lighted fretboard retrofit?

[Lynn Kasdorf]

Somebody needs to make retrofit backlit fretboards like those on the new MSAs. I know that somebody made fretboards out of lexan with fret lines cut into it and edge lit- but these were pretty crappy looking from what I recall.

The MSA fretboards use some sort of luminescent panel that is silk screened on, I think. I've never seen on in person.

I could really use this for my Emmons!

[Paul Mageau]

Funny you mentioned this! I am in the process of doing just that! I have the parts and can make the rest on my laser, 3d printer or CNC.

How much do you think this kind of fretboard would be worth ? Is a custom layout/artwork a useful option ?

[Lynn Kasdorf]

I don't know what the market would bear.

I briefly investigated getting the luminescent material but never found a good source of pieces that are large enough.
I'd like to have these for my Emmons- where the fret lines and atom symbols light up. The colored icons are important to me. Maybe you could screen on the black parts and adhere transparencies under the atom symbols on the back side to get colors.

I'm glad somebody is working on this!

[Bobby D. Jones]

I thought about some sort of lighted fret board when I built a steel in 1970. Using plexiglass for fret boards. But at the time only filamented bulbs was used, And they make a lot of heat.
With LED lights and fiber optics there is a lot of different options to lighted fret boards today.

[Marty Broussard]

[Greg Cutshaw]

Soon with products from companies like Digital Innovations you will be able to have a programmable display with an electroluminescent panel. You could select any image you want and thus program the fretboard to have any graphics or fret spacing you desire.