Question:
I was reading through an older GP last nite (talk about timing) and there was an article from Dan Erlewine, the luthier-columnist (the article was circa 1988). He’d been given a project to scallop a neck for a friend. He explained he was wary as to the value of the relatively expensive project, but after doing it, was very excited about the neck. Apparently, since you don’t have to actually make contact with the neck, you can play faster and bend easier-no friction. This is why John McLaughlin and Yngvie Malmsteen have used the necks for years. Dan said you develop a lighter touch and thus have an easier time achieving speed and bending. He also recommended using absolutely the best guitar builder you can find to do the work, preferably someone who has done it before. He also mentioned probably having to redo the frets at the same time. It’s an expensive propositon. IMO Steve Scalloped necks are necks where the wood between frets is rounded out. > This basically gives the effect of having a neck in which you are contacting > the string to the fret with no contact on the fretboard material. I think > Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple both use (d?) > this type of instrument neck. I think the only advantage is bending notes with > less drag from your fingers in the fretboard. I imagine it would take some > time to control the amount of pressure you are putting on the strings, since > you could easily raise notes without meaning too otherwise. Sounds like more > trouble than it is worth to me. Steve
Response:
> I was reading through an older GP last nite (talk about timing) and there was > an article from Dan Erlewine, the luthier-columnist (the article was circa > 1988). He’d been given a project to scallop a neck for a friend. He explained > he was wary as to the value of the relatively expensive project, but after > doing it, was very excited about the neck. Apparently, since you don’t have to > actually make contact with the neck, you can play faster and bend easier-no > friction. This is why John McLaughlin and Yngvie Malmsteen have used the necks > for years. Dan said you develop a lighter touch and thus have an easier time > achieving speed and bending. He also recommended using absolutely the best > guitar builder you can find to do the work, preferably someone who has done it > before. He also mentioned probably having to redo the frets at the same time. > It’s an expensive propositon. > IMO > Steve
I just had a neck scalloped. It’s from a late-’80s Charvel Model 4. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about without cutting up an expensive guitar. The guy who did it is, IMO, the best fretwork guy in central IN. He scalloped it, moved the side marker dots, and did a fret job for $160. AB
Response:
> I just had a neck scalloped. It’s from a late-’80s Charvel Model 4. I wanted > to see what all the fuss was about without cutting up an expensive guitar. > The guy who did it is, IMO, the best fretwork guy in central IN. He scalloped > it, moved the side marker dots, and did a fret job for $160.
So how do you like it? Outt.. Jeff.
Response:
If you are thinking of building or having a guitar built, Warmoth has a scalloped neck option on their necks. You can have a partial or full scallop done. Ron – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I was reading through an older GP last nite (talk about timing) and there was > an article from Dan Erlewine, the luthier-columnist (the article was circa > 1988). He’d been given a project to scallop a neck for a friend. He explained > he was wary as to the value of the relatively expensive project, but after > doing it, was very excited about the neck. Apparently, since you don’t have to > actually make contact with the neck, you can play faster and bend easier-no > friction. This is why John McLaughlin and Yngvie Malmsteen have used the necks > for years. Dan said you develop a lighter touch and thus have an easier time > achieving speed and bending. He also recommended using absolutely the best > guitar builder you can find to do the work, preferably someone who has done it > before. He also mentioned probably having to redo the frets at the same time. > It’s an expensive propositon. > IMO > Steve > Scalloped necks are necks where the wood between frets is rounded out. > This basically gives the effect of having a neck in which you are contacting > the string to the fret with no contact on the fretboard material. I think > Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple both use > (d?) > this type of instrument neck. I think the only advantage is bending notes > with > less drag from your fingers in the fretboard. I imagine it would take some > time to control the amount of pressure you are putting on the strings, since > you could easily raise notes without meaning too otherwise. Sounds like more > trouble than it is worth to me. Steve
Response:
