I have a Blackmore neck and I think the scalloping on there is really thought out. It's not just uniformly all deep scallops. I also have a Hamer I got scalloped after the 12th fret in the late 80's. Something you really do have to get used to.
Been playing scalloped necks for a while. A little bit of perseverance and it becomes second nature. I flit backwards and forwards between scalloped and unscalloped all the time, no issues. Initially, your ear just needs to be more finely tuned to what you're playing on a scalloped neck. Nothing stopping you digging deep on a scalloped neck either and (for me), it's like a siren and always feels like it wants to drag you into your wildest whammy antics like Uli Jon Roth, and bending/vibrato can be that much wider. I love them for certain things, for others, I revert back to unscalloped.
Yes...if you want the epitome of playability..get a scalloped board with stainless steel frets...the scalloping itself forces you to press as light as possible(that actually can transfer to your regular guitar necks) cause if not, you ll bend the note out of tune but also get zero friction cause your fingers touch zero wood..only air...while the stainless steel frets reduce the already minimal friction even more cause they are way slinkier compared to the Nickel Silver ones.....i personally love it...i do this to all my guitars..even my bullets and affinities have scalloped fretboard and SS frets but i understand that some people hate it. If you are a dude that you grab the neck like you wanna strangle it then forget it....if you are a dude that you like big bends and wide vibrato and can play with a light touch this thing is heaven...also just consider having a guitar with a scalloped board(even if you dont like it) for the sole reason of practicing....it keeps you honest and forces you to relax your fretting hand or else you sound out of tune all the time.....
Scalloped fret board Myths: #1 It does not make you play fast...again.. It does NOT make you play fast #2 It does not make playing easier #3 It does not sound any different #4 It does not do the same thing as tall frets #5 It does not make you hate donuts.... I scalloped my first neck 35 years ago for a very specific reason(not coolness).My fingertips are thin so when I went to vibrato or bend the string sometimes I couldn't "grip" the string securely all the time.The suggestion was to raise the action ...the exact opposite of what I wanted ..super low action with light strings (8's) ...re-fret with the tallest frets( wasn't going to do that either...and lastly get it scalloped by an experienced luthier most have very little to no experience scalloping a neck So..... I did it myself. What it does do: 1.Makes it much much easier for thin fingertips to grip the string on vibrato and bends 2.Has lower friction when vibratoing and bending 3.Makes it easier to grip strings for pull offs 4.Makes you aware of playing with a lighter touch A few downsides (that aren't deal breakers...to me) 1.You have to adjust sliding pressure.I use more of the flat of my fingertip 2.Bending notes out of tune 3.It feels different playing only the string 4.Can't re-fret 5.It feels very odd to play a non scallop neck now(to me). My Mexican Strat has medium to low profile frets and I didn't go as deep as my Warmouth scalloped Neck so I think its in the Goldilocks zone where it doesn't feel real weird I seldom bend notes out of tune and slides are a little easier than the Warmouth(at least to me). I have a few more custom GTR's in the making and they will all be scalloped necks.I LOVE the feel of a scallop neck..it feels like..victory in the morning...I leave you with the wisdom of the Swede...Gary Moore is Moore..and Les Paul is Les.
Ritchie Blackmoore was another scallop player. And I think he played a half scallop. from the 12th up. Once you get it, it is way comfortable to play. I used to love grabbing my scalloped guitar live. It felt like taking a break, mainly cause it is a lighter guitar, but the scallops feel so comfortable.
It is definitely a different experience and it has a learning curve to it but it will teach you to be more fluid and less choppy with how you finger your notes. My buddy had his 6 string bass scalloped and it is wild watching him play. I had a Charvel that was scalloped like Via's Jems and it makes a big difference up top but I cannot imagine an entire neck being scalloped unless you play virtuoso and never really play chords ever. Have fun with it maybe it will inspire some new songs.
I scalloped my Ibanez Jem Jr with Blackmore style scallops from fret 12 to fret 24. Blackmore style scallops are only scalloped under the bottom 3 (G, B and E) strings, while the first 3 strings (E, A and D) have no scallops. Absolutely love it .
