Scalloping 21-24 - Does it really help old-style neck joint sustain?

[Drew]

Greetings all,

So, I'm absolutely in love with my UV7PWH - it's one of the best sounding, most attractive guitars I've ever played. You just pick the thing up and you feel like a rock star. Only thing is, there really is a noticeable drop in sustain when you're on the last four notes of the fretboard, especially with tapped notes (it's virtually impossible for me to get the 24th fret to ring out, and part of this is because I'm not the world's greatest tapper, but at the same time I have no problems on my 7620). So, I've been thinking of bringing it in somewhere to get these frets scalloped (I'd rather pay someone to do it and get it done right - there's a tech/luthier I've found in Cambridge who seems to do great work), but before I invest the time and money, I thought I'd ask to see if anyone's had it done, and if so if it really does bring the sustain up on par with the rest of the neck. Thanks,

-Drew

[red5]

Is it someone at the Music Emporium?

I have heard they do really great work and all, but my father has a guitar they made him a bridge for, and they did it real bad!

[Drew]

No, drawing a blank on the guy's name, Jim someone-or-other, though. He's got a shop above this little music shop in Porter Square. I brought my 7620 in to get a rewire job finished that I'd started and decided I wasn't qualified to finish, and between the excellent soldering he did and the conversation I had with him about some of the work he'd been doing at the time (and some of the various projects lying around the shop), I was quite impressed by the guy.

Where's Music Emporium? The name's not ringing a bell.

-D

[john1880]

Drew,
I just saw a "how to", on scalloping those frets. I think I saw it on www.ibanezrules.com under TECH. It's fairly simple, and all you need is a file and a little patience.
I believe the point of scalloping is so that your fingers are not making contact with the wood to give you smoother bends/vibrato. I guess that would translate into a little more sustain, but I don't know if it would be a night & day difference. You know what would help too? A nice polished, smooth fret. Frets tend to get this film of very light corrosion on them when they are not used a lot. If you take some very fine steel wool, put tape on the fretboard, and steel wool your frets enough to make them shine, it may help. There are other ways of getting those frets as smooth as glass, but they are more involved. Maybe polishing and scalloping would amount to some more sustain.