Yike’s. The guy I’ve been using want’s about $100-125 for frets, but we were also talking about changing the radius a bit (sanding). I think his standard frets are $75-100. "The expensive proposition" on my post was from the article which was older. After you play it for a while, would you mind posting an evaluation. I have a guitar that’s a prime candidate. (If I can find a decent price.) Thanx Steve_2000 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I was reading through an older GP last nite (talk about timing) and there was > an article from Dan Erlewine, the luthier-columnist (the article was circa > 1988). He’d been given a project to scallop a neck for a friend. He explained > he was wary as to the value of the relatively expensive project, but after > doing it, was very excited about the neck. Apparently, since you don’t have to > actually make contact with the neck, you can play faster and bend easier-no > friction. This is why John McLaughlin and Yngvie Malmsteen have used the necks > for years. Dan said you develop a lighter touch and thus have an easier time > achieving speed and bending. He also recommended using absolutely the best > guitar builder you can find to do the work, preferably someone who has done it > before. He also mentioned probably having to redo the frets at the same time. > It’s an expensive propositon. > IMO > Steve > I just had a neck scalloped. It’s from a late-’80s Charvel Model 4. I wanted > to see what all the fuss was about without cutting up an expensive guitar. > The guy who did it is, IMO, the best fretwork guy in central IN. He scalloped > it, moved the side marker dots, and did a fret job for $160. > AB
Response:
>I was reading through an older GP last nite (talk about timing) and there was >an article from Dan Erlewine, the luthier-columnist (the article was circa >1988). He’d been given a project to scallop a neck for a friend. He explained > this type of instrument neck. I think the only advantage is bending notes >with > less drag from your fingers in the fretboard. I imagine it would take some > time to control the amount of pressure you are putting on the strings, since > you could easily raise notes without meaning too otherwise. Sounds like more > trouble than it is worth to me. Steve
In my opinion: Scalloped necks are good for single-note playing (primarily due to ease of bending notes). Not as comfortable for chord playing. I don’t have any problem with intonation, but that depends on string gauges and how heavy-handed the player is. Scalloped necks make strings much easier to grip and bend, and it’s easier to get ‘under’ the adjacent strings for wide bends. Some have said that scalloped necks tend to rip their callouses up. Again, no problem here. You might consider *buying *a scalloped neck rather than carving an existing neck. The work can get expensive, and it’s not reversible. Also, many players are not happy with scalloped necks. If you only have one guitar, make sure you spend some time checking out scalloped necks first. MG
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Yike’s. The guy I’ve been using want’s about $100-125 for frets, but we were > also talking about changing the radius a bit (sanding). I think his standard > frets are $75-100. "The expensive proposition" on my post was from the article > which was older. > After you play it for a while, would you mind posting an evaluation. I have a > guitar that’s a prime candidate. (If I can find a decent price.) > Thanx > Steve_2000 > I just had a neck scalloped. It’s from a late-’80s Charvel Model 4. I wanted > to see what all the fuss was about without cutting up an expensive guitar. > The guy who did it is, IMO, the best fretwork guy in central IN. He scalloped > it, moved the side marker dots, and did a fret job for $160. > AB
Yeah, I’ll do that. I haven’t put back together yet, because I’m also taking the finish off the body (I’m going to oil it). BTW, by fret job, I didn’t mean a refret. I meant level/dress/polish. I had quotes ranging from his to over $300 for the whole job. AB
Response:
hey! scalloped necks! cool. i have had two guitars that have had scalloped necks. and i have some things to share about them. first off, i did both of them myself. my friend and i did our necks when i was maybe 15, cause i thought blackmore and yngwie were so cool. you’re gonna love this- we did it with the edge of a circular power sander. it worked pretty well, actually. ballsy move, in retrospect. it wasn’t as pretty as i’ve seen, but it did the job. then the other guitar (i still have this one) was an extremely cheap fender acoustic that i did by hand with files. never really finished it, so that one looks rough too, but again, does the job. i LOVE the feel of them. love it. and as far as chords vs single notes, i really like how it feels with both. it’s actually pretty hard to bend the strings sharp (if you aren’t trying to), well not that hard, but you have to be pretty heavy handed to push them into the fret spaces. BUT the big problem for me is that it really changes the tone of the guitar. i’d do it to everyone of my guitars if it didn’t do this. you get robbed of a lot of body and warmth. but i want to get another guitar sometime soon and have at least one that is scalloped cause it’s really fun to play with. lee
Response:
Thanks for the information. I have only played the Ibanez semi (high frets) scalloped necks. I think the Yngvie Strat comes fully scalloped, if I can find one around town to try out the feel. Fyi-I only wrote the top part of this post. The opinion halfway down about pressure and intonation is some other Steve’s. All the responses I’ve read, and the old GP article mentioned that intonation problems due pressure are not an really an issue. One reply mentioned buying a scalloped Warmouth neck, which sounds like a good idea. Thanx Steve_2000 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I was reading through an older GP last nite (talk about timing) and there was >an article from Dan Erlewine, the luthier-columnist (the article was circa >1988). He’d been given a project to scallop a neck for a friend. He explained >> this type of instrument neck. I think the only advantage is bending notes >with >> less drag from your fingers in the fretboard. I imagine it would take some >> time to control the amount of pressure you are putting on the strings, since >> you could easily raise notes without meaning too otherwise. Sounds like more >> trouble than it is worth to me. Steve > In my opinion: > Scalloped necks are good for single-note playing (primarily due to > ease of bending notes). Not as comfortable for chord playing. > I don’t have any problem with intonation, but that depends on string > gauges and how heavy-handed the player is. > Scalloped necks make strings much easier to grip and bend, and it’s > easier to get ‘under’ the adjacent strings for wide bends. > Some have said that scalloped necks tend to rip their callouses up. > Again, no problem here. > You might consider *buying *a scalloped neck rather than carving an > existing neck. The work can get expensive, and it’s not reversible. > Also, many players are not happy with scalloped necks. If you only > have one guitar, make sure you spend some time checking out > scalloped necks first. > MG
Response:
> Thanks for the information. I have only played the Ibanez semi (high frets) > scalloped necks. I think the Yngvie Strat comes fully scalloped, if I can find > one around town to try out the feel. > Fyi-I only wrote the top part of this post. The opinion halfway down about > pressure and intonation is some other Steve’s. All the responses I’ve read, > and the old GP article mentioned that intonation problems due pressure are > not an really an issue. One reply mentioned buying a scalloped Warmouth neck, > which sounds like a good idea. Thanx Steve_2000
Another possibility is the Blackmore Strat. You see a lot more of those in stores, since they’re Japanese and less expensive than the Malmsteens.
Response:
Thanx-Those prices sound right. The GP article was talking about new frets. It was an old article and the first scallop job the columnist had done. I’ll look forward to the review. Now I have to unbox the guitar I was going to ship to Indiana.(Just kidding…) Thanx Steve – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Yike’s. The guy I’ve been using want’s about $100-125 for frets, but we were > also talking about changing the radius a bit (sanding). I think his standard > frets are $75-100. "The expensive proposition" on my post was from the article > which was older. > After you play it for a while, would you mind posting an evaluation. I have a > guitar that’s a prime candidate. (If I can find a decent price.) > Thanx > Steve_2000 > > I just had a neck scalloped. It’s from a late-’80s Charvel Model 4. I > wanted > > to see what all the fuss was about without cutting up an expensive guitar. > > The guy who did it is, IMO, the best fretwork guy in central IN. He > scalloped > > it, moved the side marker dots, and did a fret job for $160. > > AB > Yeah, I’ll do that. I haven’t put back together yet, because I’m also taking > the finish off the body (I’m going to oil it). > BTW, by fret job, I didn’t mean a refret. I meant level/dress/polish. I had > quotes ranging from his to over $300 for the whole job. > AB
Response:
Well, it IS reversible, but requires a new fingerboard, which aint’ a cheap repair. I remember an article with Abe Wechter about the scalloped-necked guit-fiddles he built for McLaughlin (btw, Wechter has a web site, and is probably a good guy to ask about this topic). He said that when others tried to play them, they were AMAZED that McLaughlin could play chords in tune, as they required a VERY refined and light left-hand technique. I’ve heard of others that bought scalloped-necked gtrs, and had to give it up when they found that they simply couldn’t develop the chops to play full chords, much to their chagrin. Steve – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I was reading through an older GP last nite (talk about timing) and there was >an article from Dan Erlewine, the luthier-columnist (the article was circa >1988). He’d been given a project to scallop a neck for a friend. He explained >> this type of instrument neck. I think the only advantage is bending notes >with >> less drag from your fingers in the fretboard. I imagine it would take some >> time to control the amount of pressure you are putting on the strings, since >> you could easily raise notes without meaning too otherwise. Sounds like more >> trouble than it is worth to me. Steve > In my opinion: > Scalloped necks are good for single-note playing (primarily due to > ease of bending notes). Not as comfortable for chord playing. > I don’t have any problem with intonation, but that depends on string > gauges and how heavy-handed the player is. > Scalloped necks make strings much easier to grip and bend, and it’s > easier to get ‘under’ the adjacent strings for wide bends. > Some have said that scalloped necks tend to rip their callouses up. > Again, no problem here. > You might consider *buying *a scalloped neck rather than carving an > existing neck. The work can get expensive, and it’s not reversible. > Also, many players are not happy with scalloped necks. If you only > have one guitar, make sure you spend some time checking out > scalloped necks first. > MG
Response:
> Another possibility is the Blackmore Strat. You see a lot more of those in > stores, since they’re Japanese and less expensive than the Malmsteens.
