Anybody Here Have Scalloped Frets?

[TSJMajesty]

What do you think about them? Any time to get familiar with them?
Does it make it easier to land your notes more confidently up on the higher frets (19-24)?

And I've always thought it would feel weird to have a guitar, like a Pia, where the frets suddenly become scalloped, as opposed to say, them having a gradually deeper cut, as you go up the fretboard. Comments?

 

[JiveTurkey]

@Piing does i believe. I am betting @Eagle does as well?

 

[la szum]

Ouch.... my fingers!

 

[the-trooper]

Does a guitar with Dunlop 6000 frets count?

 

[Will Chen]

I very briefly had an NK headless which was scalloped up above the 17th fret. Honestly, I'm not a guy who squeezes the hell out of the fretboard so from a playing perspective didn't really do anything for me

 

[mbenigni]

Main guitar for years was a Hamer Virtuoso. (Still have it, just play it a lot less often.) I also had a YJM Strat for a while, and still own a Hamer Californian with a custom scallop job (entire board.) I also had an early Jem for a while - but in retrospect, 4 scalloped frets seems more or less like ornamentation to me.

I really love the feel of scallops, mainly in terms of how effortless it makes transverse vibrato feel. Shouldn't take more than a few hours to get familiar, by which point, you either like them or you move along.

 

[DrewJD82]

Only the last 4 on my JEM but I intend on putting together and Yngwie Strat at some point. I never understood it, every time I’d see an Yngwie Strat I’d try it to see if it’d connect or not. It didn’t help that the first 3 or so had stupid high action with just makes for a miserable experience on those. The last few I played were set up decent but it wasn’t until I started changing my finger pressure and loosening my grip up that they really made sense to me. The last time I played one I was really digging it, I was in vibrato heaven on that thing!

 

[Piing]

The last time I played one I was really digging it, I was in vibrato heaven on that thing!

That! The feeling of the vibrato. It is like you can express more nuances.

Besides that, it is a good indicator to tell you if you are applying excessive and unnecessary force with your fingers (if you do, the pitch is slightly sharp). Once you adapt yourself to play lightly, the movement of your hand through the fretboard seems more agile and unweighted, both for chords and solos

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

I thinki had about 1 1/2 dozen, always did the job myself.
Vibrato and tapping is way easier, putting to much pressure on chords and bending them sharp is the issue in the beginning.
But generally the benefits are greater than the drawbacks.
I prolly should but out the rasp and files and do another

 

[2112]

I've got 2 fully scalloped Strats. As already mentioned they're awesome for vibrato and bending, almost like having the biggest frets ever. It's a fun point of difference for those guitars.

 

[jaxadam]

Technically I have them on a few Jems but they don’t really help me.

I did play an Yngwie strat with them and I have a very light/efficient touch and I didn’t notice much but if I had to say anything it would be that they favor that technique maybe.

 

[ptb1]

This one - a "copy" of Blackmore's '74:

I did the scalloping myself - graded down the neck, Blackmore style, but not (yet) as deep as he did.
As, others already have mentioned: Vibrato, bends, schredding, tapping - and the need for a lighter playing style.

 

[Eagle]

Scalloped necks take a while to get used to but they are great if you do. One problem I have with them is if you play one a lot you get to expect that amount of control over the string and you end up not playing your other guitars.

I refretted this in 58118 ss wire so no wood gets anywhere close to your finger tips. I have no idea why every blues player on the planet doesn’t use them.

 

[mbenigni]

This one - a "copy" of Blackmore's '74:
View attachment 7848
I did the scalloping myself - graded down the neck, Blackmore style, but not (yet) as deep as he did.
As, others already have mentioned: Vibrato, bends, schredding, tapping - and the need for a lighter playing style.

Just beautiful. The "Vintage White" on the Fender CS YJMs is way too yellow. Yours is perfect.

My dream guitar has always been one of the early Blackmore Strats with set neck, scalloped board, and GK2 pickup. I have no idea how many were manufactured - probably 5 or so, and all of them in Japan somewhere. They're far less common than the subsequent bolt-on Blackmore sigs.

 

[Piing]

I aleady posted this at the Roasted Maple Necks thread. My Wamorth scalloped with SS frets attached to a Fender Highway One body is heaven.
Pickups are the typical Gilmour Black Strat configuration: SSL-5/Fat'50

 

[Piing]

And you do not need to go Warmoth or Yngwie to get a good scalloped neck. I got an unexpensive one from AliExpress that was built to perfection. I attached it to an inexpensive body also from AliExpress. I added an original Floyd Rose and Harmonic Design Z90 pups. I don't know if I won the lottery, but the resonance and playability are excellent.

I sold the Suhr on the left because it had a damned dead note and kept the DIY Ali-Express Custom Shop. No regrets

Now it has a different pickguard

 

[ptb1]

Just beautiful. The "Vintage White" on the Fender CS YJMs is way too yellow. Yours is perfect.

My dream guitar has always been one of the early Blackmore Strats with set neck, scalloped board, and GK2 pickup. I have no idea how many were manufactured - probably 5 or so, and all of them in Japan somewhere. They're far less common than the subsequent bolt-on Blackmore sigs.

Thanks.
The set neck was produced by Fender Japan in 1997 (ST-145RB) and was available for 3 years, so I believe there were produced several more than just a few.
But a few were built at Fender Custom Shop. Might be those you mean.

I haven’t really understood this signature model, as Blackmore never had, or used a set neck. He glued the necks to the bodies.

 

[mbenigni]

Thanks.
The set neck was produced by Fender Japan in 1997 (ST-145RB) and was available for 3 years, so I believe there were produced several more than just a few.
But a few were built at Fender Custom Shop. Might be those you mean.

I haven’t really understood this signature model, as Blackmore never had, or used a set neck. He glued the necks to the bodies.

Yeah, "probably 5 or so" was hyperbole :) but I've never seen a used one for sale. Every time I think I have a lead, it turns out to be one of the bolt ons.

 

[Bruce]

I have an Olympic white malmsteen strat. Takes a bit to get used to but it is a lot of fun.

 

[Eagle]

If your not sure the Warmoth scalloped neck is excellent .