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Big Pearl Block Inlays Gone Out Of Shape


Cancun

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Hi,

I got this old leftover Ibanez neck I'd like to build a little project out of. Problem is, it has huge pearl block inlays that have gone badly out of shape somehow:

(activate popup blocker before looking at these though:)

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-1-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-2-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-3-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-4-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-5-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-6-jpg.html

Is there a quick and dirty way to restore playability? I.e. to sand them down somehow WITHOUT removing the frets AND without inadvertently 'scalloping' the fretboard (too much)?

Cosmetics are not an issue, this will be a strictly utilitarian instrument. The neck is from an old Ibanez LP clone I don't know much about, got it cheap on ebay some years ago.

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Hi,

I got this old leftover Ibanez neck I'd like to build a little project out of. Problem is, it has huge pearl block inlays that have gone badly out of shape somehow:

(activate popup blocker before looking at these though:)

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-1-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-2-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-3-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-4-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-5-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-6-jpg.html

Is there a quick and dirty way to restore playability? I.e. to sand them down somehow WITHOUT removing the frets AND without inadvertently 'scalloping' the fretboard (too much)?

Cosmetics are not an issue, this will be a strictly utilitarian instrument. The neck is from an old Ibanez LP clone I don't know much about, got it cheap on ebay some years ago.

Looks more like plastic. Pearl does not change shape..

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Ah yes, good ol' mother of toiletseat. <3

But i have to say - to me it looks like it's more of a problem with the wood.

It may be just the fact that i'm not really experienced and also new to this,

but is it maybe possible that the wood where sort of shrinking?

Do the frets maybe feel sharper than at a earlier point?

It seems like this gets ignored by many players, like - that stuff would never change shape right?

But it can and does.

What i would maybe think is that the fretboard lost a lot of water and maybe shrunk?

They look slightly out of shape, but there are HUGE gaps between the wood and the inlays.

How i would try to fix it?

I would get a bit off rosewood - doesn't have to be expansive, grind it down put it in some 2-ton-epoxy,

fill the gaps and sand every fret down one by one, till all is flush again.

but the less you sand the better it should be imho.

No own 1. hand experience there, just theoretic knowledge,

but if someone got a better idea - please feel free to correct me!

I'm also here to learn. :D

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