I tried a Malmsteem strat–I thought the neck wasn’t beefy enough. (Scalloping takes a lot of wood off). I ended up with a Carruther’s Scalloped Strat with a much beefier neck. The USA Malmsteems also have brass nuts, which I’m not fond of, and I prefer more open-sounding pickups than the DiMarzio HS-3’s. I wouldn’t buy a Malmsteem strat *just* for the scalloped neck– I’d suggest: Go for a Warmoth neck on a guitar with the tone/pickups you like, or take a guitar you like, and has a beefy neck, and have it scalloped by a pro. Steve
Response:
>> Another possibility is the Blackmore Strat. You see a lot more of those in > stores, since they’re Japanese and less expensive than the Malmsteens. >I tried a Malmsteem strat–I thought the neck wasn’t beefy enough. >(Scalloping takes a lot of wood off). >I ended up with a Carruther’s Scalloped Strat with a much beefier neck. >I wouldn’t buy a Malmsteem strat *just* for the scalloped neck– >I’d suggest: >Go for a Warmoth neck on a guitar with the tone/pickups you like, >Steve
I would have suggested Warmouth, as their overall quality seems pretty good. However, expect to do complete fret-dressing/crowning. To some extent, I guess a neck cannot be set perfectly until it’s on the instrument with proper gauge strings. Still, I was dissap- pointed at how far off their necks were. I’ve had to spend a lot of time on the frets of Warmouths. They don’t seem to thing there is any problem with that. <g> Another thing: given the overhang on their extended fret models, you will not be able to reach the truss rod adjust once the neck is on the guitar. So much for the ‘cannot be set until it’s on the instrument…’ statement above. You must take the neck off to adjust the truss rod! No fun doing this by trial and error. I have to wonder what they were thinking. MG
Response:
>Thanks for the information. I have only played the Ibanez semi (high frets) >scalloped necks.
That’s really odd. Is it just for decoration? I scalloped a guitar about ten years ago, and I just scalloped the first 12 or 14 frets, because it was quite obvious that I wouln never be able to take advantage of scalloping on the higher frets. — <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>><
Response:
> >Thanks for the information. I have only played the Ibanez semi (high frets) >scalloped necks. > That’s really odd. Is it just for decoration? I scalloped a guitar > about ten years ago, and I just scalloped the first 12 or 14 frets, > because it was quite obvious that I wouln never be able to take > advantage of scalloping on the higher frets.
It is odd but it sure looks cool! Outt.. Jeff.
Response:
>I remember an article with Abe Wechter about the scalloped-necked guit-fiddles >he built for McLaughlin (btw, Wechter has a web site, and is probably a good >guy to ask about this topic). He said that when others tried to play them, >they were AMAZED that McLaughlin could play chords in tune, as they required a >VERY refined and light left-hand technique. I’ve heard of others that bought >scalloped-necked gtrs, and had to give it up when they found that they simply >couldn’t develop the chops to play full chords, much to their chagrin.
I have no idea why Abe would say that. I played that guitar briefly (John’s Shakti guitar), and though it was very different from most acoustics, it was not hard to keep in tune. It was not strung light enough to have intonation problems. I don’t have much trouble keeping a scalloped electric with .009’s in tune, so an acoustic with much heavier strings should not be a problem. The G string is the most sensitive, of course. I can bend a .016 G up a semitone by pushing the string straight into the neck, but the E and B don’t have that much lattitude. It does take some getting used to. I don’t really have that light a touch, either. Most of my jazz-playing friends put much less pressure on the strings (wimps! <g>) On the other hand, with the drone strings and all, there was a LOT of tension on John’s guitar. Not sure what kind of bracing Abe used, but that must have been a difficult design. MGarvin
Response:
I scalloped the neck on my les paul. I used files then finished with light sandpaper, steel wool and tung oil finish. It plays great…dont go out of tune…bends and vibrato are much easier..and cant see how some people have problems playing chords. How hard do they squeeze anyway? I use .009 strings and have no problem.
Response:
I was skeptical about scalloped necks until I came across a good deal on a Fender (Japanese) Malmsteen Strat. If you have a relatively light touch, it really does make a difference in playing speed and especially bending while maintaining a low action. DO use light gauge strings or else it feels like steel ropes on the fingerboard. I wish I had a second Malmsteen Strat!