Luminlay Installation Cost?

thegummy

Has anyone had Luminlay side dots installed on a guitar and could give me an idea of how much someone would charge to install them?

I emailed a shop to ask but they haven't got back to me yet.

Incidentally, does anyone know anywhere in Glasgow that does this?

hubobulous

@FelineGuitars isn't in Glasgow but might be able to help, as might @ICBM ;

guitargeek62

Should be a fairly straightforward install if they don’t balls up the finish, so expect it to come in at £2 million.

digitalscream

I did it myself...turns out it's pretty easy (even starting from a position of "zero skill", like me). Lots of techs won't even do it - I got knocked back three or four times before I decided to do it myself.

FelineGuitars

The luminlay material is shockingly expensive (although very good) but it's the same process to inlay as other side marker materials. I fit it quite often.

thegummy

digitalscream said:

I did it myself...turns out it's pretty easy (even starting from a position of "zero skill", like me). Lots of techs won't even do it - I got knocked back three or four times before I decided to do it myself.

Really? Did they give a reason they wouldn't do it?

thegummy

FelineGuitars said:

The luminlay material is shockingly expensive (although very good) but it's the same process to inlay as other side marker materials. I fit it quite often.

Could you tell me roughly how much that would be?

digitalscream

thegummy said:

digitalscream said:

I did it myself...turns out it's pretty easy (even starting from a position of "zero skill", like me). Lots of techs won't even do it - I got knocked back three or four times before I decided to do it myself.

Really? Did they give a reason they wouldn't do it?

Two of them said they didn't want to risk wrecking the dots (not a great reference for their service, I think) and the other guy just flatly refused and wouldn't give a reason even after a second request saying I wouldn't hold him responsible if it went a bit wrong.

Happily, though, it turns out it's pretty easy.

Kebabkid

thegummy said:

FelineGuitars said:

The luminlay material is shockingly expensive (although very good) but it's the same process to inlay as other side marker materials. I fit it quite often.

Could you tell me roughly how much that would be?

I'd be interested to know as well and does it matter what the guitar is i.e. Strat, LP and the board material?

Kebabkid

I managed to get mine from the Japan shop and it cost about £30 including delivery and one of their Luminlay mini-torches.

Installation prices seem to have gone up in the last year and I was recently quoted £50 on a bass, but fair play, there's a good few hours work there.
EDIT: I went ahead and had it done on my bass and got it back sameday - looks great

digitalscream

FYI, you don't need the mini torch - most decent phones will do the same job just as well with the torch on.

I found that the mini torches tend to unscrew themselves and spray the batteries everywhere if you keep them on your keyring, which is the only way I can guarantee that I won't forget it :P

Kebabkid

digitalscream said:

FYI, you don't need the mini torch - most decent phones will do the same job just as well with the torch on.

I found that the mini torches tend to unscrew themselves and spray the batteries everywhere if you keep them on your keyring, which is the only way I can guarantee that I won't forget it :P

Thanks Lee and good to know

thegummy

digitalscream said:

FYI, you don't need the mini torch - most decent phones will do the same job just as well with the torch on.

I found that the mini torches tend to unscrew themselves and spray the batteries everywhere if you keep them on your keyring, which is the only way I can guarantee that I won't forget it :P

Never tried my phone, will need to see if it works.

I keep the torch in my bass case.

thegummy

Re: the installation, the guy who did mine was happy to do it but did warn me that this kind of job could possibly leave problems with the finish around the dots, possibly why others were scared to do it.

Turns out he did a perfect job and the bass is flawless.

grungebob

I used to just dab on glow in dark nail varnish. Granted it was a strat and I didn’t care about it much other than not getting stolen.