Scalloped fingerboard

Shanegggg

Whats the story with these fretboards?

I know the "Legend Himself" (Yngwie Malmsteen) uses them and that they are circlular cuts on each fret but does it make it easier or harder to play?

:cool: :cool: :cool:

feylya

They allow you to get a better grip of the strings for bends and vibrato. But if you have a heavy touch, the string will go out of tune. Also, chords are harder to play.

Shanegggg

Well that cant help Yngwie at all.
He use .08's fender bullets and a 1.5mm pic.

I suprised he doesn't break the strings with 1 strum.

feylya

Yngwie uses a 3mm Dunlop Jazz does he not?

david

feylya wrote:

Yngwie uses a 3mm Dunlop Jazz does he not?

Oooooh I thought it was the 2.9999999mm one

sorry

feylya

TBH, there's a world of a difference between 1.5 and 3 vs 2.999999999 and 3 :rolleyes:

Shanegggg

On the the official website it clearly states

"Yngwie uses white 1.5-millimeter imprinted picks made by Jim Dunlop Manufacturing"


Where did u get 3mm from?

feylya

The Hot Licks video. I may be getting confused with someone else... Someone uses 3mm Jazz stubbys though.

dabhoys

KK Downing from judas priest had it on his Flying V ESP and he rips it up

I don't know if I'd be that pushed...

feylya

Richtie Blackmore has it from 12-24 doesn't he? Vai has 20-24 on his Jem's scalloped. I have 20-24 on my 7 string scalloped. They make a big difference!

dabhoys

I don't think I'm in any rush to Scallop my Gibson or PRS there both like butter all the way to the top....

feylya

Yeah, I don't feel quite so guitly taking a a file to a guitar worth €166 :P

dabhoys

I let derrick nelson at my Les Paul to do a refret and by god he done a great job. Especially with all the binding on the neck!! The man does amazing work. He did a great job on my ovation too....

feylya

Gonna have to refret my main guitar soon. I could crown them but I like my frets big. Dunlop 6100 all the way.

When he refretted, did he leave the little nibs of plastic covering the end of the frets or did he take those off?

dabhoys

On the left side there all still there. On the right side there was one or two lost in the battle to put in new frets. Boy I was so happy when he got it done. He done a great job. The action is like butter and is a breeze to play. It took me a while to be able to properly play a Les Paul but damn I've cracked it now and its worth the 10lb weight. You have to work to play it. But its so worth it the effort...

The PRS spoilts ya. It plays right into your hands!!!

feylya

Jesus, he refretted while keeping those there? Now that's skill :eek:

Aye, LP's are heavy bastards. I was playing a Faded Les Paul for about half an hour and my back was screwed. That said, my basswood LTD screws my back royally.

dabhoys

Thats why it took so long!!!

I use a 3 inch strap to help dissapate the weight but its still heavy as ****!!!

Basswood is heavy too...

feylya

It's heavier than my mahogany/maple Ibanez. The EMG's and Floyd weigh a fair bit on their own. A mate has one of those 3 inch Levy straps on his explorer. You barely know you're wearing the damn thing!

dabhoys

There the ones I have and I still feel the Les Paul!!! People pick up the guitar and the first thing out there mouth is jesus it's heavy!!!

I wonder how slash does it. I see him using a strap thats like 1/2 an inch.

I know why Jimmy Page has a bad back too. Or that could have to do with groupies. Either way I'm sure the LP helped too....

feylya

Ever see those straps that go on both shoulders? Supposed to be really good for helping with back pain but they're not very "rock"

dabhoys

I've never seen them. I don't think I'd be up for the whole back pack look. The ones I have are the artist series I like the cool artwork. I've a few of them. There very comfy and I always use strap locks on all me guitars. I don't want to be dropping them...

feylya

It's not really like a back pack as such. It's like someone mirrored the strap on your left shoulder and put it on your right. Kinda hard to explain.

I normally use Dunlop strap locks but cos I'm a poor student, I've moved to Planetwaves Locking Straps.

dabhoys

I've got Schaller on all mine chief. I don't think the planet wave ones are worth it to be honest.

feylya

€8 for the Schallers plus €20 for a strap. €13 for the Planetwaves. They're pretty damn sturdy tbh. Surprisingly so. Then again, I don't bounce around the place with my guitars. I just stand there and play the fecking things

dabhoys

True but I like the added security when I'm playing. Its sorted an added protection on my investment.

feylya

Understandable. I was very hesitant walking around with my Ibanez the day I got it but now I don't even think about it. Even strap locks have failed. Especially the Dunlops ones :eek:

dabhoys

The schallers haven't let me down yet. They seem good and strong and I've them fastened in tight too.

feylya

Aye, at least there's the horse show shaped cup to hold the guitar. No such luck with the Dunlops. Schaller's are half the price too

dabhoys

The schallers came stock the US fender I got. I retro fitted them to the LP cuz the gibson locks we're like 50 yoyo's and the PRS ones was a strait swap I used the screws that we're there so I can put back the old ones anyway to keep it original...

feylya

Ah very good.