I never tried a scalloped fretboard on a guitar. I always hear that they are amazing for lead playing, but scalloping the entire fretboard seems counter intuitive. Scalloping from the 12th to 24th feet seems to be the best choice. Cool video🎸🤘 greetings from Lotasticland
I fully scalloped a fretboard, but not as deep like this one. Went 1.3mm uniformly deep. Needed accommodation to the lower fretting pression, but startet to like the ease of vibrato and bends. But I found a uniform deep scallop unnecessary. Next scallop was different: I call it sequential partial asymmetrical scallop. Starts very very shallow under the first fret only high e string, third fret little deeper and under B, 7-th fret again little deeper and up under the G string, and so on... Last fret is 1.2mm deep scalloped and fades out under the low E. And assymetrical , because the scallopes are deepest near the played fret. The best feeling scallops: no bending out of tune on the lower register, but good grab of the high strings up the neck for bends and vibrato. 😊
And I’m so glad you did this and that I found this video. I think this could also be for person. He’s got some carpal tunnel going on from years of guitar playing and keyboards and drums. They can play with less effort to the fingers don’t keep locking up.
Watched your Video... I have a Yngwie Malmsteen Neck On a Franken-Strat, it's my #1 Guitar...once you give it a few hours of Practice per Day. I find The Downward Tremolo Bend to be Most Appealing. A Bit of Funky Blues bending between the 3rd and 9th Frets...Play Johnny Winter, ZZ Top or Jimi Hendrix and see what I mean...Accents off pitch? Bend the Note and it sounds like you planned it that way.😊
Just practice my good man. You will live the scalloped fretboard. I own a fender scalloped it took me 0nle about 30 minutes, and I love it. I play clean and It's amazing.
It's all you. You'll learn a lighter touch, but you will fall in love with it. I can't live without my Malmsteen strat and my les paul rarely gets any action. lolol
I was so surprised to see that my common technique I developed over years of practice were actually working against me here haha I was like damn dude lol
You are a high end player , I bet in 2 weeks it would be effortless. I am so used to standard necks , I wonder if it fit this down in time how it would be switching back to standard necks ?
For all those players with Arthritis here’s your option lol . I play pretty heavy and like the feel of really digging into the notes. But for the high notes I’d be interested in partially scalloped board.
That's a good point actually it could help with players who have potentially weaker hands! I would totally do the higher frets myself! I could see that being a great addition to a guitar!
I can say what you are saying is a fact for me. I have a 2007 red yjm signature(fully scalloped),ltd ec1000,jackson rr5 pro. The Yjm is the only guitar I can play for at a few hours before my hand locks or falls asleep. My other guitars were my main at one point until the issues occured. I still play my other guitars but once they get uncomfortable I can continue vibing on my scalloped one which I'm grateful for.
I really recommend you to listen to the world fusion band “Ancient Future”, namely, this song of theirs: “I Mett Her in the Medowe, A & B - Remastered” that is all played with a scalloped fretboard acoustic guitar. It's played in a style much like the style you played here when you played your guitar in “clean mode”. The song is part of their album “Planet Passion”
Would you or any comments homies recommend getting one for playing any kind of music on? I wanna get a Warmoth neck for my first guitar, but not sure if I wanna get it scalloped or not. I like Malmsteen, but this is a guitar I want to play any style or genre on, not just sweeps & sht.
I like the idea of Vai’s JEM, with scalloping on only the last few frets, but let’s take it a step further: how about no scallop 1st fret, full scallop last fret (22nd, 24th, 27th, whatever) and in between, each fret gets gradually more scalloped. And while we’re at it, how about slightly fanning the frets, too?
