[Chud]

I'm actually really interested in getting one of these strats. Main appeal - scallops. I'm not too sure about this though, it seems like a one trick pony thing and i'm not too happy about spending £1200 on a non-versatile guitar.

Is it hard to play and are they versatile or do they limit you so you can't tap/play chords etc?

I've gone into my local guitar shop that has one, but i don't think they're too keen to let me try one (they get a lot of guitarists comming down from the local music college trying out exspensive ****, scratching it and leaving, so they get angry when i ask to try it).

Anyway is the YJM a really good guitar for the money or shall i just buy a cheap guitar, scallop the frets and stick a set of Dimarzio's in it?



Cheers,
C.

 

[brothersnowgone]

I scalloped a cheap fender strat a few weeks ago, its not very hard. The scallops make tapping, bending, and chording easier in my book. The only draw-back is that they slow you down at first, but once you get used to it you'll probably want to scallop all your guitars.

 

[shredfreak]

Personaly I have never had any problems with scallop fretboard. Tapping is quite easy unless you use some extra light strings or for me it was harder to tap with light strings. And I guess YJM strat is good for many different styles thats what I've heard.

 

[UV_Ray]

This is a tough question because it's a gamble to buy it without playing it and the fact is that it takes a while to get used to, so trying it for a few minutes would not really be helpful. At some point, I want to go to a scalloped neck, but my chops don't quite warrant that yet. FWIW Yngwie is insistant that the big 70's style strat headstock is essential to the sound- he feels the headstock is critical to the tone and sustaining characteristics, and the big headstock helps. I think the YJM Strat is a great guitar with great tone, but it would be a gamble without playing.

I would (and at some point will) go for it, as I think anyone can get used to the scallops. If you scallop a cheap strat, you may very well end up wanting the YJM anyway. I would just take the cash with me and talk to the manager at the local shop and tell him you're really serious about buying, show him the cash, and say that you wouldn't want to spend that kind of money on a scalloped neck without spending like an hour with it and yo'll be real careful. If he won't do it- I wouldn't want to do business with them, anyway.

 

[Chud]

Hmm, working around the scallop things. If it takes a while to get used to them, and then when you do you don't want to go back to normal fretboards:

I don't really want to get into habbits i guess you could say. Not to shape my playing around certain things that may or may not make things easier or different. If you play these scallopped fretboards, can you still make an easy transision from scallopped to non-scalloped?

I've got a really nice RG1550 which is just so great to play. I'm actually tempted to scallop the top 4 frets just like a JEM for a laugh
I wouldn't want to buy a YJM strat, then end up neglecting all my other guitars, so is it really that addictive?

 

[Eddie_UV777]

I Have A Fender Strat USA With A Full Scalloped Neck Gives You A Better Grip On The String But I Dont Neglect My Other Guitar Either.......

 

[fettouhi]

I scalloped a cheap fender strat a few weeks ago, its not very hard. The scallops make tapping, bending, and chording easier in my book. The only draw-back is that they slow you down at first, but once you get used to it you'll probably want to scallop all your guitars.

Even tapping? Strange, if you hear Yngwie tapping on the G3 in Denver dvd it sounds like sh*t.

Regards

André

 

[Chud]

Even tapping? Strange, if you hear Yngwie tapping on the G3 in Denver dvd it sounds like sh*t.

Regards

André

Might just be Yngwie *wink*

C.

 

[lloop9]

If you can get it, you might wanna try a MIC Grassroot strat model G-SE-45SC/R wif scalloped frets: http://espguitars.co.jp/grassroots/original/index.html#gse38m.

Its the most affordable strat I've seen wif scalloping.

I guess its a cheap way to unleash the fury! :lol:

 

[blunotes]

Well, some of these comments are correct. I have two '89's, once you play YJM Strat for a while, you don't want to play anything else. You kinda stuck to it.

Good luck
YS

 

[mi2tom]

Play one of those few years back.... need to get accustomed to it first... It's a nice guitar... but if you're not use to it...... playing barre chords make the chords shaky cos you tend to press barre chords harder

 

[rrhea]

As per my previous thread, I just bought one of these recently. What I can say about this guitar, and guitars in general is this... if you can afford a better guitar, then buy it (within reason, of course).

There is aboslutely nothing wrong with taking a less expensive guitar and fixing it up. I've done it countless times, and I have still got three of them from my childhood that I will never part with because of the sentimental value. I've had zillions that I have sold or traded over the years. The philosophy I have taken from all these cheap guitars I've bought and sold is that they can be great, but there is so much time/work and money involved with making them great (lutherier work, new pickups, etc.). All that stuff adds up, and then often times you still don't get decent tone due to soft or inferior woods and/or a poor build.

I am not an "American Made", "Custom Guitars Rule" fanboi or "cookie-cutter" guitar snob, by any means. The vast majority of my main guitars are Ibanez, and I think their Japanese made guitars are fantastic... and I also think my Chinese made Artcore is unbelieveable (and still would be at 3 times the price I paid for it new).

I have just been down that road so many times and I guess I am just tired of buying cheap and fixing it up. The Malmsteen is a real quality instrument. I have not been as impressed with a guitar build like this one in a long, long time. The tone is awesome, and it plays and stays in tune like it should with a proper setup (rare for an unmodified Strat).

The scallops are a great thing to have in your collection if you like variety, like I do. I love having different tones with all my guitars (none of them have the same pickups) and having different neck radii and profiles. That way, when I pickup a certain guitar it has it's own special mojo. I like that. Scallops are something I wanted to have in my collection, and I'll likely do it again. Either another Malmsteen or a customization of an existing or future new guitar.

I think scallops make playing easier.

Ryan

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My Blog: http://funguitars.blogspot.com