The Steel Guitar Forum

DOES ANYBODY OUT THERE HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE ONE COULD FIND A LIGHTED FRET BOARD? I HAVE MACULAR DEGENERATION AND AM HAVING TROUBLE SEEING MY FRET BOARD. I HOPE THIS IS UNDER THE RIGHT HEADING. THANKS IN ADVANCE.

Simplest fast solution is a couple of childrens nightlights on either end of the steel or the front. They should brighten up the existing fret markers and put a bit of shine on the strings too. An actual lighted fret board I can't help you on. Sorry. Good luck.

A lapsteeling friend in Paris has a similar condition, and periodically plays esentially blind. He has long periods of passable vision, but for short times it just shuts down, he still keeps playing.
But he told me this week he gets more compliments on the days he plays when he can't really see. Running on just his ears and heart.

Be nice, what with fiber optics now, to have a back-lit fretboard. And a back-lit PC keyboard would be welcome, also.

FWIW...Chip

check out www.simscustom.com don't know if it'll be any use to you but it'll be worth a try

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Sho-Bud LDGsp,levinson Blade,Peavey session 400 Limited,Boss GT-3

Before you do anything else, try pointing a black light at your fretboard. In a dark setting (like a club) anything with a light color will glow like 3 Mile Island under a black light. If you meant you can't see it in dark places, this will solve the problem (assuming that you have white frets and light colored markers)
gs

Why not a clear plastic fretboard, with LED strips where the fret lines would be? Shouldn't be too hard to put together. Joe Turner's got something like this, I'll see him tomorrow, and I'll ask. Hang on, Barbara!

There used to be a lighted fretboard called the Gemlite. A guy named George Morgan made them but he's since passed on. I know one guy that used to have one and he's moved away. There's been times I needed one in dark outside situations. There's probably one out there somewhere that somebody will part with. They worked really good.

THANKS EVERYBODY. I'LL TRY SOME OF THESE THINGS AND SEE HOW THEY WORK OUT.

Stephen/ Barbra,
Joe T. has LEDs for fret markers and a clear ligh in the tuner nest,looks real cool,all you have to do is decide which colors you want,where and have them installed.

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Bill Ford

I have seen Joe Turner's fretboard also, it is impressive! Joe explained that he drilled holes to insert the LED markers. I'm no sure how much light that they would emit under dark conditions (he uses red and green markers) but possibly clear LED's would emit the light necessary.

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1975 Emmons D-10 Push/Pull
Nasville 1000
Digitech RP-100

I have installed LED's in the necks of my last 3 guitars and they do look cool as well as enable me to see better in the dark. However- they are just at the typical fret marker positions- 3,5,7,etc. and not the frets themselves. To light up the frets themselves would probably be a job for fiberoptics and not LED's. I have looked into using fiber and, when I last did (about a year or so ago)it was too costly for me to consider further.

ANYONE KNOW HOW I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH JOE TURNER?

Joe Turner lives in Starr, SC and his phone number is 1-864-352-6581 Joe is a great picker and just as nice a guy.

Seems like it would be relatively easy to create an edge-lit etched plexiglass fretboard. Kind of like the clear "Ampeg" logo on my old B-15N amplifier. The bulbs or LEDs themselves would be hidden.

I agree that plexiglass would be the way to go. There would be two options:
1. Have it marked in black for the fret lines. This would light up the entire fretboard, with black lines for the frets.
2. Have it black with clear fret lines, which would have each fret line lit up. That would be less light overall than the previous method.

To me those would be the best solutions, with the black markers with full lit board maybe the better choice of the two.

http://buehlertann.de/jagiella/htm/index_english.htm
This is the link to the German steelguitarbuilder, that also has glow-in- the- dark fretboards,
can be good!

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP EVERYBODY. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I think the black light idea would work famously, I can see perfectly but I think I might give it a try, and who knows I might start getting gigs at rave parties.

What I would love to see is each fret boxed in with back lighting, and within the standard fret markers, little dots or diamonds or whatever - one above and below
the existing logo of any guitar.

Frame the entire fretboard and frame every fret....all of them....and enhance the obvious fret markers with accented lights.

Man, I would just ogle over this.

Hey, if we can put a man on the moon (even if what does done with smoke and mirrors on a Hollywood back-lot)
then we can get this illuminated fret board here in our lifetime. I sure hope so.

Chip

CHIP: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A FANTASTIC IDEA. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I GOT AHOLD OF DICK MEIS, IN DENVER, AND WE USED TO KNOW A GUY IN DENVER WHO HAD A LIGHTED FRETBOARD. HE'S GONNA CHECK IT OUT FOR ME. I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED IF YOU'RE ALL INTERESTED.

Barb....SUPERKALAFRAGILISTIKEXPIALADOTIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We've got to start a new Arlo Guthrie-
anti-nonilluminating-steel-guitar-fretboard
protest movement.

We can get this moving.

Thanks Barb..Love ya...

Chipper....

ANYBODY SEEN HANKEY???

Stephen G.,

I've been reading the replies in this post with interest. I must say in all sincerity, I appreciate your observations. You are very kind to mention my name in this matter. I feel very strongly, that the "Hankey Upright Fretboard" would indeed prove to be very helpful, in alleviating stressful visual problems. There are those who have offered their help, by making suggestions that appear to be quite valid. My own visual problems have greatly improved, since I had cataract surgery, almost two weeks ago. I'm overjoyed with the results. Thanks again Stephen, for the remembrance.

Bill H.

Gerry Walker has a 12 string guitar that he had at the Dallas show several years back that has a lighted fret board.

It looked cool and was very impressive.