How to install LED FRET MARKERS in a guitar/bass. A Fun Weekend Projects with tchiks guitars

The Michael Scott quote

[@tchiksguitars]

Finally !!!

[@jackavery3740]

@@tchiksguitars Wait did no one get it until now??

[@tchiksguitars]

No one pointed it :)

[@egemenaksu981]

The comment i was expecting to see

[@muppe8246]

Whoo!! He isn't dead!!!

[@Spartn42]

Would love to see more small stuff like this. This is the kind of stuff someone with less experience like me could even try himself!!!

[@tchiksguitars]

That's the whole purpose :) to show that there are tons of things you can try and you shouldn't be so intimidated.

[@phoenixbd7885]

I think all of your content is so fun to watch no matter what length it is. Way you edit the videos is so good and as a guitar player i like watching how all the pieces come together.

[@tchiksguitars]

Thank you !

[@rdvgrd6]

The bass sounds brighter with the leds 😎

[@tchiksguitars]

Someone had to make it

[@SSGSativa]

"Tone diodes" - Paul Reed Smith 😂

[@markerviedejesus]

yeah and the bass now weighs much LIGHTer 😁

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

He has a light touch on the fretting.

[@TadykaGuitars]

Once I put glowing side dots in a Warwic bass using optic fiber and single LED :) Great work!

[@tchiksguitars]

Awesome !

[@6StringPassion.]

I own a Warrior Guardian (hand made by Warrior in Rossville, GA) that was made back in 1999, similar to a PRS body style, with beautiful complex inlays that are illuminated with green LEDs. It's a stunning effect!

[@spandexcore]

Hey dude. I built a tele the other day. Your videos were pure gold. Thank you for being a good human.

[@6StringPassion.]

That fret soldering trick is awesome!!!

[@leroyunso]

Glad to hear from you again! Started playing bass with that exact same model like 12yrs ago. Modded it with new pickups, a bridge and sanded its finish to be matte. Will never sell this stupid thing because of its sentimental value to me although I will never play it again, too. 😅

[@tchiksguitars]

Same that's why I modded it. I play it now though. How did you sand it to a mat finish ? Is it still black ?

[@leroyunso]

@@tchiksguitars Just took a rough sponge since the surface was really vulnerable

[@iggysixx]

What I learned from opening iPads - reheat when necessary. The glue will harden again when it cools down, so keep heating the parts where you're about to pry, so the glue remains malleable. *Also, try using a 5-in-1 painter's tool next time instead. It's about as flat as the thing you use now, but has a very wide, flat chisel tip. It's perfect for taking apart glued wood (and general demolition too ;))

[@tomashubelbauer]

This is dope and hope I it inspires others to take the mod even further. So much potential: addressable LEDs, pre-defined effects, effects responding to the sound being played etc.

[@tchiksguitars]

Indeed there's a lot of potential in this. Maybe there's gonna be a follow up video

[@TanyaShpachuk]

So that`s why you solder the frets 😁 ps birds are nice, don`t hurt them 🥲

[@tchiksguitars]

Don't worry I'm so afraid of birds I would never want to approach them anyway :)

[@MaddogJones]

birds aren't real!!!

[@gsimplecregk]

I have to say that this idea never left my mind since I thought about it years ago. And it seems so simple! I first saw LEDs and lights on Devin Townsends guitar and I have to make something like it.

[@mikesalmo]

I love this. Interesting that I just learned that when electric power was introduced, wiring was often done in molding like this since walls were plaster. 2 channels were cut on the back side with a grooving plane and they ran the hot through one and the neutral through the other (sometimes without insulation 😮). Stanley even made a plane specifically for this task that was cheaper than a combination plane. So I’m going to say you added LED markers in the traditional method 😂

[@inventorsyndrome8894]

Yes pleasee more stuff like this - this looks soooo cool. I'm a drummer but a maker too, so this tickles my fancy! Love it

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

A note for the fretboard removal. You have to do it slowly and carefully, otherwise you can break or warp the fingerboard. If you know the fingerboard is glued with hide glue, you can add a little bit of denatured alcohool (also called methylated spirts) inside the breach and that will dissolve the glue.

