I just looked at pics of the old JEM's from the 80's and saw they had scalloped frets from 21-24 (I think it was a JEM). Can anyone enlighten me as to what the point of them is? Surely it raises the pitch of the string if yu fret too hard, making playing harder, especially with a floyd rose style trem?
For me, up that high, makes the guitar easier to play, as you don't have to press against the wood when you fret the notes. I've got one guitar fully scalloped now and another neck is on the way from Christopher Woods.
It's a personal preference ultimately.
On the Jems, Vai wants it that way, so...
It was done that way because when the Jems 1st came out they had the block heel joint, so scalloping those frets made them easier to play since they were slightly difficult to reach . Since the introduction of the AANJ (All Access Neck Joint) they aren't as necessary anymore that's why the newest Jem (BRMR) doesn't have them. I've compared the VWH(has them) and BRMR(doesn't have them) and found no real advantage to them sonically(they both have the AANJ). They look neat though. I also have a FP with the block heal joint and don't really see them necessary for me as I have huge hands. Some people might actually need them. Not everybody is the same of course. Still if I was to have one custom made, I'd have them just because I like the way they look.
them easier to play since they were slightly difficult to reach . Since the introduction of the AANJ (All Access Neck Joint) they aren't as necessary anymore that's why the newest Jem (BRMR) doesn't have them.
For some reason the notes on those 4 frets ring out and sustain more than they would one a similar, unscalloped board like that of a 550. I'm not sure that they're really much easier to play, but you can hear the difference easily.
I also find it slightly easier to get a nice note out of the four highest frets on my VSBL as opposed to my other guitars, even other AANJ RGs. But that could be due to any number of factors, I suppose.
I was also skeptical at first about scalloped frets before I owned a Jem. I had the same concern that it would change the pitch of the note if you fret too hard. While that's still theoretically true, pushing hard enough to make this happen kinda hurts, so I can't see why anyone would ever fret that hard in normal playing. As long as you just ignore the scalloping, a Jem plays just like any other guitar, only better.
I wondered about it too, but when i got my jem i thought "WOW, it really does make a difference" I do find it easier/smoother to bend and vibrato those notes as opposed to a regular guitar!
Plus... i'm also in the category that think they look really cool 8)
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