Scalloping Theory

axis septimum · #1 04-25-2009, 04:10 PM

Could people please tell me what are the main advantages of a scalloped fretboard, I read that John Mclaughlin was one of, if not the first, to start using scalloped guitars and I know Malmsteen scallops his strats: but I have never found a definitive reason to do this, I actually heard it actually slows your playing down, and why do the Jems only have the higher frets scalloped.

I would imagine it would possibly reduce fret buzz but I am not certain. Or is it more of one of those exclusive groups for guitars to be in, without providing much difference? As it seems odd that Vai doesnt scallop the fretboard in its entirety.

Anyone with scalloped guitars and/or knowledge please help.

Kurac · #2 04-25-2009, 04:34 PM

Scalloped board = smoother bending. That's why Yngwie like it alot, no wood beneath the fingertips - feels easier and you can bend "into" the fretboard.

grüße
Andreas

MicahC · #3 04-25-2009, 05:08 PM

I scalloped an old guitar neck that I had, because at the time I was big into Malmsteen. I'd read a bunch of junk on how it helps you to play fast and do some epic bending. I did it correctly, and if I do say so, it looks pretty cool.

But, it doesn't help you play faster. Think of a scalloped fretboard as a guitar neck with some XXXXXXXXXXXXTRA jumbo frets. If you press to hard it could go flat, so it forces you to have some light fingers to make the notes sound correct. So, the only way it would help you play faster is it makes you have lighter fingers, making less tension, making you go slightly faster.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurac

Scalloped board = smoother bending. That's why Yngwie like it alot, no wood beneath the fingertips - feels easier and you can bend "into" the fretboard.

This. Bending is sooo much easier. The reason vai has the last four scalloped is because the spaces in between the frets are so small it's hard to bend them. Take away the wood underneath and it's a whole lot easer to bend. Also, it makes the last couple frets more responsive to finger tapping.

JShred · #4 04-25-2009, 05:13 PM

I've been playing scallops for at least 15 years, and been doing my own scalloping for at least 10. For a while I thought that it was nothing but improvement without any drawbacks, but I've come to see that it has its pros and cons.

On the subject of bending by pushing into the scallop, it's really not an intended part of the scalloping. It takes a good hard flex of the fingers to do it, and for all that, you might as well just bend it the old fashioned way. The only exception to this is chords, you can kind of give them a little squeeze and release action to vibrato them just a bit.

Pros:
Much much easier bending. You're not dragging a steel string back and forth over ebony, maple or rosewood. And I find them increasingly resistive via friction in that order. Instead, you basically glide on fretwire and air. Get some nice high-grade fretwires, keep them nicely smooth and polished, and expressive leads are bliss on a scalloped fingerboard.
And string life is a pro to some extent. You'd wonder how, but look at it this way: When strings get older and acquire a little bit of schmutziness, if you have a traditional fingerboard, don't even try bends with dirty strings on a dirty fingerboard. But with scallops, the fingerboard stays clean since you never touch it, and the strings only need to make contact with the fretwire, so a little griminess isn't a total showstopper.

Cons:
Aside from really limiting the guitars you can buy and play (take it from me, when I used to be scallops exclusive for years, it was worse than being a lefty) there are also some drawbacks to speed and execution.
I've found that when you are a serious speed machine, I'm talking when you achieve that Paul Gilbert Michael Romeo Nuno Bettencourt sort of choppiness, you come to like some wood underneath your fingers so that you are essentially bouncing your fingers off of the wood at ultra high speed. Don't get me wrong, I can shred on scallops too, but I've found that a traditional board is really truly the fastest solution. Especially if you're doing any tapping, whether one-handed hammer tapping, or EVH style.

In summary, I keep a few of each style. I like traditional fingerboards for metal shred, but for big expressive lead stuff with a lot of slow bending, or fusiony kind of stuff, I like my scallops too. My fave old signature guitar for live gigs is a Fernandes Sustainer guitar with a floyd and full scallops. The fun tricks with that are almost endless.

On the subject of why JEMs only have frets 20 to 24 scalloped, I've heard some theories, about how those are the hardest frets to reach and bend effectively and expressively in, so the scallops are there just for that last big bent note at the end of a big lead. I've met Vai a few times, meant to ask, but when you meet God to guitar players, it doesn't even occur to you to make smalltalk about guitar frets.

Feel free to pop any other questions about scallops, it's sort of like my thing.

Factory5150 · #5 04-25-2009, 05:34 PM

A new twist on scalloping curtiousy of Ormsby Guitars

Pros:
Less wood removed = better tone
Who really needs scalloped E and A string area of the fretboard anyway?
Easier to play chords because the entire fretboard surface isn't scalloped out.