[@archerclems]

I love the filming, sound and editing of this video, it's very soothing and well done. Definitely subscribing!

[@tchiksguitars]

Thanks for the sub !

[@maurolimaok]

Now that I'm grown up... nobody can stop me... Nice touch!

[@TychoVan]

oh man, can't believe I missed one of your uploads :,( Youre such and inspiration and istg Ill make my own guitar because of you at some point! ALSO! this is the exact bass I have :)

[@mysteryshrimp]

My coworker just said "whatever you're watching is pissing you off"! I might switch to CA glue for my normal fret markers. I'm definitely trying this for my next build.

[@masterofreality230]

Thats great, I like how the surface tension of the glue made a dome.

[@DoomyDrummer83]

I was thinking if the dome would get in the way of your fingers while playing; even tho it’s apparently not directly on any of the strings, it seems to be just a little above the fretboard…

[@masterofreality230]

@@DoomyDrummer83 Yea, could be an issue when doing bends.

[@tchiksguitars]

What are you guys talking about ...?

[@jonhaynie1987]

I was literally just wondering when you were going to post a new video. Can't wait to see your next full build!

[@davidmolina3520]

I had thought about this back in the 80's . Too cool 👍

[@itsratso.]

amazing work and fun to watch. i have to admit that even though led's are supposed to last for years, anyone that has dealt with them for a while knows that sometimes... one doesn't. i would love to see a method where you could easily access and replace them, i'm imagining a channel in the center-ish of the neck that you could slide a string of leds into or out of?

[@LionelLegrand-d4z]

Enfin le retour de notre luthier amateur préféré! Tes vidéos nous manquaient. Qu’importe la longueur pourvu qu’on ait l’ivresse. Merci pour toutes tes vidéos qui m’ont décidé à faire ma première télé avec laquelle je joue aujourd’hui (équipée des mêmes Seymour duncan hot T-style que la tienne).

[@tchiksguitars]

Ooooh yeah

[@lecryptonien1885]

I find your video good for the disassembly, the electronics and the easy fun side. Congratulations for the small demo at the end. Je trouve votre vidéo bien pour le démontage, l'électronique et le côté ludique facile. Bravo pour la petite demo à la fin.😉🎸🎶

[@beatrizz82]

I bought my first guitar this week and I'll start learning it 🎸

[@jamesoniris2647]

Congrats!

[@tchiksguitars]

Yay :)

[@rileysnyder661]

Great! Just make sure to practice every day and don't fall behind on it. It's tough at first, so you gotta build up those callouses and muscle memory. I wish you the best in your journey!

[@RascaCB]

Me too! I'm right there with you 😉😜

[@fadlyhans82]

Tone seems brighter after that upgrade. 😊

[@sammyfata-qb7tf]

Waited a long time for this! Put a smile on my face :)

[@Regrubmit]

just "a little-stitious!" Love it. I'm gunna use it! Miss your daughter though! Any content - short, long, medium - is welcome content!

[@tchiksguitars]

Noted :)

[@RsSquier51]

Looks great. I want to try that on a few of my guitars.

[@fredfragniere]

Great Job, with no fancy tools, everybody can do it. It's awesome !

[@tchiksguitars]

Exactly !

[@diegodoesmusic]

Happy to see you back 🤘 love your videos

[@zbootking]

Love it! I'm currently doing some custom finish work on a squire strat before implementing it on something of more value...or anything more complicated. The LED fret markers are adding fuel to my ideas!

[@tchiksguitars]

As you can see it's not that complicated :)

[@jimmyjames8164]

Definitely more content like this!

[@davepaulson287]

I like pretty much anything you put out… it’s great!!