I could get behind that idea! I feel like that would work very well and translate easier to non scalloped players And damn fan frets ... That's another Ive never played hahaha
If you press too hard on a Scarlet fretboard the note it's bent out of tune you have to press on the Note closer to the fret another words don't press towards the wood press towards the fret
Pressing to hard is really bad technique the more you relax your hand the faster you can play these guys always blame a scalloped neck I'm not criticising this guy he even admits it.I played on a scalloped neck for years never had any problem with chords going out of tune.8s yes maybe I use 9s no problem but I play with a light touch .I you have problems go for 10s until you develop a light touch once you get used to it you will never go back unless you use 6100 frets pretty much the same feel
I have a Blackmore neck and I think the scalloping on there is really thought out. It's not just uniformly all deep scallops. I also have a Hamer I got scalloped after the 12th fret in the late 80's. Something you really do have to get used to.
Been playing scalloped necks for a while. A little bit of perseverance and it becomes second nature. I flit backwards and forwards between scalloped and unscalloped all the time, no issues. Initially, your ear just needs to be more finely tuned to what you're playing on a scalloped neck.
Nothing stopping you digging deep on a scalloped neck either and (for me), it's like a siren and always feels like it wants to drag you into your wildest whammy antics like Uli Jon Roth, and bending/vibrato can be that much wider. I love them for certain things, for others, I revert back to unscalloped.
Yes...if you want the epitome of playability..get a scalloped board with stainless steel frets...the scalloping itself forces you to press as light as possible(that actually can transfer to your regular guitar necks) cause if not, you ll bend the note out of tune but also get zero friction cause your fingers touch zero wood..only air...while the stainless steel frets reduce the already minimal friction even more cause they are way slinkier compared to the Nickel Silver ones.....i personally love it...i do this to all my guitars..even my bullets and affinities have scalloped fretboard and SS frets but i understand that some people hate it.
If you are a dude that you grab the neck like you wanna strangle it then forget it....if you are a dude that you like big bends and wide vibrato and can play with a light touch this thing is heaven...also just consider having a guitar with a scalloped board(even if you dont like it) for the sole reason of practicing....it keeps you honest and forces you to relax your fretting hand or else you sound out of tune all the time.....
Out of your comfort zone is a great way to live. The point? You grow. Thank you.
Scalloped fret board Myths:
#1 It does not make you play fast...again.. It does NOT make you play fast
#2 It does not make playing easier
#3 It does not sound any different
#4 It does not do the same thing as tall frets
#5 It does not make you hate donuts....
I scalloped my first neck 35 years ago for a very specific reason(not coolness).My fingertips are thin so when I went to vibrato or bend the string sometimes I couldn't "grip" the string securely all the time.The suggestion was to raise the action ...the exact opposite of what I wanted ..super low action with light strings (8's) ...re-fret with the tallest frets( wasn't going to do that either...and lastly get it scalloped by an experienced luthier most have very little to no experience scalloping a neck So..... I did it myself.
What it does do:
1.Makes it much much easier for thin fingertips to grip the string on vibrato and bends
2.Has lower friction when vibratoing and bending
3.Makes it easier to grip strings for pull offs
4.Makes you aware of playing with a lighter touch
A few downsides (that aren't deal breakers...to me)
1.You have to adjust sliding pressure.I use more of the flat of my fingertip
2.Bending notes out of tune
3.It feels different playing only the string
4.Can't re-fret
5.It feels very odd to play a non scallop neck now(to me).
My Mexican Strat has medium to low profile frets and I didn't go as deep as my Warmouth scalloped Neck so I think its in the Goldilocks zone where it doesn't feel real weird I seldom bend notes out of tune and slides are a little easier than the Warmouth(at least to me).
I have a few more custom GTR's in the making and they will all be scalloped necks.I LOVE the feel of a scallop neck..it feels like..victory in the morning...I leave you with the wisdom of the Swede...Gary Moore is Moore..and Les Paul is Les.
Why Did Eddie Do it
Ritchie Blackmoore was another scallop player. And I think he played a half scallop. from the 12th up. Once you get it, it is way comfortable to play. I used to love grabbing my scalloped guitar live. It felt like taking a break, mainly cause it is a lighter guitar, but the scallops feel so comfortable.
I've played them for years. It forces u to play with a light touch.for the better I think...
