Don't Fret, You Can Replace Your Fretboard Dots!

[@gognoggler7326]

There were so many terrifying moments in this project lol. Glad it worked out for you!

[@NathanSink]

Yep! 😂 Thank you!

[@williamonkumpol9227]

Thank you for posting this video. I appreciate how you disclose the problems you encountered and how you go about solving them with minimal tool any common guy would have. I can relate to how you decide to do it without buying more specialized tools. I hope you continue your works and posts more videos in the near future.

[@NathanSink]

Glad to help! Thank you for the kind words. 😊

[@OldStreetDoc]

Nathan, you might think this was a lot of detail for a relatively small issue - but it’s things like this that gave me the confidence/nerve to begin assembling ‘the guitar I wanted but nobody was selling’ for the first time. Like everybody watching this most likely, I’ve watched a ton of guitar building videos, and I’ve gained or taken something from almost all of them. But it was your videos that ignited the fire in my belly to just get started. And a couple years later I’ve now built (I feel funny about that word as well) four instruments. None of them are perfect, but they’re still my ‘dream guitars’ and play really well. Look pretty great too if I’m being honest. And I owe that all to you. Maybe I’d have tried it at some point. Maybe not. But I DID after watching your content & listening to your approach. So more importantly than anything else - Thank you, Nathan.

[@NathanSink]

Wow, thank you so much for sharing! That really means a lot. I’m literally pondering “building” another guitar right now & I’m researching KZbin videos & questioning if I’m confident enough or have the right skills. So, your comment is very timely encouragement! Glad I could help in any small way. 😊 All the best to you!

[@OldStreetDoc]

@@NathanSink You’re more than welcome, Nathan. I meant every word of that. One of the first things I noticed was that you seemed to concentrate on learning from your mistakes rather than letting them stop you. I’ve tried to adopt that philosophy as well, and consequently I’ve learned a lot as I’ve made a ton of mistakes. Every hiccup was valuable as it taught me something I’m not likely to forget. Best of luck with your next project. Take care, and thanks again! 👍🏼

[@taylor12elementvb]

The neck looks really good from where I'm sitting. Thanks for all the effort you put into the vid. I too am about to do a clay dot replacement. Thanks for your honesty and including the things that didn't work very well. Makes a good roadmap as to how to get to my destination. Cheers from Canada.

[@NathanSink]

Thanks! Glad to help. That's my goal: if I don't get it exactly right, hopefully I can share my mistakes and than can be useful for someone else. 😊

[@robsstringshack128]

Hey Nathan! Just watched your video because I'm planning to replace my fretboard dots as well. I have to admit I was cringing during parts of it but I really appreciate you sharing some of the things that go wrong. As another comment noted, it was VERY helpful to see how you went about solving the different issues you ran into as well as your thoughts during the project. Your commentary was very helpful because it provided the "why" of how you did something, not just the "how". thank you and I'll be checking out more of your videos!

[@NathanSink]

Thank you! Definitely took me a while to piece this video together so it’s nice to know it was helpful. 🙂 I hope your replacement goes smoothly!

[@martynharveythepoet5114]

Absolutely BRILLIANT Video Nathan! Thanks! There are hundreds of KZbin videos around this topic and some make it look really easy - which it can be if you've got a nice big drill press...and the old dots come out easily! However, your video shows the pitfalls in all the painful detail (and I mean that in a nice way) so it's very useful to anyone about to embark on this ostensibly simple, but fiendishly tricky job! Great stuff! thanks!

[@NathanSink]

Thank you for the kind words! It took me a while to gain the courage to take on this task. And putting the video together was quite a haul as well. Hearing things like this makes it all worthwhile. 😊

[@AlfieBradic]

Super useful video, thank you for taking the time to explain everything in detail!

[@NathanSink]

Thanks for the kind words. Glad to help! 😊

[@greenrivergear]

Holy cow, production quality! Nice work man!

[@NathanSink]

Thanks for the kind words! And thanks for your helpful video!

[@EddieG1888]

As someone who's about to install front and side dots on a bass neck, there was a lot of invaluable info in this video.👍

[@NathanSink]

Thanks! Glad to help. 😊

[@gloryxkid]

When I first started my journey of modding guitars, I used your videos in 2017 I believe, this guitar always comes to mind when I do major mods/refinishing

[@NathanSink]

No way! That’s so cool. Thank you for sharing.

[@JAF777]

Thanks for the video. Have been through similar steps. Your brave for doing the side dots!