[@Bikkurine]

"A fun project for the weekend"... I thought it was going to be simple and kinda DIYish... step 1: lets remove the FREAKING FRETBOARD from the neck! WTF? I instantly gave up... hahahahaha!

[@tchiksguitars]

It's actually not that hard. You don't even need tools to do it :) even a butter knife would work I think

[@BrickNewton]

​@@tchiksguitars I'm usually fine with taking it apart, it's putting it back together that's the problem lol.

[@kdtrimble]

well done! the bass sounds great and looks awesome! nice job

[@tchiksguitars]

Thanks !

[@rubeng.1309]

Ik vind beide formats super, allebei zeer ontspannend en toch leerrijk! Grts

[@bigdman415]

Fantastic! Love watching your videos - any format will do. Very inspiring!

[@claytongouin5605]

Cool mod. While it doesn't look easy, it looks easier than I anticipated.

[@jimcoppa6946]

Very cool awesome job great project looks fantastic

[@muchacholate1981]

Fantastique ! Et merci encore, tu es le seul à faire des vidéos bien filmées, avec de nombreux détails ! 👍🏼

[@tchiksguitars]

Un grand merci !

[@MightyGodlikeG]

Nice one, always thought about trying that out on my neckthrough bass since the truss rod seems to be broken and it would also be multiple birds killed with one stone. The icing on the cake would have been to drill the side markers to the fretboardmarkers and fil lthem with glue as well, so the light might shine trough to the side of the fretboard

[@tchiksguitars]

I'm not entirely sure that would work but I love the idea, maybe with a second set of LEDs. A broken truss rod is the perfect excuse to try this. Like. Per-fect.

[@Alex_Martz]

Your channel is EXCELLENT! I hope you can upload more frequently, thanks!

[@reneholbrugge7920]

Any content you make is good! Long, short or weekendproject. Thank you.

[@jespervingren290]

This was supercool! Got me thinking of doing something like this myself 😅

[@malt2380]

Love the long builds, and enjoy these short bits too! I noticed you didn't do the little turn around your daughter had made up on the uke bass build, but I guess that's her special little thing. The LEDs look great by the way! Makes it a ton easier to play in the dark eh?

[@tchiksguitars]

And find your keys in the dark too

[@Athom_]

would really enjoy seeing more of stuff like this !

[@pkbreeze08]

1:12 I've never seen this technique used with the solder before, only the iron itself. Is the solder necessary or more beneficial?

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Same, I’ve seen people just take the rod to the frets to heat them up, seems like added work to redress the frets

[@tchiksguitars]

It's not necessary, it's just quicker if you don't mind the fumes. The solder allows for (a lot) more contact between the tip of the iron (which is not even flat in my case) and the fret itself.

[@pedrodevicentelopez3650]

This kind of content is also amazing.

[@Christkind2014]

Very fun to watch! Like to see more :)

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Great job man!! Awesome work!! Got my sub! I’d love to see more mod stuff, I don’t have experience with stuff like this even with changing preamps or pickups, I still gotta learn how to solder 🤦‍♂️ lol

[@Ynherag]

«Andy Bass & Guitar» et toi faites les plus belles vidéos du genre 🤩

[@Gus0046]

Excelente trabajo si señor!! Te quedo precioso. Te felicito.

[@RubyRoks]

Not a beginner level mod, but damn the results are cool. I hope it's not too much effort because i'd love to see it on one of your builds rather than on an old Ibanez.

[@toddhansson1613]

Beautifully filmed as well !

[@HarryHopkinson]

This looks awesome! Whole project looks so thought out! Awesome Job!!! Wondered what was the thinking behind the LEDs you used as apposed to the SMD style ones?

[@waldobean7534]

Have we missed your videos. But quality takes time. Going to modify my les Paul like this. Thanks for the video.

