Why Would You Do This to a Guitar (It’s Seriously Ridiculous)
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- Опубликовано: 6 янв 2025
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Yngwie Malmsteen is hands down one of the greatest guitarist who has ever lived , and one of the many things that stands out about him is his loved of scalloped fretboards. I finally got to spend some time with one after wanting to for years and it really surprised me.
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Alright what's the first thing you would play on this beast?
Echo Etude, followed by Far Beyond the Sun, Trilogy Suite, Vengeance. I've got a modded Telecaster with a scalloped neck. I'll be uploading a video of it soon. I put in a reversed bridge plate and pickup, flipped the control plate around and swapped the tone and volume controls around so the volume is at the front. The pickup switch is at the back and is angled, locking tuners etc. The scalloped neck doesn't feel as odd as a imagined. It definitely feels different, especially when sliding, I find the scalloping creates more resistance and traction when sliding. I definitely prefer a non scalloped neck but I'd definitely buy a YJM Stratocaster if I had the money. I've got a couple of Strats and I've wanted a YJM Strat since the late 80s. I'm 48 myself and been playing for 40 years and Yngwie has been a huge influence on my own playing. Great channel and video mate. All the best. Carlo 👍🏼🎸
The first thing I would play is "Out of Tune". 🤣
Twinkle twinkle at 240 bpm
@@-Thunder Winner haha
Highway Star
I scalloped my fretboard in Ritchie Blackmore style. I was really worried the I ruined the guitar, but it took a while getting used to it and now it’s amazing to play with a lighter touch and much easier to bend the strings up. Glad I did it.
I had a customer come in when I worked at Daddy’s Junky Music in Rhode Island. He had a guitar with a scalloped neck. The fretting messed with my head but you’re correct bending is whole lot easier on those guitars.
Well it's a one way thing, but you can always put another neck on if you wanted to go back to a normal fretboard. I wonder if you could have frets with steps ---___--- like this and possibly get slightly different notes when fretting on the steps close to the frets and fretting the middle step
I think the closet thing I know of is microtonal frets. But that’s still not doing what you have suggested.
Fanned frets but I’m not sure if you could hold intonation properly with your idea.
It’s cool as hell and I would love to try that because I have small hands and I can play wide stretches but nowhere close to holdsworth levels.
King Gizzards lead singer has a microtonal fretted guitar.
I think the closet thing I know of is microtonal frets. But that’s still not doing what you have suggested.
Fanned frets but I’m not sure if you could hold intonation properly with your idea.
It’s cool as hell and I would love to try that because I have small hands and I can play wide stretches but nowhere close to holdsworth levels.
King Gizzards lead singer has a microtonal fretted guitar.
@@geralddixoncummings5516 I think its a case of just being much more gentle with holding down strings
Ritchie Blackmore always played a scalloped fret board, which may be one reason why YJM does too.
Fender’s Blackmore model Strat is scalloped and is comfortable to play, especially lead.
Cheers for the video!
Love my Blackmore strat! A little less aggressive on the scallops compared to the Yngwie, but still enough that you get the effect of the scallops.
That's exactly why Yngwie does it. He's a huge Blackmore fan, of course. That's his main source of inspiration for playing guitar. He calls Deep Purple "the biggest single influence on me, bar none" (Guitar and Bass interview, 2005). That's where his inspiration to play a Strat came from. That's where his initial interest in scalloped fretboards came from. He's stayed with both because they have become integral parts of his voice.
@@seanbaines "It's a funny thing, because when I was really young Ritchie Blackmore was my hero. And back then there was no internet, there was no magazines, nothing. There was nowhere you can find out what people were doing. So I had no idea he actually had some version of a scalloped neck."
@@Thomas-cw9ej Bs. There were LOTS of rock 'n' roll magazines in Yngwie's time!
@@Thomas-cw9ej No magazines? Holy crap Batman, what did they use for toilet paper?