Ever look at DiMarzio clip locks? I'd be more concerned about those rather than Planetwaves ones. But they work for Vai and Malmsteen and they're constantly throwing guitar around their necks, like it was the eighties or something...

dabhoys

Ah the 80's. I didn't know they made strap locks...

feylya

http://www.dimarzio.com Click on straps.

-=al=-

Richie blackmore has the whole neck scalloped but the lower strings have a less of a dip so its like a "v" shape on the fretboard so he can chord easier on the low strings but still have the scalloped frets on the higher strings, the best way imo to do it... i scalloped my own neck on that custom guitar thread the one i done up theres a pic of it there....

+malmsteens playign here end of may, :cool:


Edit: as for the straplocks, i use "surelock" straplocks, they're jus like the planet wave ones, but cheaper and easier, they weere sometine like 9$ but i aint seen them over here, but the planet waves ones seem decent enough, i dont think i use te schaller or dunlop ones where u replace the screw, id feel safer using somethin that clipped onto the originial screws....

dabhoys

I know Malsteems signature Strat has the scalloped frets. Does Blackmores too??

feylya

I'm almost positive Blackmore only has from the 12th fret scalloped.

Doctor J

My first guitar was scalloped from the 12th fret up. Quite handy and took a while to get un-used to but I wouldn't consider it anywhere you'd be playing a chord

Shank

dabhoys wrote:

I let derrick nelson at my Les Paul to do a refret and by god he done a great job. Especially with all the binding on the neck!! The man does amazing work. He did a great job on my ovation too....

Think I need to get this done soon, as a matter of interest how much and how long?

dabhoys

When I got the LP done it was around 500 euro and took a month or so. But there was alot involved in the custom due to the binding on the neck. I just had a good look over it again and actually all the little bits of binding are all still there. he does a great job and he's worth the wait. If you have a valued instrument you want work on he's your man...

cormhag

the process just makes it easier to fret . so if you want to play like yngwie with great speed or you like tapping thats perfect but if you dont play fast its not worth doing at all.

feylya

cormhag wrote:

the process just makes it easier to fret . so if you want to play like yngwie with great speed or you like tapping thats perfect but if you dont play fast its not worth doing at all.

Bull****. It does not facilitate faster playing. Yngwie himself admits that. It makes it harder to fret and to tap due to you being able to push the string out of tune more easily.

Ancient1

I've never tried a scalloped fretboard.
No-wood-under-fingertip-feeling - i wonder what that's like.

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feylya

Hello spammer.

Ancient1

Yeah, we dont like unplugged around here

-=al=-

Well gettin back to the subject, i finished my custom guitar last week incl. scaooped frets! it plays good, kinda weurd getti used to it, but its Good took me ages to do it, i was jus using files... heres some pics



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/-=Slash=-/customal1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/-=Slash=-/customal3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/-=Slash=-/customal4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/-=Slash=-/customal5.jpg

feylya

Jesus, get some high grit sandpaper to those scallops. And condition them with lemon oil or boiled linseed oil!

Johnny Storm

-=al=- wrote:

Well gettin back to the subject, i finished my custom guitar last week incl. scaooped frets! it plays good, kinda weurd getti used to it, but its Good took me ages to do it, i was jus using files... ]

Very cool. Love the knobs.....

0utshined

-=al=-,

How did you put you're logo on your headstock? I want to do something similar to one of my guitars and would appreciate some advice.

Thanks,
0.

-=al=-

i did lol the pic makes it look worse and it is fixed up, they were just done wen the pic was taken, olive oil helps too,

and as for the headstock, i jus scrapped the old name off, with a penknife, sand it off a bit, then jus used a black marker! i done most things with what i found ariund the house then some nail varnish stuff over it, the scratch plate was jus done with a marker too, jus made it up as i went along, theres some hidden messages in there for me too, i had to cut a hole in the scaratch plate with a penkinfe and a kitchen knife to fit the humbucker that was a pain too, its an old SG pickup i had and 2 single coil emg's i found in my friends house, The cleans with the single coils ar amazing, and humbucker is nice n loud and aggressive, but not too twangy, fat enough tone

poisonwasthecur

scalloped frets dont make a difference tbh the make the guitar sound **** if thats what your looking for!!thats the only reason why malmsteen sounds fast is because of them!! ive got the jem 7vwh and the last four frets 20-24 are scalloped and tbh its really stupid doesnt make any difference at all

feylya

poisonwasthecur wrote:

scalloped frets dont make a difference tbh the make the guitar sound **** if thats what your looking for!!thats the only reason why malmsteen sounds fast is because of them!! ive got the jem 7vwh and the last four frets 20-24 are scalloped and tbh its really stupid doesnt make any difference at all

And you sir are talking out your hole.