[@tchiksguitars]

That seems like a risky thing to do to a Les Paul :)

[@devo_chan]

Ta chaîne m'a donné l'inspi pour commencer a faire des guitares from scratch, je vais l'essayer avec mon premier build! Jadore ton contenu❤

[@tchiksguitars]

Super !

[@CoYoTdeLiMa]

Content du retour de l'ami belge qui sait tout faire. Palissandre, ce joli diapason ? Résultat impec', comme d'hab'. Sympa aussi, le format plus court. Au plaisir !

[@tchiksguitars]

Palissandre indeed :) fou hein !

[@danteedee8204]

As always a great video!

[@escapedillinger]

Trop cool comme d'hab ! Quel que soit le format le peuple réclame plus de vidéos 😊

[@Arlunydd239]

For Bass Players which have no memories in hand and fingers is it a good idea for a dark stage where nobody really can see that the eyes all the time on the frets.

[@marianoarnaiz]

Welcome back!

[@tchiksguitars]

Thanks :)

[@freddjXX]

finally I was about to call europol ! je commente avant de regarder car je sais que je vais aimer :)

[@PhattyBarnett]

You’re BACK!!!

[@PhattyBarnett]

P.S. I have JUST started my first build because of you. It’s a Tele. 💪🏻

[@tchiksguitars]

" because of you " :D

[@PhattyBarnett]

And I absolutely would love to see more short format/weekend project vids. 💪🏻

[@Joesbeasty]

I use the stiff trijicon uses. Stuff used for night time sights for firearms. It's a radioactive material (too low to do anything to humans) so they glow pretty bright in low light without needing charged. You could put it in the closet for the rest of your life and it would still be glowing

[@Romerpalmar]

What do you use and how? 🤔

[@ПетрИванов-ы6е]

That's a good one. You should go further and make some sort of a contact pads. It saves wires from breakages. And do you think about installing Li-Po battery with a BMS and charging module? After all, it still a great weekend project. Well done. Hope to see other small projects. Best regards.

[@tchiksguitars]

Thanks :) this was a prototype so everything is an enhancement from there

[@VashStarwind]

Looks pretty dang good. The only issue I see, is using the epoxy. If an led ever goes out, its gonna be real fun trying to get that fret board back off again to fix it haha

[@tchiksguitars]

It's a one time project. If a led dies. So be it :D

[@FunkBaz]

Looks good, well done.

[@eross21]

wow a lot of work for some leds look awesome. next guitar you should use some neopixel led’s. then you can individual control them any color, creat different patterns and animations. would be very cool

[@tchiksguitars]

Indeed :) lots of possibilities here

[@cooperdoopics]

This is awesome! Would love to see you making a copy of a Hofner bass guitar!

[@tchiksguitars]

Considering how cheap they are I would just buy one :) (I probably will someday)

[@mongarcia9151]

Push-pull pots would also be nice for that, no extra holes. 😊

[@tchiksguitars]

Indeed :) but I didn't have any. Also I didn't have any on off switch. Hence the on off on

[@mongarcia9151]

@@tchiksguitars Still very awesome

[@han36solo]

It's good to be a little sticious! Great video!

[@1Nolimited]

J'adore le fait d'ajouter des led ça donne un petit truc en plus. Le format court et bien pour aide a attendre la long vidéo ;-)

[@tchiksguitars]

Noté :)

[@MrKenstar2]

Awesome job, id like to do this

[@cedricc911]

Magnifique vidéo comme d'habitude, l'image est très soignée, le cadrage et l'atmosphère comme il faut. Du boulot de pro. Et super boulot sur la basse, il faut quand même en avoir pour décoller un fingerboard. J'aurai aimé faire un truc de ce genre mais avec des LEDs RGB et indépendantes gérées par un contrôleur qui reagirait avec le son mais c'est trop compliqué pour moi. J'ai une guitare bas de gamme avec une touche défectueuse, il faudrait que je teste.