I played in a group with someone who scalloped his guitar only from the 12th fret up, so he could get the easier screaming lead bends but also have normal feel behind his rhythm and riff playing.
I did that too! :)
@@BillLarkinmusic I sometimes scallop from 12th to 15th up, particularly on 7.25".radius w/ vintage frets.
It just lets me get a much better grab on the string when bending 😊
The Ritchie Blackmore Version I have was built with Seymor Duncan 4 pole, quarter pound single coils and the center is a dummy. Also with bullet truss rod and CBS head stock. Neck is Satin. Nut is Graph Tech. Bending can be a combination of both fretting up and pushing into the scallup. As Robert has touched on, the extra dynamics this neck style provides are immediately apparent.
Intro was freaking AWESOME, brother! Cool strat, Love the commonly maligned big headstock strats, and Love Yngwie too! Fun vid! A+++
Ritchie Blackmore had one before Malmsteen. He did wonders with his.
Yup. The sunburst 68 he played on "Made in Japan" had a scalloped fretboard.
there was even a RB's signature strat with scalloped fb. I bought it like 20 years ago and still in love with it.
@@tomekjedynak2971 have they ever brought them back?
@@tomekjedynak2971 they still make those and yes, they are really good :)
Yes and he did it himself
Nice intro, one of your best! Heads up for those with finger issues, having arthritis in my fingers and not being able to "straighten" said fingers for bar chords (especially), I scalloped my fretboard hoping it would help. It has made such a difference that I can once again achieve any bar chord I go for, plus the lighter touch needed means I can play for longer without as much pain.
I'm glad to read this comment. As a 33 year old guitarist I TRULY hate to say this but, my knuckles all through my left hand have been hurting and feeling stiff with my day to day work. I might need to look into these more.
Get yourself some NuQleo Boost
Thank you SO MUCH for this comment. I’m coming up on 20 years of playing (with horrible technique for 12 hours a day at times) and at almost 30, I’ve nonetheless given myself on and off tendinitis in the index and middle finger joints of my fretting hand.
I was specifically looking at scalloped frets to hopefully extend my playing years as well as teach myself how to play lighter on any guitar I play.
This comment really made muy night and got me even more excited to dive into the world of scalloped neck guitars!
The first time I saw a scalloped fretboard was John McLaughlin’s 335 in a guitar magazine back in the 70s. 😂. He said he wanted it so he could do micro-tonal bends like a sitar.
I play almost exclusively scalloped guitars now for the past 3 years. My favorite is a 1989 Carvin DC145 i had professionally scalloped from a custom shop. It's true that it changes your playing, it's what allowed me to develop some serious speed in my playing thanks to my lighter touch. Never going back!
I got my yjm Strat in 2008. I still have it and it’s one of my favorite guitars. It’s killer for blues and funk, not just neoclassical metal. I have the dimarzio version.
I was always curious about a scalloped board. I'm a big Ritchie Blackmore fan. I also like Uli Jon Roth, Steve Vai and Yngwie who all use either partially or fully scalloped fretboards. I decided to try out a scalloped guitar, but since the chances of my local shops sourcing an Yngwie strat were pretty much zero, I ended up scalloping my beloved Squier strat. I loved it so much I did the same to my mexican strat. I am a woodworker by trade so I knew how to do this without destroying the neck. I love it! I have a light touch on the guitar so I didn't have the intonation issues many people experience, but I did notice that I really had to reign in my bends and vibrato. Its so slippery that its very easy to overbend. And the vibrato is insane! Its a great playing experience not having to contend with fretboard wood while playing. I found it liberating in a way. The first thing I played on my newly scalloped board was Long Live Rock and Roll and Stargazer by Rainbow. I can see why these guys love the scalloped boards. Its really easy to get that feeling into a bent note and arpeggios are so much easier. I am really interested in trying a set of those pickups. They sound amazing! I have a super distortion and 2 Fender SCN pups in my squier and a pair of 61 zebra burstbuckers with an SCN in the middle in my mexican strat and they're both awesome, but hearing those pickups makes me wanna get an Yngwie signature now! Super cool video! Rock on 🙂
We need more harmonic minor!
