Our fretboards are slotted via CNC, ensuring the utmost accuracy in their layout. We also use blind slots, meaning that the slots do not fully extend to the edges of the fretboard, hiding the fret tangs. Our fretboard edges are normally very slightly rolled. If you would like either a more or less rolled edge, please indicate so while planning your build.

Wood Choices

We offer a wide variety of fretboard wood options, from the traditional to the unconventional. For an explanation of the categories, please refer to our general design considerations.

Radius

We currently offer the following radius options for fretboards. Note that at this time we are not offering compound radii.

Fretboard End

Depending on the number of frets for your build (see our general design considerations), the fretboard will either be flush with the neck heel, or will extend slightly from it. For flush fretboards, the fretboard follows the rounded contour of the neck heel. For extended fretboards, the fretboard end is squared off.

Finishing

Maple fretboards must be finished, and can be finished with any normal single-color finish, with satin clear being the default. When finished with an opaque color, fretboards are limited to large dot inlays (no small dots or custom shapes). All other fretboards are normally left unfinished, receiving only oil conditioning. However, they may be finished with clear or tinted finish upon request for an additional charge.

Fret Wire

We stock the following standard fret wire sizes and materials. We can also get many more by special order, including bell-bronze and hypoallergenic nickel-free alloys. Please inquire about these options during planning if they interest you.

Size	Nickel-Silver (WxH)	Stainless Steel (WxH)
Medium	2.49mm x 1.19mm	2.50mm x 1.18mm
Medium Tall	2.40mm x 1.30mm	N/A
Vintage Tall	2.28mm x 1.18mm	2.30mm x 1.22mm
Vintage Wide	2.70mm x 0.91mm	2.65mm x 1.05mm
Vintage Jumbo	2.70mm x 1.20mm	N/A
Jumbo	2.80mm x 1.40mm	2.77mm x 1.40mm
Wide Jumbo	2.90mm x 1.30mm	2.90mm x 1.40mm

Binding

Please refer to our section on necks for details about our neck / fretboard binding options.

Side Markers

We stock side marker dot material in black, white, parchment, and cream. Other colors are available by special order.

Inlay

Our standard inlay offerings consist of basic dots, available in two sizes and a variety of colors. We have several standard layouts to choose from, but also offer full customization of the layout, including both the number of dots as well as their placement.

Color / Material	Large Dots	Small Dots
Black	✓
White	✓	✓
Cream	✓
Red	✓
White Pearloid	✓
Abalonoid	✓
White MOP	✓	✓
Black MOP	✓	✓
Gold MOP	✓	✓
Abalone	✓	✓

We also offer custom inlay work, but not custom design work for complex shapes. We can handle basic geometric shapes ourselves, but for other designs we require the desired shape(s)/graphic(s) in SVG format. Available inlay materials for custom shapes vary based on the size and complexity.