Inlay question: Frets in the pearl?

[Phil Walsh]

Just wondering what people's thoughts are about putting the frets right through the M.O.P inlay on fretboards. I see a lot of guitars where the inlay material stops just before the fret slot, but I've also seen a lot where it looks like the fret slot goes through the inlay. I would like to do the latter, have the slot go through the pearl, but I'm concerned about what happens if I have to remove a fret.

Thanks,
Phil

[Barry Daniels]

Phil, have you ever done inlay before? If so, you would know that frets have to be removed first.

The inlays stop a little short of the fret slot because they would be cracked by the insertion of the fret barbs.

[David King]

I think you can get away with the latter plan IF you bevel the fret slots heavily AND you remove (file off) the fret barbs where they cross areas of inlay. I've never tried to do this but I've seen it done.

[Barry Daniels]

It is best to leave the fret barbs on so they can bite into the wood beneath the inlay of the fret may not seat tight. Like I said, you cut the inlays back a bit from the slot but close enough so that the edge is hidden by the overhanging fret.

[Phil Walsh]

The frets are not in yet, as this is a new build. Getting the inlay under the edge of the fret seems like asking for trouble, as there would be only 0.025" of wood holding the fret. Almost sure to pull out if the fret needs to be removed. I guess the thing to do is just try it on some scrap pieces. I do like the idea of beveling the top edge of the pearl.

[Barry Daniels]

If the pearl is going to be used to hold the fret in, imagine what will happen when you try to remove the fret.

I have done this before so I thought I would give you my recommendations.

[David King]

Just as an aside, it's my firm belief that all fret slot edges should be beveled to minimize tear-out at the next refret. This is a universal truth and not really up for debate.

Where I can see a difference of opinion on the question at hand is in the inlay of say a tree of life or vine inlay there the inlays themselves are quite narrow and it might make sense to do them before the board is slotted. In that circumstance removing one or two fret barbs in the center of a fret will have a negligible effect.

[Barry Daniels]

That is true, but cutting the inlay just a bit short of the fret slot is really easy and accomplishes the same goal. The main difference is that the inlay cannot be damaged during installation or removal of the frets. It is a safer approach in my opinion.

[Michael Lewis]

I'm throwing in with Barry here regarding keeping the inlay back from the fret. It is only a slight bit of material that needs to be removed to clear the barbs, it's easy to do, and it hides under the crown of the fret. One other issue is that pearl inlay material is very brittle and will not respond well to hammering on the frets.

[Rodger Knox]

Listen to Barry, he is exactly correct.

[Phil Walsh]

For what it's worth, I inlaid some scrap MOP into some scrap grandadillo, slotted it, and pressed in some fretwire. I then removed it using StewMac's removal tool. The MOP held up better than the wood, which always flakes up a bit. I did bevel the top edge of the pearl a bit.

Just for fun I put the fret back in and pulled it out a few times. The wood gave up, but the pearl held fast.

Of course, this was done one fairly substantial piece of pearl. The result might not be so good in a more delicate part of the inlay. The crossbar in the "A" in Roger's picture, for example.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I have to agree with Barry.
I have done several necks with the Vine of Life inlay, and that method is exactly what I used.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I have to agree with Barry.
I have done several necks with the Vine of Life inlay, and that method is exactly what I used.

I have to add that I also press the frets in, so no hammering.