Also, I’d love a series like the one you did on angus in Yngwie
I enjoy the scalloped fret board….the rosewood really makes the vintage white “pop”…….nice vid…😊
I scalloped the frets on one of mine on all of the frets. I loved how much less I needed to press down on the strings. helped me to play faster. I really want one that's been professionally done
Bullet truss rod came out 8n the 70's. Malmsteen was a huge Blackmore fan who played scalloped 70's necks with the bullet truss rod adjust and large headstock.
I have a 2018 model with a maple fretboard. My luthier made the back of the neck satin because the nitro was sticking my hand. Also, a BIG problem of the malmsteen strat is the mismatched bridge/neck. It has a wide spacing bridge and a narrow neck making the high e slipping and the whole string spacing SUCK. Replaced the fender tremolo with a callaham vintage narrow and it fixed the issue plus better feeling when using bar (no play on the arm!). Overall, a FANTASTIC rock strat
I have not played the Yngwie, but I have two strats I scalloped myself. One issue that I had to make adjustments for was that it was VERY easy to push/pull the high and low E strings off of the fretboard edges. In my case it wasn't spacing (which I did not modify), it was my sloppy technique. A wider neck/fretboard with more "ledge" could conceivably help with this issue.
@@islander4986 Would a 1 3/4 inch nut help this rather than the 1 11/16 neck?
@@curtpozzi5527 I'm not sure exactly what you mean... I think the neck/fingerboard would need to be wider but with the nut slots cut with spacing as in a standard nut so that there was more fret extending a bit outboard under the E-strings to minimize this issue. Widening the neck this way might cause other issues affecting playability though. Simply widening the nut would do nothing to resolve the issue-but the problem was not serious for me, once I became aware of it and adjusted to compensate.
I was thinking that exact same thing. One reason why I haven't bought one yet. The awkward string spacing drives me crazy. I'd definitely have to swap out the bridge. I suppose if you're like Yngwie and learned on an old strat from the beginning it would feel more natural.
About a year ago, I bought a pretty banged up 1989 Epiphone i635 super Strat. The fretboard is scalloped (fairly poorly, but functional) the frets were in rough condition, the pickups still don't work, and all of the finish was sanded off of the back. Slowly working on getting it working again, but it does feel nice!
6:36 ... 'Question From the Back' ... I love that line, I'm going to use it everytime, forever, whenever anyone asks me a simple question (even if they're the only person in the room with me).
The only time I played a scalloped neck was around 1989 or 1990 at a guitar show in west London. I can't remember the brand but I do remember it was about twice the price of a Les Paul at the time. Speaking to the guy manning the stand when he asked what I thought of it I picked up the same point about the light touch. It made me realise that I was unintentionally aiming for the fingerboard when playing my conventional guitar but that was impossible with the scalloped version. My comment to the salesman was that I thought it would make me a much better player if I had one - but it was so far out of my price range that I was never going to be faced with the dilemma of deciding whether I could afford it. Now some 40 years later I have in my collection a cheap guitar that I am going to scallop myself to see what it is like to play one for an extended period. This should be interesting.
Years ago a friend of mine got a cheap Jackson guitar then he had a bonk on the body and since he already decided to buy a way more expensive one he sold me the damaged one for almost nothing. I've never been a real guitarist but I'm good at DIY so though I never worked on a guitar before I repaired, modified an repainted that guitar and, being a Malmsteen fan since the beginning, I've scalloped the neck by myself with a Dremel and much time and patience. It turned out that soon I loved how the guitar played. I own also an American Standard Stratocaster but I think I'll never go back to a non-scalloped fretboard...
I had my 1994 Fender Mustang scalloped in the late 90's after playing a strat or two that had it done. I haven't had it done to more of my guitars, but I really do enjoy how it feels on that one. It totally changed my playing on all guitars since I came away with a lighter touch.
