The Hub

Looking to get a custom fingerboard slotted, radiused and cut for block inlays, preferably in Canada. Any leads much appreciated! 🙏

Hi friends, I was at a colleague's shop this morning. He’s a pretty well-known builder. A customer has asked for names (several… grandchildren, you know) being inlayed in abalone in a fingerboard and he’s feeling out of his depth for this task. I have volunteered to help find a colleague who'd be willing to do it. Anyone interested in doing this? Any recommendations for a talented colleague? Thanks friends.

Any suggestions if this can be saved? It is a neck I received for free upon replacing it for a customer. The wood was missing and the rod is missing the adjusting nut. The truss rod had pushed the inlay out as well as the wood damage . I wasn't sure if it could be a structurally sound repair. I have no idea of the neck rigidity or action with strings. I wont be online because of a previous dr. appointment but I figured it would be a go…

Hi, I have a 1950's Gibson LG-3 that's had some poor work done to the spruce under the area of the bridge where the spruce has pulled away and or been sanded excessively. It's missing about .020-0.30 thou of spruce and I'm wondering/looking for advice about how to go about splicing in a thin piece of spruce before I re-glue the bridge. Please see pictures attached. My main questions are: glues for the patch, should the patch be mitered…

HEy Folks, Just wondered if anyone had a source for a 4-inlay SJ200 bridge? I have a 52/53' in for restoration, and...well... I like replacements better than making them if I can help it, especially this mustashio'd monster!

Hello! This is my current build! https://www.instagram.com/p/DMO6PqXRAkg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MWdhbW4wdG51bDJ4ZQ== "Here’s a quick check-in on the two guitars I’m currently working on. The bodies are getting ready for binding(arm bevel too!), while the neck is in the middle of headstock design. For the tiger-patterned guitar, I’m planning to inlay Jakho-do (Korean tiger-and-magpie painting) with mother-of-pearl. The other one…

I'm refretting an all-original Gibson L-7 from 1934, and it has a 9.5" or so fretboard radius. However, the bridge, also original, has a 12" radius. I need to flatten the board, as it has a hump at the tenth, but I'm wondering if I go with the 9.5" radius, or try and get it to 12". I'm a little worried about sanding through the Nick Lucas style inlays, so I'd like some input here. If I kept the 9.5" radius, I'd likely have to radius the…

Hi all, Not sure if this post should go here. I usually do a simple inlay on my guitars like the one in the picture, nothing complicated. I used to have access to a laser cutting machine, but I can't use it anymore, so I do it by hand and I always get some slots that I have to fill with glue and sawdust, so it could look better. Does anybody know any online courses on inlaying techniques? I would like to improve mine. I know Robbie O'Brien…

1952 Gibson Southern Jumbo. I drilled 2 holes 1 cm from the edge through the 15th fret slot for the wire heaters. This one didn’t require any steam just a lot of boiling water. Be weary of the celluloid inlays and binding. They melt fairly easily. (Oops) It happened to a friend once! lol

I recently picked up a gutted first year Country Gent with a headstock break. It had been previously "repaired" with mystery glue, nails, bondo and believe it or not.....staples. I am likely out of my depth here but I want to bring this little bit of history back to life. I scraped off the bondo and that is when I found the staples hiding underneath. I removed the staples and gave the headstock some gentle pressure and found that the ga…

So I have a pearl inlay I need to do for a clients build. given that the ends of my pearl blank will sand down, and there will be engraving on this piece, is it best to inlay the pearl, sand it flush, and engrave my text? or try and engrave it first, and do so deep enough that my text wont sand out of the pearl when its leveled to my fretboard? Has anyone used CNC to engrave pearl?

Hi Gang, I hope someone can help me fix my f**kup. This is a new build. I burned the top trying to steam out a dent preparing for finishing. At least the dent is gone. I started sanding, but it wasn't going away. I looked on the inside and I see a little discoloration, so it goes all the way through. It is just north of the tail block. Is a "decorative Inlay" my only solution? I will await suggestions while I reevaluate my life choice…

I acquired this old single cut JR around 6 years ago. Was aware of the previous breaks and repairs, wasn't a particular concern as I acquired through trade. The headstock broke a couple years ago with a very small sideways tumble ( in its case). I used some clamps and rubber tubing to glue the break back together. Decided to scrape back the finish and see at the previous repairs. I see epoxy, carribbean walnut splines, carbon fiber 1/8…

I'm currently using regular StewMac narrow/medium fretwire on this oddball stick dulcimer I'm making. https://www.instagram.com/p/CthLFjSOeSc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== It's diatonically fretted and I'm curious about offering one that's chromatically fretted BUT with the non-diatonic frets clearly indicated. I've considered something on the fretboard, some kind of inlay (I'm thinking to emphasize the diatonic f…