[@NathanSink]

Thanks. I appreciate the watch. 😊

[@Dutcharmytent]

Seven or more years ago I used tipex for side markers. It’s still there and aged. I did it on a classical guitar. Tipex did a dispenser with a ball end that delivered a perfect circle shape.

[@NathanSink]

Oh, like the correction fluid? Cool!

[@danielredmond1033]

This is so awesome man!

[@NathanSink]

Thanks, Daniel!! 😊

[@joeykimble62]

amazing video man! You really put in the work

[@NathanSink]

Thank you! Sometimes I feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants…but I at least try to document my successes & failures. 🙂

[@FOCUSFADE]

thanks for this, you have convinced me never to try changing fret markers ever ahah ;)

[@NathanSink]

You’re welcome! 😂

[@JohnShamrock-m7i]

My next project is to replace the dots on my AS Stratocaster with abalone ones. This video really shows all the steps in a manner that I am confident I’ll be able to do it well! Thank you for posting!!!

[@NathanSink]

Glad to help, & good luck!

[@DazedxHipster]

Makes me want to give this a shot. Looks awesome.

[@NathanSink]

Thank you! All the best. 👍🏻

[@deanaf]

Why did you sand against the grain? 😮

[@NathanSink]

Basically for two reasons: 1) It's really hard to sand with the grain between frets. 2) Ben from Crimson Guitars did it (see reference to him in my video) and he's a master luthier. Hope that helps. 🙂

[@gotzz84]

Whenever you use sandpaper on the fretboard, always do it parallel with the grains ;)

[@NathanSink]

Ah, that is probably a better method: I’m guessing the scratches would be less visible.

[@DeathCAPTsukinose]

You have no idea how much this helps me, I have a lot of respect for Custom Shop builders. These things aren't just about dragging around guitars on the ground.

[@NathanSink]

Thanks for the kind words. 😊 Glad to help!

[@iagobroxado]

The problem with Dave's wood putty is that it was a little too dark to start with. I've used a light fleshy color putty (very very close to the Fimo flesh color, if not identical) and really liked the result. Doesn't look exactly like or even ages the same as the harvite dots I made years ago, but close enough.

[@paulweston1148]

Just earned a new sub, great vid bro 👍

[@NathanSink]

@@paulweston1148 thank you!

[@MDN1505]

Massive respect to all Luthiers! Now we know their job is not easy and hence the expensive cost! 😅

[@NathanSink]

For real!

[@spacialinstallations]

Hey dude, love your vids. I'm with you all the way. My fretboard markers are difficult to remove too. Was it easy to clean your soldering iron afterwards? What did you use? Cheers man.

[@NathanSink]

Thanks! I’m so cheap I’ve never invested in a good soldering iron (just $10-15 ones here & there). And that soldering tip was already toast anyway, so I’ll probably just throw it away. 🙂

[@spacialinstallations]

Fair comment........! @@NathanSink

[@johnpaniccia3802]

Thanks you showing my dots in your search.....Vintage repro Emporium on Reverb....we use the real authentic matireals fender used back in the day.

[@NathanSink]

Absolutely! I’m sure they are great. 🙂

[@s1231-b2g]

Great video and thanks for the detail on how you did each step, good results and bad. I'm going to want to do this on a kit at some point and now have a real good idea how to approach it. I'm often blown away at how much super glue is used by people in guitar repairs. I personally am very conservative on use of cyanoacrylates as most often the bond between wood or plastic and the glue is much stronger than the wood or plastic itself. If that bond ever needs to be broken, as in a nut to fret board, there will almost definitely be damage to the wood. I think you experienced some of that tearout in removing the original dots from the fretboard. Thanks again.

[@NathanSink]

Glad it was helpful in some way. Thanks for the kind words. 😊

[@GianlucaImprotaPT]

Hey great video. I have a question. What do you do if the hols for your old inlays go all the way through the fretboard and you have no "floor" to pour the glue? I just found out that my inlay holes are like that. What do I do????

[@NathanSink]

Thank you! I would think that the edges would provide plenty of contact surface for the glue to hole them in place. It would help of course if the dots are a tight fit & not loose.

[@GianlucaImprotaPT]

@@NathanSink Thanks so much, so you are basically saying to put the glue on the sides of the cavity right? Thanks again for your help

[@NathanSink]

@@GianlucaImprotaPT yes. I think that will be fine. It’s only your finger pressure on them after all, so there’s not a lot of force. Out of curiosity, how were the previous dots in there?

[@jeffshockey9456]

You drill a small hole in the middle of the dot then screw in a neck screw and screw it in the dot that way it bites to the dot. Then you work the screw around then your dots will come our usual in one piece but if not just use a hobby knife or something and get out the pieces. Now you're ready to put in the new dots.

