LED fretboard inlay

[therealting]

Phone torchlight works just fine. You can also buy replacement UV LED torches on eBay for a couple quid. 

[winterfire666]

Ive done a little experimenting with el (electroluminescent) wire as an alternative to leds which could turn out great with a little care

This is very rough just to test the theory on an old neck.

the idea was to route a channel the length of the neck, insert the el wire then fill leaving clear sections where the fret markers were and have a 2nd colour going across at 12 and 24 with the side section that you see there filled in so that just the line makers remain. 

 

The egg custards are the key of course to nailing it, that is why it looks a bit crap, i only ate one.

 

Edited March 4, 2018 by winterfire666

[Hellzero]

The idea could be very good, but I had to check first that they named it right : electroluminescent, which means AC powering theorically at high voltage.

So, will you tell me where is the point? 

Not the high voltage itself, but you'll induce a lot of hum because of the AC 50 or 60 Hz cycle. 

And it will be close to your pickups : have you ever tried  to play in a 50 or 60 Hz polluted environment with single coils ?

No, give it a try... 

But the idea was good, tat said. Keep on searching, it's the way to discover unsuspected ways to do things.

Edited March 4, 2018 by Hellzero
It will be close and not it will close...

[winterfire666]

With the right power driver i tested it with no hum running off a 9v battery, this was my first concern so i did a little experimenting before i tried it. 

Some work, some are noisy but im sure its doable with careful choices.

Still i would probably avoid using on a bass with single coils. 

Just trying out options really.

Edited March 4, 2018 by winterfire666

[Woodinblack]

On 04/03/2018 at 09:50, Hellzero said:

The idea could be very good, but I had to check first that they named it right : electroluminescent, which means AC powering theorically at high voltage.

Nope, it is powered at very high DC voltage. Obviously to make a high DC voltage you need a way of generating it which is generally a high frequency oscilator, and these things tend to be made cheaply, so you can actually hear them whine, although I have put some around my headstock and one gig and they produced no electrical noise. Our singer wrapped his saxaphone in one: it produced no electrical noise but fouled the valves

Obviously there is no 50hz, unless you power your bass by the mains, which might not be so convenient!

 

Edit:

Turns out I was wrong, it IS AC, but AC at about 100V 2KHz.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Woodinblack

[Guest gazzatriumph]

On 02/03/2018 at 10:56, Hellzero said:

Any UV lighting will do the job, like the sun for instance and most of the now found everywhere LED lights as they are not filtered except if there is a real glass panel between the source and the Luminlay's.

Real glass being a natural UV filter. Ever tried to tan behind a window ?

I thought glass would filter the UV, I practice in my conservatory which has a glass roof and when I come back in to the living room the dots are illuminated.