Your playing on that scalloped strat sounds even more musical than usual.
Bro, I think you've found your Eleonore. This is the best I've heard you play. That intro was fire.
Thanks homie
I agree, he sounded organic.
I totally agree! Absolutely brilliant!!!
Not trying to say anything , some b and high strings sounded like they were muted and muddy, maybe it's like you said it was a scallop neck and you're not used to that light touch I totally get it it would take some practice if you're not used to that I'm sure
I totally couldn't play that scallopedneck never tried before, but I like the point you made about touching and proving your playing at your left hand gives you more dynamics interesting I appreciate that never thought of that really but sounds good
Had my 79 strat neck radious flattened and done with 6100 jumbo frets by the famous Keith George in the Kansas City area back in the late 80s. It absolutely spoiled me. But it has a lite touch lightening fast fretboard.💪🎸
I scalloped my Eart strat and Squier Bass 6 a few months ago. It was fun and a good bonding experience with them. I do tend to pick them up more and they feel so good to play. I just used a Dremel, different grits for the Dremel round sandpaper bands (bulk on amazon), and sheets of sandpaper w/different grit. (I recommend getting a plug in Dremel so you can skip the battery swapping wait time for any project.) Just watch YT videos and carefully choose your neck material, the upkeep of a freshly scalloped neck is different than a sealed/lacquered neck. It was a messy (outdoor/garage) project, it didn't take longer than 8 hours (mainly had to wait for batteries to charge), but it was awesome modding them and worth it. Do it yourself, it's much cheaper. Especially if you buy the Harley Bentons, Eart, etc, for project guitars, just sayin. :) Have fun!
Yeah the one I built has scallops and jumbo SS frets on it and its true you have to develop a lighter touch. As for the why (Asked in the title) I did it because I have fleshy finger pads that always got caught on the fret board when playing leading to me cutting my fingers on the strings quite a lot over the years... With the scallops it's like I'm riding a tightwire of just me, the strings, and the frets... No more cut fingers...
I love the pickups. I used the HS3 with the super Distortion in the bridge with a 12db boost . Love it but the signatures are so much better because they are actual single stacked humbuckers.
Robert, you are killing it on that scalloped fretboard.
Terrific playing- all I play are scalloped strats- you're getting great tone on this- we'd love a follow up on how you achieved that tone- was it a modeler or amp and pedals? The amazing thing about the YJM pickups (and the earlier DiMarzio' HS-2's as well) is how "strat-y" they sound without the annoying 60 cycle hum... you can push the treble on the amps up too without the ice-pick associated sometimes with a strat single coil. Nice review- I agree with nearly everything you said about how easy these guitars are to play and how much of a better player they can make you- blues or heavy rock- new-classical or country- these guitars can do it all
I have a Fender Player series Stratocaster 2023 seafoam green with Pao Ferro fretboard.
I have modified it slightly.
I put Fender Locking tuners on it.
Swapped the neck pickup to a DiMarzio Air Norton S.
Swapping the mid to a DiMarzio Pro Track ( ordered it and waiting for the pickup to arrive )
Swapped the bridge pickup to Seymore Duncan SHR-1B
Swapping the pots to Fender 500K pots ( ordered and waiting for them to arrive )
Swapped the pickguard because the ones it came with was bulking out to places so Fender issued me a new one.
Set it up with .08-38 gauge and intonated it.
Swapping the neck to a Fender American Professional II Scalloped Stratocaster Neck, Rosewood ( will be shipped to me in approximately mid of September )
Total cost included the price of the guitar it self 2335$
Only the body, the pickup switch and the tremolo bridge is MiM.
The Yngwie Malmsteen signature Strat cost about 2834$ have seen it as low as 2645$
I saved some money since I'm doing and did the modifications by my self.
It's more personalized since I decide what pickups it should have and I turned a MiM Strat into an awesome guitar rather than the stock that comes with garbage pickups!
