Invisible Inlays

[BazzMomma]

The mother of pearl (?) inlays on my Series 1 are virtually invisible in playing position. I've cleaned them, no change. Any suggestions?  The side markers are small brass dots, so subtle. Photo attached.

Failing that, how big a deal (ie how expensive) would it be to get inlays replaced?
Adding LEDs would be a major job, presumably.

[lbpesq]

Have you tried using a little Flitz and a Q-tip or some very fine sandpaper to shine up the side markers?

Bill, tgo

[jazzyvee]

retro fitting LED's would indeed be an expensive undertaking but you would most likely get the best results. There is a company over here in the UK who can retro fit LED's without removing the fretboard they are called Simms http://www.simscustom.com/html/00leds.htm and at least one of our members here Terry had them fitted to is Mark King Signature bass. I have fitted an alternative and much cheaper to these called Fret FX on all my basses that do not have LED's fitted as standard and I have nothing bad to say about them.
https://fretfx.com

[adriaan]

You could look into redoing the ovals with a silver lining, like so (from the Alembic Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_rGpwHdHk/?igshid=1dv90zfb88fxn).

[edwardofhuncote]

A skillful luthier I work with sometimes, advised me once for darkened inlays, the secret was to put something light behind the pearl. Aluminum foil works well.

[StephenR]

You mention that the ovals can't be seen when the bass is in playing position. Is that because the body of the bass leans forward and you are mainly looking at the side of the fingerboard or because the inlays themselves are dark and dull?  The body of my Distillate used to lean forward slightly when I played it standing making it difficult to see the inlays. If your bass leans forward the suggestions for getting a set of Fretfx is a good one, never tried them myself but they are popular for a reason. I used to counteract the body lean of the Distillate with my right forearm so I could see the ovals better.

[BazzMomma]

No, I can see where they are, they’re just translucent/transparent from that angle. The 15th fret inlay is the most visible, with the result I “read” it as the 12th if I’m not careful.

I I’d try a dab of Maas polish on a Q tip. No change.

[adriaan]

Why not wait until you get better acquainted with where the bass sits, compared to other basses? I'd go so far as to suggest it's better to have low visibility on these markers, so you won't grow too dependent on them. 

[mica]

So either the bass was refretted and the mother of pearl is very thin, or you might have the pearloid (plastic) inlays that get transparent over time - if you can see a spot of glue under the inlay that's what you've got for sure. I'd have to see close up to try and determine that for you. Less likely is they are black mother of pearl, that would be rare for that time (maybe even unheard of).

For the bronze inlays on the side, use a touch of metal polish like the Flitz paste and that should give you something else to see.

Changing the inlays or adding LEDs can get pricey. Each job is different. We can talk about it sometime if you like - email me some closeup images and I'll let you know what I think.

[BazzMomma]

Thanks, Mica. What email should I use? The service request on the Alembic site, or other?

[mica]

You can use the service request form or mica@alembic.com  -  I get them both!

[edwin]

I don't think I would do it to an Alembic, but I put Luminlay dots on my Starfire. They are readily visible and if they get hit by the right stage lights, they start glowing the dark (I never bother to charge them up, the glow in the dark thing is more like a bonus).

That said, I had LEDs on an Alembic for a while and it was just great. Spoiled me.