what is the function of fretboard dots on the front as opposed to side of neck

Gearhead

PeachyDragon wrote: Mexican pickups have plastic pole pieces

which would add nothing to extending the magnetic field into the strings ???

PeachyDragon wrote: It reduces string pull

???

Where did you get this wisdom?

PeachyDragon

MikeM wrote: Maybe I am missing something here, but my MIM tele had Alnico poles, my MIK Squier had a ceramic bar with steel pole pieces. Mind providing a link to what you're claiming Peachy?

Gearhead that is also why I like a slightly degaused A3 in neck position. Sounds very close to an A2 but has less string pull. Maybe I am being nitpicky, but hey if not, why not.

Evo, spot on. Well done ?

Which specific claim do you want me to substantiate?

MikeM

The construction of those pickups, specifically as to the magnet being on the underside of the pickup, and the plastic polepieces.

AlanRatcliffe

The guitar pictured is the "Mr.Horsepower" Nigel Tufnel signature model. Only 25 made.

The pickups are four custom DiMarzio humbuckers. And yeah - humbuckers have a much lower string pull than single coils, largely thanks to the magnetic structure.

Specs:
- Maple neck; Chrome Yellow body and headstock; Flame paint job on body
- Music Man Albert Lee Guitar body style
- 4 humbucker pickups, sized to match the string width as it travels down the body
- Pickup on/off status lights, colored to match to light signals on a drag strip
- "Hot-fuel proof" rubber selector switches
- Stainless steel exhaust headers, on the side of the body
- Functional tachometer built into the body with adjustable redline that measures the attack on the strings while playing
- Copper heat exchanger access covers on the back
- Clay Smith Cams logo: "Mr. Horsepower" on the body, and also on the headstock integrated with the Music Man logo
- Key signature Inlays on the fretboard
- Tyre volume knob, which activates the tachometer lighting when pulled out
- Floyd Rose licensed tremolo system, with a gear shifter replacing a tremolo arm. Eight ball on the end of the gear shifter.
- 12v battery powered
- Each model hand autographed and numbered

PeachyDragon

About my pickup construction claims, I ran out of bandwidth but I checked my history. There's a video called "hot-mod your guitar: brian may wiring" on youtube by playmusicpickup which is 6:14 long. The video isn't great but in the middle before he plays the strat he shows the backs of the pickups and talks about it. I heard about it before this from a luthier who said some people consider it an improved design.

MikeM

Peachy, it's usually a cheaper design. Not really a single coil, not really a P90. Usually doesn't sound great. Usually only ceramic magnets fit, and then steel poles are fitted against or near the magnet, which extend the magnetic field towards the strings.

@Alan, sure they have less pull, but there are still 4 magnets under those strings, 2 of which I guess would be ceramic. Not a good recipe for tone.

evolucian

hehe... don't quite think nige was after tone... ever in his life. Except when one lays their cleanly washed hair across the strings...

AlanRatcliffe

MikeM wrote: Peachy, it's usually a cheaper design. Not really a single coil, not really a P90. Usually doesn't sound great. Usually only ceramic magnets fit, and then steel poles are fitted against or near the magnet, which extend the magnetic field towards the strings.

@Alan, sure they have less pull, but there are still 4 magnets under those strings, 2 of which I guess would be ceramic. Not a good recipe for tone.

I prefer Alnicos myself, but there is nothing wrong with them in the right design. It's more a taste thing I think. Anyway, we were talking string pull, not tone...

MikeM

Yes... And magnets have a major effect on string pull. Especially ceramics, which are suited to hi-gain styles (as this guitar would seem to be). Ceramics tend to have a very narrow, but powerful string pull, I believe C8 is the stronger and most commonly used one. Then A8, A5, A4, A2 lastly A3. I'm sure someone posted gauss figures of magnets on this forum.

This also probably explain why A3s are so favoured in strats.

Malkav

MikeM wrote: Especially ceramics, which are suited to hi-gain styles

I'm just gonna take a moment to be biased towards the pickups I like ? I use Dimarzios and the bridge pickup I tend to favour is a ceramic one, however Dimarzio have a special way of constructing these things (that somehow involves leaving an air gap somewhere in it's construction) that they claim lessens their string pull. This may all be false marketing blurb but I've never really had string pull issues with Dimarzios that have ceramics, there are other brands however who's ceramic pickups I can't say the same for...

Also I'm loving how a thread on fretboard dots is now about pickups ?

My personal opinion is that a nude fretboard can look amazing on the right guitars but there are just certain colour schemes etc that work really well aesthetically with dots on the face. I know that on fanned fret instruments with a substantial fan (>1") that it tends to be prefered to have markers, as your low side doesn't necessarily line up with your treble side and in the higher registers this can wind up with you fretting a fret further accidently as things aren't in a straight line.

kp247

Sorry to have to return to the original topic but does anyone know about side dot inlays that can be retrofitted to be visible in the dark, like perhaps a phosphorous material or something.

evolucian

perhaps some glow in the dark rhinestones? You did say retro... ?

Malkav

They're called Luminlays http://www.luminlay.com/ ?

MikeM

Chad, you're 100% correct, and they're not BSing. The air gap has a very similar effect to degaussing a magnet. One can even simulate this on pickups with a bit of insulation tape, 2 or 3 layers on one side of the magnet in a JB makes an AMAZING pickup.

I actually hinted at this a little earlier

MikeM wrote:ceramic magnets fit, and then steel poles are fitted against or near the magnet

But the gist of Gearhead and I were getting at is that there's double the amount of string pull in that guitar which WILL detract from sustain (I have noticed this even with an A5 in a neck position). I just carried on "informing" about magnet specifics.

I also like ceramic humbuckers actually, my go-to brutals guitar has the JP set in, a Crunch Lab and Liquifire. It is aimed at doing one thing really well (And it REALLY does that).

kp247

Chad Adam Browne wrote: They're called Luminlays http://www.luminlay.com/ ?

Exactly what I'm looking for! Don't suppose you get it around this part of the planet hey? Probably eBay.
The blue ones are great!

Norman86

Chad Adam Browne wrote: They're called Luminlays http://www.luminlay.com/ ?

THAT is cool!!! Whats the price of that though?? In rands, not Yen?! im lazy ?

Airguitar

Danny Gatton had his side dots retrofitted with Cubic Zirconia (Fake diamonds) because they were easier to spot in low light. Not sure what they cost now..

On the original topic, +1 on those who said that fretboard markers....
A:- Help other musos keep track
B:- Look cool

Me likeeeee...

PeachyDragon

Those luminlays seem soooo much better than LED's! I was considering LED's on my custom guitar
but the luthier said it's a risk since a wire vibration could muck things up royally.

Pierre-Cronje

PeachyDragon wrote: I've been playing 13 years and I'm having a guitar built. It made me think, why on earth do we have dots and inlays on the front? A professional should be able to only look at the dots on the side, not tilting the neck back to see the front. Is it just enforcing bad habits? Personally I teach a trick of practicing while looking at your hand in the mirror to avoid bad habits like looking down constantly and for that is would help, but that's an exception.
What do u guys think? I would love some input on this.

A guitar neck looks so much better without the dots on the front and only on the side. It tends to have a sleeker look. No reason to have them on the front.

singemonkey

Pierre Cronje wrote: No reason to have them on the front.

Except for the reasons already mentioned.

If I have a custom built guitar made, I'll go sans inlays. But you've gotta acknowledge the benefits of being able to tell at a glance what your fellow guitar or bass player is playing - especially when there's bad sound on stage and you can barely hear yourself, let alone anyone else.