What should I call the guitar when it's no longer reflecting a Player series? any suggest ions?
And what do you think about my alterations?
🙂
I had an Ibanez (I think) that was normal from the nut to the 12th fret, then was scalloped the rest of the way up. The idea being the cowboy chords we're all addicted to would not change, but the shreddy stuff would be easier to play with no wood under your fingers. Trying to develop a light touch and a normal touch on the same neck proved beyond me so I sold it. Never tried it again. You can get the super jumbo frets that are almost like having a scalloped board. I prefer that tbh.
Robert, That sounded fantastic. I have a 2006 Yngwie Strat in Candy Apple Red and can’t put it down. It just sounds and plays amazing. Mine has the Dimarzio Hs-3 pickups that just have that vibe!
Love my Yngwie fender,it's a beast like no other!
Kirk hammets esp spider les paul has scalloped frets on higher frets.
I have the same guitar with Rosewood. I can’t put it down. I’ve had it for years. Good luck finding one
I have a Malsteen Strat (deep symmetrical scallops) and a custom superstrat with a Ritchie Blackmore-pattern scallops (deepest on the treble side and deepest just behind the frets). I love both, but I marginally prefer the Blackmore type. I use 10's, so pressing the strings out of tune is not really an issue.
Scalloped frets are very beneficial for people who have CTS. Did wonders for my playing.
Great demo Robert! I put together a Strat about a dozen years ago using a Warmoth fully scalloped neck and immediately I loved the way it felt and played...it became my main Strat and still is. As you said, you play it a bit differently than you would with a normal fret board, but it opens up a lot of the advantages you mentioned in your clip. I do like the idea of getting a hold of the YJM pickups as an upgrade to what I've had loaded into my Strat all this time...that might be something to look into in the near future. Thanks again!
Same here, Warmoth is the bomb! Love, love, love scalloped fretboards.
Hey there can I ask what the spec were on your Warmoth neck (compound radius; 21 or 22 fret; C shape; fat back…etc)?
Did you finish it in nitro or unfinished? Maple? Roasted etc.
Thanks.
I bought a YJM bridge pickup. It is a stacked humbucker with measured resistance of a 25.2 k-ohm. This is a very high measurement which may be due to thinner wire, more windings, a different alloy or some combination of those things. This higher resistance measurement doesn't translate to extremely high output. Although it is pretty high. You can also switch the center-tap to ground for single-coil mode.
I ordered an Yngwie from Sweetwater and it is a joy to play, one of my favorite Strat's.
I’m currently rebuilding a Washburn with a scalloped fretboard.
It’s an X-series pro neck, so I’d assume the previous owner had the scalloping professionally done, as this guitar didn’t come out of the factory like that.
It also has an unknown Washburn body with a really unusually yellow to orange to red burst that blends in at the edges and has a marble/tiger stripe finish.
Pretty much 2 different Washburns Frankensteined together, but it does look really nice……It was in a sorry state when I bought it, but it still played like a dream.
This is your best intro song EVER. You seriously need to make this an epic 7 minute song of the ages!
I got a Squier SE used for 100€ and the preowner scalloped the rosewood fretboard starting with the 12th fret. Damn this is great! I like this more than a fill scalloped fretboard.
The guitar has every part exchanged except for neck and body and beats my PRS Silver Sky and Nick Johnston Strat.
I have the upper four frets scalloped on my JEM and I actually always really liked it; would love to try a completely scalloped fretboard one day...
Another thing that occurred to me after I scalloped two of my strats: I think it should be possible to dress the frets on a scalloped board after they're worn and then crown them, even if they're quite worn, without worrying about the playability afterward because the frets are too low. Maybe even a couple of times? My DIY scallop necks are newish, and fret wear isn't an issue yet, so I can't claim to have actually done this yet.
Another thing (which I think you touched on), I've tended to keep the action on my guitars high enough that I can bend them without them slipping out from under my fingers-this shouldn't be an issue with scallops. I'm going to experiment with lower action on the scallop necks to see how that works for me.