[@tchiksguitars]

J'avais une idée qui était une demi bonne idée. Peut être que je vais la partager sur insta. Les led peuvent répondre au son :)

[@MotoLen51]

Yes, more please!

[@Hiei999]

Edit: "I'm not reading all that": I have this same bass (in red) and got it at the same time. The paragraph below is a love letter to this entry level bass, but the first gen, not the new, cheap feeling ones you can play in GC now. The quality was there for me as a kid, vs now things feel like $200... Lol bro I have the same series Ibanez as my first. GSR200 in red. That thing has been a work horse for sure. Quality build for how much it sold for. That being said, I have played on the newer 200s to see, and they definitely feel like and cheap. Best way I can make a comparison, if you'r in the drift world, you want that early model Toyota Corolla 86, but you are not drifting a more recent generation. I have vowed to not sell it since it was the first guitar my dad purchased for me 15+ years ago. It's tone is arguably still competitive. Now-a-days I play extended range stuff with my band, and in fact have purchased 2 fanned 5 strings. One of their first in the bassshop series, and their headless variant in seafoam. The seafoam has become my favorite tool to use, no fucking doubt. Brand loyal because of that GSR200. I may have to try this and upgrade that old entry level bass, just for kicks and because who would I sell it to!? Lol, cheap piece of driftwood with high end stuff in it? For shits and giggles.

[@officialWWM]

Wow, that entire process looks scary! I’d love to do this to my Tele but it is a 1 piece maple neck/ fretboard :/

[@christophericher7886]

Une excellente vidéo, très inspirante comme toujours

[@johnnyashtray]

Came here excited to try this. Left happy with not trying this. I'd end up breaking the fretboard probably.

[@hushpuppykl]

Awesome job!!!

[@RockandRollRC]

I got 'sticious in my finger at the E.R. long time ago.🤣 Very enjoyable video.🤘

[@tchiksguitars]

Haha

[@chickenlickin3820]

Sweeet! bring on the lights!

[@AndrewAHayes]

I have a guitar with a dark roasted maple neck and dark roasted flame maple fretboard that has black fret markers that are very difficult to see, however, I don't think I will risk taking the fretboard off, I think I will drill out the fret markers and replace them with some abalone ones with glow in the dark outer rings.

[@EddieGodEater]

Looks sick🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@francisonehour8712]

Super boulot, content de voir que tu bidouilles toujours 🙂

[@tchiksguitars]

Toujours !

[@alexcoates9349]

Hey man, I'm Alex. I go to high school in the US, and I do woodworking. Last year, I made an acoustic guitar, and this year, I wanted to make an electric guitar. I was watching your video on when you carved one out of one piece of wood. First off, let me say it's an amazing guitar and two other questions: Are you okay if I use your video as a reference to make my own guitar and do you have any plans for it that I could buy a copy of? Thanks, Alexander

[@jordandeleau1212]

Très jolie basse ❤

[@MrGul]

Great work! Spontaneous thought about using a flat tool to remove the fretboard from the neck: would it perhaps work better to pull a wire (something like a B- or G-string for an electric guitar) along the length of the neck, after the initial release has been achieved?

[@franckydookie]

I used an old guitar string to remove a glued mirror and it worked super well

[@Theonlyfloorboard]

More small stuff would be great! Maybe we could see those pedal builds you mentioned...?

[@tchiksguitars]

I filmed one build once, I don't remember what the effect was and where I put the files but it's somewhere :)

[@NoxMessor]

Excellent tutorial! Next step: Addressable LEDs!!

[@MyEarwig]

Génial comme d'habitude

[@dannykrul4311]

Nice now I’m thinking which guitar I’m going to torture to do the same.

[@dernetteherr9347]

good job👍

[@myxoplic]

Should've used RGB LED's for different colors and a controller. NICE JOB!

[@RubenLaden]

Magnifique ! 🇨🇵❤️🇧🇪