Glowtec Neck Dots…..Or Alternatives For The Hard Of Sight?

[spongebob]

Been doing lots of digging…..due to a multitude of eye ops, I really struggle with the side dots on my necks.

Some threads are older, and it’s hard to get a consistent answer! Reviews of some have them falling off rapidly……

 

An older post mentioned Glowtec - any recent experiences of them? Appear to come in 3 different sets…..

 

Basses are both nice instruments, so I don’t want to doing a Talkbass suggestion of TipEx or similar!

 

Just something in keeping, that will assist me when the lights dip (even a little). 👀

 

 

[Geek99]

I just bought kids glow in the dark dot stickers on eBay. Charge them up with your phone torch 

[Steve Browning]

I've just had Luminlay dots fitted to 3 basses and they are good. I've also had large dots added to another and they work fine too. 

 

The Luminlay are for low light conditions and are charged by an ultra violet torch. 

[warwickhunt]

A quick fix tip - on necks made of maple especially with maple fingerboards, cut a strip 5mm wide of black gaffa/duct tape and apply along the edge of the bass.  If you have a dark neck bass you can use dayglo orange/yellow.  I only apply on the 5th/7th/12th fret and replace as and when.  Cost is 'zero' if you own this duct tape.

 

[Frank Blank]

24 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

I've just had Luminlay dots fitted to 3 basses and they are good. I've also had large dots added to another and they work fine too. 

 

The Luminlay are for low light conditions and are charged by an ultra violet torch. 

 

☝☝☝ this.

[Huge Hands]

I bought some Glowtech ones after seeing them mentioned on another thread.

 

The tiny side one on the 3rd fret fell off quite quickly, but the rest are solid.  It was probably me not doing a proper cleaning job on the surfaces before applying.

 

You need to have steady hands to get them spot on in the middle of a fret dot (mine on the fretboard were bigger than the Glowtech stickers) with out them looking cock-eyed.  

[spongebob]

8 hours ago, Huge Hands said:

I bought some Glowtech ones after seeing them mentioned on another thread.

 

The tiny side one on the 3rd fret fell off quite quickly, but the rest are solid.  It was probably me not doing a proper cleaning job on the surfaces before applying.

 

You need to have steady hands to get them spot on in the middle of a fret dot (mine on the fretboard were bigger than the Glowtech stickers) with out them looking cock-eyed.  

Do you remember what colour they were before lit up? I’d be a bit put off if they were bright green ‘cold’, especially on a Vintage style bass! 🫣

[Huge Hands]

The strip that comes looks like a bog standard yellowy set of stickers you would get with any crafting pack.  It does advise, and you will need, a pin (like a safety pin)  to pick them up and lay them on. 

 

To my eyes, once on they are fairly inconspicuous unless you are looking closely for them, which is when you notice they can be a bit cock eyed, especially on the 12th fret double markers. When not glowing the colour is not too far away from an ebony fret dot (my bass has a rosewood fretboard).   

 

Put it this way, neither of my bands have so far noticed them as I have only so far been rehearsing in well lit spaces.  I did buy the optional UV torch with mine and tried them in the dark when I first put them on - they do glow up well.

 

I can't help but feel though that that there is probably a crafting shop that sells these for other purposes and they are a lot cheaper!  I reckon there is enough in the pack for 2 basses but I think I will just keep these for replacing any ones that fall off. 

 

I think if you don't like them they would come off again fairly easily - as my 3rd fret neck marker can attest to.....

[Huge Hands]

29 minutes ago, spongebob said:

Do you remember what colour they were before lit up? I’d be a bit put off if they were bright green ‘cold’, especially on a Vintage style bass! 🫣

I don't know if this helps?  

[spongebob]

Thank you, Mr 🙌 Hands! 
 

I’ll order some now……they sound like just the job. 👍

 

Do you always use the light, or do you find they naturally illuminate? 

[Geek99]

Just blast theM with a phone torch  

[tauzero]

One of these will charge them up: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/365049487852 (the UV light).

 

As a bonus, you can play with cats with the laser pointer.

Edited September 30 by tauzero

[Geek99]

Or you could use it to mark out trouble makers in your crowd (or guitards) for later execution 

[King Tut]

I’ve used both luminary and Glowtech. They both work well. If I’d discovered Glowtech before Luminlay I’d have used glowtech exclusively, mainly down to the lack of faff! A small set of tweezers are your friend for application. I used some of the extra stickers on my phone so I can find it in the dark!

[spongebob]

@Huge Hands Got them yesterday! Going to apply them before tomorrow’s gig.

 

Do you remember what you cleaned the neck with before application? Yours appeared to be now staying on? 👍

[Geek99]

I cleaned mine with glass cleaner 

[Huge Hands]

2 hours ago, spongebob said:

@Huge Hands Got them yesterday! Going to apply them before tomorrow’s gig.

 

Do you remember what you cleaned the neck with before application? Yours appeared to be now staying on? 👍

I have to be honest, I was being a bit lazy so just gave the dot locations a good hard rub with a dry cloth.   I probably should have used something more liquid but couldn't think of anything I had that I was confident wouldn't dissolve the neck or something 🤣

[spongebob]

5 hours ago, Geek99 said:

I cleaned mine with glass cleaner 

Is that ok on the necks? I’m doing one lacquered and one natural/satin. 
 

I was thinking about using a glasses wipe? 👀

[Geek99]

Glass cleaner is basically just vinegar and water as I understand it 

 

[spongebob]

They’re on! Glass cleaner first, and then applied on 2 basses. Only wobble on one of the rhe 12th’s! 

 

Gig tonight…….see if they’re still attached by the end! 😁
 

 

[Bassman68]

I’ve got the 3mm dots on 4 of my workhorse basses

my initial experience was on a particularly ‘muggy’ evening at an outdoor theatre gig…
by the end of the evening, most of the dots had come off of the Jazz bass I was playing.

To get round any further disappointment, I’ve blobbed over each of the dots with a tiny amount of clear nail varnish, to hold them in place.

That was a couple of years ago now and all the dots remain in place & do a sterling job on dark stage intro’s & stage blackouts.

I find that bursts of stage lighting are enough to charge the dots for when the dark moments arise….

The irony for me is that I have two basses with fitted LED’s but they aren’t the right Image for my regular gig with my tribute band.

[spongebob]

That’s interesting……last nights gig wasn’t that hot, and they stayed on.

 

I’m applying them to a couple of nice US basses……would clear nail varnish affect anything? What if you have to ever remove it? ☹️

[Geek99]

Nail varnish remover ? Ask any passing or convenient female human 

Edited October 5 by Geek99

[Bassman68]

17 hours ago, spongebob said:

That’s interesting……last nights gig wasn’t that hot, and they stayed on.

 

I’m applying them to a couple of nice US basses……would clear nail varnish affect anything? What if you have to ever remove it? ☹️

They’re my gigging workhorse basses, Squier VM & CV Jazz & Precision’s…

They get enough knocks etc. to not worry too much, They’re my trade tools that serve a purpose.

[tauzero]

On 05/10/2024 at 20:19, Geek99 said:

Nail varnish remover ? Ask any passing or convenient female human 

 

I'd be very wary of using acetone around a bass, it's a pretty effective solvent.