@TheRobertBaker12 Like a scam you mean? Maybe your girlfriend will give you a massage.
I like em. Want to get something with the scallops and the 6 screw brigdge but with a flatter radius. 🤔
I couldn't afford those pickups so I bought a high output set of deluxe drive pickups some dont like them but i love them they have so much punch and keep the strat sound and handle high gain like a dream. I totally agree approaching a strat with srv and Hendrix until I got thoee deluxe drive pickups
i naturally have a light touch (never touch the fretboard) so i never understood scalloped frets until you explained it!
I believe he was inspired to use a scalloped fretboard by Ritchie Blackmore, who’d used one for years.
If I remember- Blackmore cut his out on his own and it was mostly just the upper frets -- he is still one of my favorites!
Richie had more subtle scalloping from 12/15th fret upwards with the scalloping increasing in degree.
He got the idea from an old lute that used the scallops as frets.
ROBERT BAKER< you didn't go over what is the advantages of using a scalloped neck compared to a flat neck. You're able to do what with a scalloped neck that you can't do with a flat neck that is ??
My YJM strat is my best sounding and playing guitar. i upgraded mine with ratio tuners and the vega trem so its classic yet modern
I have the maple fretboard model and I love it ❤️🎸😎
I've scalloped a few guitars myself. I just tape off the frets and sand with sandpaper by hand for a few days straight. I tried a Dremel on my first one and found it hard to control.
Robert I played that guitar for many years and in a band as well.
There are problems you may face.
The fret board is the way a guitar should be, you have the best control over the notes and your hand becomes a lot more comfortable and free,
The problem lies in switching back to normal necks, you will over play putting pressure back on the fingers and wrist.
It’s truly awful switching back so in my closet sits my old yjm strat. I pull it out on occasions.
I borrowed one of these for a tour. It belonged to a girl I dated and I got it a day before with no practice with it and honestly wasn't a huge deal, they're incredibly nice to play. If you play like mathy type taps etc it plays almost for you.
The one I had didn't have the noiseless Seymour's (this was 2011/2012 I believe don't think the fury's were out) and it was already 10 or so years old at that point too. I'd happily buy another, super impressed at those pickups. Never normally liked noiseless Strat pickups but those are fire.
GREAT JOB YES I LIKE THEMVTHEY MAKE PLAYING FASTER AND EASY ONCE U GET THAT FEEL
🎸🤘✌🏼
Any issues with high e string slipping off the fretboard on this one?
Looks close when he first was playing it but maybe I'm just paranoid after all my research about these 😂
I’ve owned one of these for quite a few years now and I would never sell it. It is such a uniquely great guitar. I personally prefer the maple fretboard though. Great video Rob. 👍🏻🤘🏻🍻
About half my guitars have scalloped boards. Once you're used to playing it, the amount of control it offers makes it hard to go back.
I don't even play the shreddy boi stuff but I loved my scalloped guitar because it taught me to have a softer touch like you said.
First time play scalloped fretboard with not much problem, almost the same experience with regular fretboard... Very easy on Vibrato & bending... For fast picking, it will slow you down. I use GHS string, don't need a very much lighter touch
I hand scalloped a Epiphone Les Paul Rosewood fretboard, replaced stock pick ups with Vintage Seymour Duncan Invaders, CTS Pots , Bone Nut and Kluson Deluxe tuners on a body I repainted in Holographic Paint, Needless to Say It Has some character
I have that model.
Machine screws attach the neck.
3 position switch instead of 5
No load tone
Strap locks and Yngwie approved leopard spot strap.
70’s style bridge.
And it’s wonderful. I’ve had other scalloped guitars (and still do). I like them, but not everyone does.
Blackmore scalloping is a little different as it seems more pronounced on higher frets and higher strings. I prefer Blackmore style scalloping, but the Yngwie Strat is a better guitar.