Since I cannot shred to save my life I find that the standard fretboard is the way to go personally. But I have scalloped some of my own necks and it taught me to have a way lighter touch. I do miss the big vibrato bends of the scalloped neck though.

axis septimum · #6 04-25-2009, 06:00 PM

Thanks for the prompt and comprehensive response guys, esp Jshred for listing all the pros and cons. I have had a go once on twice on a scalloped guitar and did find it difficult to play fast, I found the same thing and agree that its the bounce of your fingers which makes you faster. I am right in thinking there is more of tendancy to break the lighter strings as you press downs creating extra tension than usual before you get used to using a lighter touch. I have just been paying close attention to when i play on my guitar (Jackson type super strat, medium sized frets) and it seems that on the higher frets around 21-24 that the strings are barely touching the fretboard anyway and on the bass strings not at all, which makes me think that the scalloping on these jems is maybe unneccesarry and more an aesthetic quality that adds to the Jems allure. Maybe this idea is more born out of hope as I may get a DBK tomorrow, which doesnt have the scalloped high end frets, he hee.

Incidently does anyone know why on some of the jems the vine inlay doesnt run to the end, I can understand the 555 not doing being a cheap model, but I have seen some of the older ones like this too. Presumably it was to shave off some of the cost.

LuredMaul · #7 04-25-2009, 07:54 PM

Vertical bending(pushing micro tones) IS an intended part of scalloping, look at europian music.
Speed CAN be increased as your fretting hand has to be more relaxed to intonate properly. so your muscles are less likely to tense up which slows you down.

Bending is the number #1 reason scallops are great for most ppl.

I find that you achieve more midrange and the notes seem to be clearer.

Satchriossi · #8 04-25-2009, 09:43 PM

Are you guys sayin your strings touch the wood of your fretboard when you play (on none scalloped 'boards)?! Surely you'd be pushing the string down to the wood thereby pulling the note sharp? Must say ive never come across anyone besides yourselves who actually make more than the lightest brushing contact on the wood with their fingertips whilst playing and i've only known that to cause intrusive drag on an '80s strat with a gloss finished maple fretboard in serious need of a re fret! Scalloping would've helped there - but i think fire would've been a better fix.

As for the higher frets 21 to 24 - my finger tips wont even fit between the highest frets and i have pretty long, slim fingers. The string just rests on the top edge of the fret wire with my finger just behind th fret wire itself - seriously who can push their finger into that gap enough to get intrusive friction with the wood during virbrato? I have an S7420 with frets 21 and 22 scalloped - its purely asthetic and for my own entertainment - it serves no practicle purpose.

vy100 · #9 04-26-2009, 03:48 PM

I´ve read that on the AANJ the scallop on the four upper frets is unnecesary (only an aesthetical issue that makes more difficult and expensive inlaying the fretboard). The scallops where designed to get more sustain on that frets which are harder to reach on an old style neck joint.

eviltwin · #10 04-27-2009, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axis septimum

Incidently does anyone know why on some of the jems the vine inlay doesnt run to the end, I can understand the 555 not doing being a cheap model, but I have seen some of the older ones like this too. Presumably it was to shave off some of the cost.

you must've seen an older Jem with a 555 neck, since all real Jems (7, 77, 777 etc.) will have the full vine, from the simplest 777VBK, the FPs to the GMC to the 10 or the 20. It doesn't matter if they're maple, ebony rosewood.

but to get back to the subject, I have a Jem90HAM which doesn't have scallops (ebony, 24th fret inlay) and I can say that I do miss them, as I have pretty big fingers and hands. It gives you that extra bit of guidance, when fretting and bending the high notes, especially the wound strings.

axis septimum · #11 04-27-2009, 06:51 AM

Thanks for that, it was a pic of GMC but just comparing it with others and reading up on the artcles here it seems more likely that the vine inlay as worn down with the higher frets, as it seems it was a problem in earlier models with scalopped frets.

mi2tom · #12 04-27-2009, 10:01 AM

I've got a scalloped jem and a non scalloped RG.... No really big difference, but I do find scalloped boards easier to control cos of better grip, but it slows you down a little, but I wouldn't mind being slow down I prefer to be in control.

nickcoumbe · #13 04-27-2009, 11:32 AM

I have a couple of half scalloped guitars and I find that they help with tone on the higher frets, oarticularly when tapping.

You can really get hold of the note with scallops, and for someone like me with stumpy fingers it is good to help with the more tricky techniques.

ANTHONY5150 · #14 04-27-2009, 12:22 PM

i also have a half scalloped board on a guitar i put together from warmoth. it plays great and it definatley bends much better. however, it really tears the tips of my fingers apart since there is no board for my fingers to run into.

axis septimum · #15 04-27-2009, 01:18 PM

I thought that would be an issue Anthony5150. I would imagine when doing technical tapping such as with say 'Midnight' by Satriani it would rip your fingers up as you dont have the cushion of the fretboard to bounce off which I also would think gives a better sense of rhythm; the finger tapping feel working as an internal metronome to the notes, well maybe lol. Besides as most tapping is higher up the neck I find you are very rarely hitting the fret board as you arent applying as much down force with your right hand as you do with your left. And if you tap with your right hand on the actually fret wire it makes no difference to what i can pick up.

I think I will stick to traditional necks, but may have a guitar scalloped at a later date to for its bending improvements. Apart from that and the fact that it keeps your fretboard free of gunk, I dont really see too much advantage of it.

I think that if it was a vast improvement then more guitars would be made scallopped than the small percentage that are, but of course there is always individual preference.