass. I decided to opt out of it since it was my first instrument, and a 7 peice neckthrough already. Still I would love to do it to another porject, maybe my next. I have already experimented with color changing LED's I have a "false button" on my first bass if I change my mind and decide to actually put it in, it just looked to classy with its killer quilted top and burled knobs to have a flashy light. Employing the color changing LED is something you guys might want to look into, you use it virtually anywhere, even in neck inlays. I have an LED that can either be green, amber or red depending on how you wire it, it has three leads- a common ground and two + terminals. If you wire the middle and one + side you get amber, if you use the other + side you get green, if you bridge the +'s then you get red. So if you wire it up for red and then use a mercury switch between the two + leads and place the mercury switch at just the right angle, the color will change from red to green depending on your level of excitement (dancing, jumping) during performances. If you had them on the neck you could could make it so that every other light was "reverse wired" with alternating colors. I have not put in the the time to figure it out, but it may be possible to get all three colors out of one light if several merc switches are used in tandem, of course you have to make sure of their position so that conlicting signals do not occur. Have fun with this one guys. BTW if they were on a neck side of fretboard how would you guys flsu mount them? You obviously would not want them to be sticking out as LEDS often do... PEace, Ryan Rice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jai Posted May 14, 2003 Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 heres a site I came apon, but I saw a site had had a lot about the lights, but can't find it anymore here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjaguar13 Posted May 14, 2003 Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 This guy put in purple LEDs in his B.C. Rich bass. I'm trying to get him to tell me how he did it, but he said it cost about $5 plus a battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted May 15, 2003 Report Share Posted May 15, 2003 This guy put in purple LEDs in his B.C. Rich bass. I'm trying to get him to tell me how he did it, but he said it cost about $5 plus a battery. Right, then that's the reason he won't tell you, there is a reason SIMS charges like $600 to do LED inlays. First of all, there is no chance in hell you're buying 12LED's for $5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganesh Posted May 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 Thanks alot people, I was thinking of using glass with a LED in it.... I'lll keep testing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 LGM is right, there is no way you could get 12 LEDs for $5.00... THATS A RIP OFF. You would get more like around 50..... i pay a retail price of $14.00AUD ($8 USD) for 100 5mm LEDs. 3mm are even cheaper... Im currently doing a guitar for a customer that wants LEDs. I talked him into optical fibre and only charged him $100 (standard price). It takes about an hour extra to do the neck, and an hour to make the brackets for the optical fibre/LED join, and wire it up. It actually takes longer to use LEDs rather than optical fibre, and their is a chance that one LED will eventually fail (or all of them). With optical fibre thats not an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 ok, what I want to know is, how are you putting the led's into the fretboard and where is the wire going? Sims removes the fretboard, there is a reason they charge $600+ for the job. And I would love to be able to get LED's for that cost, for white up here you pay $2 for ONE, for green's, purple's, blue's, etc, it's more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 As low as .15 ea. if you purchase the $25 minimun......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 36 for $1, auction will end soon but he'll have more just look around Whole section of nothing but in various sizes and types Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 You only need to remove the fretboard if its already glued down. Even if is, its not a $600 job to remove the fretboard and do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 You're right, it's not a $600 job to remove a fretboard and put it back, but I wouldn't do it for $100 either, this is my living, I have to cover my time and materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vh-guitarstore.com Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 i dont see what the big deal is...leds arent that complicated or expensive...they are $.18 where i get them...besides you dont have to use leds, you can use any light...many to choose from with different covers...shoot, you can even buy them prewired....it wouldnt be that hard to install........$600 is a lot of dough, i wouldnt charge that much...but then, i cant see why anyone would want them in the first place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 i think it would be a pain in the ass to change the lightbulbs in my fretboard.i think that's why l.e.ds.they don't go out,do they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vh-guitarstore.com Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 ahh good point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 westheman, thats the exact reason you dont put LEDs in the fretboard either. Use optical fibre instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 yeah it's not for me anyway.reminds me of those cars that glow from underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryeisnotcool Posted May 29, 2003 Report Share Posted May 29, 2003 yeh we can call em "low ridas" heck if you want the "lpd" factor just get one of those korg tuners and a couple of other racks with alot of lights. i was gonna make some clear humbucker rims for my les pual that i did and then i was gonna inlay leds inside them, but then i thought "nah that will be stupid" so i didnt do it. maybe someday when im bored i will give it a try. but its so 80's , then again the 80's are comming back so we better get out the spandex! and start shredding!! boy im glad i was to young to partake in the 80's if there was one group of years that we humans could erase i think it should be the 80's. boy did they suck!!! my mom had the biggest perm!! it was discusting!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted May 29, 2003 Report Share Posted May 29, 2003 id love to do a chrome body/lit up fret markers/lasers out of the headstock jem or universe ooooohhhh.... :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 29, 2003 Report Share Posted May 29, 2003 yeah rye i kind of have a different take on the 80s.i kind of liked them.not for the hairstyles and spandex but because it seems like we didn't have quite so much oppresive government in our lives.(i'm still just pissed about the taxes that started in the 90s) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vh-guitarstore.com Posted May 29, 2003 Report Share Posted May 29, 2003 i agree..the 80s were great.....we had the best music, more to choose from....live fast die young.......the 90s sucked.....but it looks like its all about to turn around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryeisnotcool2 Posted May 29, 2003 Report Share Posted May 29, 2003 hey ryeisnotcool2 is still the same rye, i had to change my login stuff cause my computer is all messed up! anyway, i guess there was some cool stuff in the 80's like delorians and guns and roses but i just hate the spandex! its gross!!! as for the taxes, i was in elementry school so i didnt pay taxes back then and in the 90's but i do now! and i wish i didnt have to. man what a waste of money! but hey if we didnt pay taxes how would the big guys buy thier mercedes ? back to the main topic, how do you supply light to the fiber optic?is it just a regular light bulb placed in the cavity of the body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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