Any issues with the high e string slipping? Only thing that has me concerned with this model
I scalloped my first (and only) Strat neck way back in the early 90s. I played that guitar for 30 years until the frets were just completely worn out. Now I'm determined to go back to regular un-scalloped necks. It's a lot harder for me to get used to having to press the strings harder into the fingerboard to get a nice clean note.
The les paul is my favorite body shape but for some reason I pick up a strat to practice on 9 times out of 10.🤷♂️
I've found that I fret and arpeggiate more accurately since I've scalloped my fretboard. But honestly, think about jumbo frets, they basically simulate a lightly scalloped fret board
I’m a big fan of Yngwie and Ritchie Blackmore (where the scalloped fretboard that Yngwie uses came from), but I have a super heavy touch. I would need to really develop a lighter touch and save my money, because they’re not cheap.
I've scalloped my Eart strat, it's not hard. Grab a dremel (I recommend getting the plug in style so you don't have to wait for the battery to recharge), the round sanding belts for it, and sandpaper. I've just ordered a Harley Benton I'm going to mod. They seem like good guitars for the price. Just a thought, hope it helps. :)
Oh yeah! My ex had a Ritchie Blackmore Strat (MIJ) and I have realized lately why I did not like it: The action was too high! With scalloping, you can have very low action and still be able to grab the strings. As you say, one has to develop a light touch though! I have a Tele on which I have installed a zero fret and the action is very low, making it difficult to do bends on the first few frets.
I remember being a 12 years old seeing Yngwie’s scalloped strat and being like…”yeah…why can’t I play that”. Now I’m 38 and like…nah…”I just got used to real guitar.”
real, haha, have a donut yngwie
@@idiotburns "I don't like the donut!!!".
Frets were tiny before jumbo were engineered
Did you ever play one ? / Ive scallops a old one of mind and was astonished by the control you gain for leed guitar regular one still bether for capo chords and tapping tho but i think it still a weapon of choice for any good armory
Long a go I scalloped one of my guitars my self and it worked out fine. Many years later I bought one, talking about ditches, it was hard to play, I figured out that most factory made are digging in way to deep.
What I wanna know is how does it handle chords? Soloing seems to be the main thing with this guitar, but as a rhythm guitar, I'm wondering if that's where it falls down. I know anyone getting is more than likely to be doing it for the soloing potential, but I'd be intrigued what qualities scalloping the frets would lend itself to with other styles.
Like the guitar , but I'm a south pawl ( lefty)😂😂. My nephew own one years back. But I wonder have you ever tried "Rev. Willy's" Strings. Billy Gibbins. See the reason I bring this up, I tore all the ligaments in my right hand. ( muscle tissue.) So playing for me way pain full. So after 6 months of therapy and exercise (did this 9 years ago ), So I switched to these 6 years ago.
Today I suffer from carbo tunnel in the same hand, I'm back to square one, finding it hard to play.
Not sure if you did a video on these strings but you should try them out Robert.
You need to tab your intro song for us that was fucking awesome.
I have the 7-12 frets on one of my jazz basses scalloped. No reason. It doesn't do jack for the instrument. It's a curiosity and a talking piece and it's kinda rad..
Been playing my scalloped fender strat for years now. A different beast for sure..but don't knock it until you've tried one...a light touch required...
Bro!! I do the same thing when I pick up my Strat! I immediately start playing SRV/Blues rock instead of metal. The minute I pickup my Ibanez, it's like I've forgotten what a Pentatonic scale is and go right into a minor scale.
First of all the intro was really sick Robert. Scalloped fretboard is great but if you apply lot of force like myself you will sound out of tune. I've recently ordered a custom order guitar and the fretwire is 118/58. That way the strings don't touch the wood and you get the feeling of a scalloped fretboard but without the need of adjusting your touch. It will also be "bullet scalloped" from 17th to 22nd frets which makes it easier to vibrato for those hard to reach frets.
Got a Malmsteen strat a while back and I don't play anything else now. It's just a really great guitar. And I must say, it wasn't that hard to get used to it, took a few days. Now it's awkward to play a normal guitar...