It is definitely a different experience and it has a learning curve to it but it will teach you to be more fluid and less choppy with how you finger your notes. My buddy had his 6 string bass scalloped and it is wild watching him play. I had a Charvel that was scalloped like Via's Jems and it makes a big difference up top but I cannot imagine an entire neck being scalloped unless you play virtuoso and never really play chords ever. Have fun with it maybe it will inspire some new songs.
A scalloped bass sounds crazy ha ha
And thanks dude that's a good positive outlook! I am definitely going to mess with it some more 👍
I scalloped my Ibanez Jem Jr with Blackmore style scallops from fret 12 to fret 24. Blackmore style scallops are only scalloped under the bottom 3 (G, B and E) strings, while the first 3 strings (E, A and D) have no scallops. Absolutely love it .
Damn!! I feel the frustration. Great review Deakon.
i have 7 guitars with full scallops. Every time I reach for one that's not I just get mad and send another off to Dean at DC.
I never tried a scalloped fretboard on a guitar. I always hear that they are amazing for lead playing, but scalloping the entire fretboard seems counter intuitive. Scalloping from the 12th to 24th feet seems to be the best choice. Cool video🎸🤘 greetings from Lotasticland
I fully scalloped a fretboard, but not as deep like this one. Went 1.3mm uniformly deep. Needed accommodation to the lower fretting pression, but startet to like the ease of vibrato and bends.
But I found a uniform deep scallop unnecessary.
Next scallop was different: I call it sequential partial asymmetrical scallop. Starts very very shallow under the first fret only high e string, third fret little deeper and under B, 7-th fret again little deeper and up under the G string, and so on... Last fret is 1.2mm deep scalloped and fades out under the low E.
And assymetrical , because the scallopes are deepest near the played fret.
The best feeling scallops: no bending out of tune on the lower register, but good grab of the high strings up the neck for bends and vibrato. 😊
And I’m so glad you did this and that I found this video. I think this could also be for person. He’s got some carpal tunnel going on from years of guitar playing and keyboards and drums. They can play with less effort to the fingers don’t keep locking up.
The JEMs have only four scalloped frets, at the end. But like Yngwie says and quote "the frets aren't scalloped" 😁
Awesome! I'm getting a scalloped fretboard 🤘
Tall steel frets??
Ever try to bump up in string gauge to accommodate the unwanted bending?
Watched your Video...
I have a Yngwie Malmsteen Neck On a Franken-Strat,
it's my #1 Guitar...once you give it a few hours of Practice per
Day. I find The Downward Tremolo Bend to be Most
Appealing. A Bit of Funky
Blues bending between the
3rd and 9th Frets...Play
Johnny Winter, ZZ Top or
Jimi Hendrix and see what
I mean...Accents off pitch?
Bend the Note and it sounds like you planned it that way.😊
I can't help but wonder if some crazy Luthier scalloped a fretboard with fanned frets? I'm curious.
I have multiple fanned fret guitars that Dean at DC customs have scalloped.
Just practice my good man. You will live the scalloped fretboard. I own a fender scalloped it took me 0nle about 30 minutes, and I love it. I play clean and It's amazing.
Not in the near future will I be getting one. Tall frets give me enough grief. Is that Max’s Halo? Fun video!
Thanks for watching! I don't really know if I'll ever get on of my own or not yet lol
And it may or may not be Max's Halo 🤫 haha
I bought a Fender Yngwie Malmsteen model and it should be here by the end of the month (7/28/2022).
How is it?
A couple of months ago I got my hands on a 2004 YJM... Bad ass axe. The fretboard is absolutely smooth. Looking to get my other two guitars scalloped.
after a day or so you will hit the strings with the right amount of pressure
It's all you. You'll learn a lighter touch, but you will fall in love with it. I can't live without my Malmsteen strat and my les paul rarely gets any action. lolol
I was so surprised to see that my common technique I developed over years of practice were actually working against me here haha I was like damn dude lol
@Deakon Lekross I like your playing style. Don't reinvent the wheel lol
I've only found out about them in the last few minutes 😅, looks interesting 🤔
You are a high end player , I bet in 2 weeks it would be effortless. I am so used to standard necks , I wonder if it fit this down in time how it would be switching back to standard necks ?