[@NathanSink]

I’ve seen this method but I’m not sure it’s much different than working the drill bit around after making a hole in the dot (like I did here). These seemed particularly finicky. Luckily it worked out in the end.

[@lawrencedevere2242]

in hindsight...you want to go up in drill bit sizes so the plastic dot is thin enough to pry out, lessons learned and the result still came out quite nicely.

[@NathanSink]

@@lawrencedevere2242 that’s a good point. 👍🏻 Thank you.

[@Honkylips007]

Nathan is the definition of Tenacious.

[@NathanSink]

@@Honkylips007 😂 or stupid…but I’ll take tenacious! Thanks!

[@stephgrexguitar]

Maybe a little late but to remove the scraches from sanding you could use ultra fine steel wool, following the direction of the grain, than oli the fretboard and you should be good to go

[@NathanSink]

@@stephgrexguitar yeah, I need to give the whole fretboard a uniform sanding: I’ve just been too lazy to do it. You can even see the old sanding marks in this short video of me playing the guitar: kzbin.infoiYYcFkNUBg0?si=lvHgt4d_MC7lfYDi

[@stephgrexguitar]

@@NathanSink yeah I had the same result trying to polish the frets, nothing irreversible. Resolved with steel wool and fretboard conditioner. Great playing tho, which is the most important part🤘

[@eddiejr540]

So I guess if I mention peel-n-stick decals, you’ll punch me in the throat 🤣….seriously…good stuff bro👍

[@NathanSink]

😂 hey, no shame. Whatever works.

[@danielredmond1033]

Wish this was more comprehensive

[@NathanSink]

😂 it took me forever to be this incomprehensible.

[@eddiejr540]

Hahahahaha!!!!!!!

[@sendjamin]

Finallyyyy

[@IronClan2024]

nathan may i give you some ideas for future projects ? 1 get rid of the old by using a simple drill in the size of the dots. 2 get some superglue that is very thin and use a piece of round wood in the size of the dots which you drilled out 3 take some drops of superglue and give that into the holes but make sure it is one that does not dry very fast 4 having that round wood ( better even some round rod in the size of the dots ) now you turn on the drill 5 go with that rod in the holes where you got some drops of superglue and turn until the glue got dry ( it sort of turned the wood almost ino something as hard as the hardest plastic ther is ) 6 grab another piece of metal rod such as brass or aluminuim or both and place that into the nousle of your drill 7 use a sanding file that is not to fine but also not to raw but it must be a very clean one 8 turn your drill on and push the side of the rod on the file to create fine chips 9 use some oil to clean the chips in ( so they are shiny ) but use a metal surface to oil them on 10 suck the rest of the oil with a paper such as wiping paper 11 let them dry on a cooking plate 12 mix up some epoxy glue that does not harden so fast 13 give the chips in it and mix it 14 now fill up the holes on your fretboard with it and let it dry as soon as that dries out you can sand it to be in level with the fretboard and polish the metall ships will shine through and this way you get even some 3d effect and this works with everything you can imagine even with colors i did something similar with a pen of mine and looks crasy but i had no epoxy so i used only superglue and if i want to change anytime the dots on my guitar i will do it that way

[@NathanSink]

Thanks for the info! Very detailed. 🙂

[@IronClan2024]

@@NathanSink You Are Welcome Nathan ...its just so that i do a lot with wood and have sometimes such insane ideas

[@astrums99]

I think I’m just gonna play my current classic series 60s strat until I cave in and buy an American Vintage IV😂

[@powerhouse1981]

Project from hell brother. The guitar was rejecting those ugly clay dots 😂. I don't even know why those are an option, but everyone's got their own style and as long as you love your guitar then that's all that matters.. Thanks for sharing your journey, I'll make sure to never go on this one

[@NathanSink]

😂 thanks.

[@3rdtonefromthesun]

Not brown Sharpie 😵‍💫

[@NathanSink]

Yeah, it’s kind of cringe I know.

[@jcedrez]

Dats? Sure, I like dats.

[@NathanSink]

🤔🤷🏻‍♂️😂

[@dwillc6621]

I bet the $40 seems like the bargain of a lifetime now?!!

[@NathanSink]

Yes! 😂😫

[@rhp52]

acetome

[@NathanSink]

Acetone?

[@richdlc939]

🤦🏻 My head hurts

[@NathanSink]

@@richdlc939 get well soon.

[@MangDark]

can i use black leather paint on my fretboard?

[@NathanSink]

Yep. That should give you an ebony look.