There could be improvements though, I'd like to get a custom done some day with 22 frets, compound radius fretboard, locking tuners and easy access neck heel. That would be perfect...
So it may be a totally different feel on bass, but the Sheehan Sig. Attitude basses from Yamaha have six scalloped frets at the top of the neck. After sitting down and playing one on a couple of occasions I just could not get comfortable with the scalloping..
I have an ESP Strat that I think strikes a good balance. The first 8 frets are non scalloped, but from the 9th to 22nd fret they are half scalloped. That way soloing is much easier higher on the fretboard while the lower frets are still as comfortable as usual, not really necessary lower on the fretboard when it has extra jumbo frets. I don't even notice the scalloping myself except it makes tapping more difficult for me, for some reason. But the bends are of course much easier.
Diggin' that staccato chord on the opening track. Cool Stratocaster also.
Been playing scalloped fretboards for years now. The only problem with them is that most guitars don't have scalloped fretboards. I don't want to play non-scalloped ones anymore. But I've always played with a light touch so I needed approximately 0.001 microseconds to adjust my playing to them.
I have those pickups in my strat. They look like single coils, but they’re really weak stacked humbuckers.
I did a scallop myself, it is very easy to do and takes only a day or so. I played it for a year, for my fingersize XL jumbo (=1,5mm tall) frets provide plenty of freedom I need for full freted note control so scalloped fretboard is not necessary for me.
A question I've had is, how does a scalloped board do in a refret?
I put YJM's in my one and only strat a few years ago when they were still new and I can attest they sound amazing! Easily the best single coil pups I've ever played on. Mind you, I play nothing like Yngwie, nor do I even listen to his music, but these pups do everything I want out of them.
They are stacked humbuckers
I’d love to try a scalloped neck. I just can’t play a Strat…the knob placement has always disagreed with me.☹️
The first time I played somebody scalloped fretboard guitar in the 80s it took me about 5 minutes to get used to it. Maybe less. Everybody says it takes so long to get used to and I just can't understand that. It caused me to develop a lighter touch so it wouldn't go out of tune and that actually helped me play faster.
The other thing with jumbo frets and/or scallop? You can play WAY heavier strings without noticing it.
I have had some serious issues with my hands over the last few years, and it often helps me to be able to play heavier strings. There is just more to grab on to as my dexterity goes away. I literally don't have to try as hard for the same result because of 'leverage' with certain guitars.
Great playing in the intro.
Keep up the excellent work!
That opening was epic. Very cool guitar. It's actually easier to play (imo) and hitting bends to pitch is definitely easier. Did a home spun scallop on my 86 USA Barretta from the 12th fret up. Took a couple of various sized dowels, some 0000 steel wool and went to town. Ruined the value, But I love it.
What was the maple fretboard strat the was used to show the difference between it and tht scalloped? I'm going to guess with the thick profile and quarter sawn maple, it's an Eric Johnson model…
If they're noiseless, they're stacked humbuckers aka stealthy 'single coils'(!); i got stealthy Dimarzios in my MIM Strat and i LUVEM especially with the 1-Meg volume that brightens em the way they look... like single coils!
Vai also uses a scalloped fret board. Here, Robert has a Carvin Vai amp head on top of a Marshall head.
My current dream guitar is this neck on a white strat body with two humbuckers and a floyd rose. Not really sure how to find those parts though...
I played standard fretboards for 25 years now I have four guitars with scalloped boards. It's heaps of fun and with jumbo frets and chunky necks they feel amazing! 😀👍
I do really like the Seymour Duncan YJM pickups, but strictly speaking they are not “single coil” - they’re a stacked humbucker. Two coils on top of each other, instead of side by side like regular humbuckers, but with a single coil “footprint”
I'm surprised blues players don't convert with all that bending they do.
My only concern with one of those is refretting it. XJ frets may do the trick too
Dude!! That was killer!!!! Great opening man, seriously!