For all those players with Arthritis here’s your option lol . I play pretty heavy and like the feel of really digging into the notes. But for the high notes I’d be interested in partially scalloped board.
That's a good point actually it could help with players who have potentially weaker hands!
I would totally do the higher frets myself! I could see that being a great addition to a guitar!
I can say what you are saying is a fact for me. I have a 2007 red yjm signature(fully scalloped),ltd ec1000,jackson rr5 pro. The Yjm is the only guitar I can play for at a few hours before my hand locks or falls asleep. My other guitars were my main at one point until the issues occured. I still play my other guitars but once they get uncomfortable I can continue vibing on my scalloped one which I'm grateful for.
I really recommend you to listen to the world fusion band “Ancient Future”, namely, this song of theirs: “I Mett Her in the Medowe, A & B - Remastered” that is all played with a scalloped fretboard acoustic guitar.
It's played in a style much like the style you played here when you played your guitar in “clean mode”.
The song is part of their album “Planet Passion”
I've never tried one but I can't help but wonder if you put extra heavy gage strings on it if that would alleviate a lot of the intonation issues
Would you or any comments homies recommend getting one for playing any kind of music on? I wanna get a Warmoth neck for my first guitar, but not sure if I wanna get it scalloped or not. I like Malmsteen, but this is a guitar I want to play any style or genre on, not just sweeps & sht.
Why you don't have more subs!!!!! You are one of my favroite youtuber and an absolute monster player
Thank you so much for supporting me! I'm very happy that you enjoy my content!
Dude, too funny. Play it for a couple weeks and do another vid. 🤘
That's may be an idea actually ha ha I definitely need to practice on it though
@@DeakonLekross who knows, you may learn to love it. It sure plays fast!!!
I like the idea of Vai’s JEM, with scalloping on only the last few frets, but let’s take it a step further: how about no scallop 1st fret, full scallop last fret (22nd, 24th, 27th, whatever) and in between, each fret gets gradually more scalloped. And while we’re at it, how about slightly fanning the frets, too?
I could get behind that idea! I feel like that would work very well and translate easier to non scalloped players
And damn fan frets ... That's another Ive never played hahaha
I saw an interview with Vai from a year ago where he stated he's now gone to using light scalloped frets on his personal guitars
@@SouthpawSatch do you mean on the entire fretboard or just the uppermost frets like on his jem?
You have to make your cords alittle different the position of your fingers have to be closer to the fret so you don't bend the cord out of tune
Love scalloped fret boards but you need to handle with care. Not for the average shredder playing power chords!
Oh, My main axe is all scalloped.
I had a vision about making another one on day soon
I've only played one a few times. Maybe it's an acquired taste, but I wasn't really a fan.
But will it chug tho? Lol
Looks like you had a blast...
I will be buying a scalloped guitar and I don’t care about the challenge I thrive off it.
🎸🎶So that mean malmsteen cheats when playing by using a scalloped guitar 🤔
Just kidding🤣
I liked and subscribed
My guitars don't have a scalloped fretboard (I never done sweep picking) niether have i ever had a scalloped fretboard on eny of my guitars
If you press too hard on a Scarlet fretboard the note it's bent out of tune you have to press on the Note closer to the fret another words don't press towards the wood press towards the fret
Nice video,great t shirt!
thanks for the great content!
I want to love them but just can't. The feel is terrible.
It's as if Tom Cruise and Anton LaVey had a child.
All ny guitar are wih scallop cant play with out it
It's all good
Tried it but, Oh Nah..
Pressing to hard is really bad technique the more you relax your hand the faster you can play these guys always blame a scalloped neck I'm not criticising this guy he even admits it.I played on a scalloped neck for years never had any problem with chords going out of tune.8s yes maybe I use 9s no problem but I play with a light touch .I you have problems go for 10s until you develop a light touch once you get used to it you will never go back unless you use 6100 frets pretty much the same feel