What's so great about a scalloped board, and why do 7 players like it more

[Shenaniganizer]

than 6 players.
I've seen a lot of 7s (like the Siggi Braun and LAG, to name a couple) with scalloped boards, and only the YJM when it comes to 6s.

First, what's so great about 'em? I've heard they make faster play easier, they make bends/vibrato easier, they make the overall "feel" slicker and 'better?', and blahblahblahblah.
Where's the awesome at? I'm considering scalloping my first guitar (Peavey Raptor) just to try it out, but I'd like to hear some experiences first.

And, second, why do they seem to appeal so much more to 7 string players? Do they improve the experience of playing? Particularly to metal-heads/shredders?

 

[ittoa666]

Better vibrato is a good reason. I'm sure more guys on here can describe it in more detail though.

 

[M3CHK1LLA]

ive noticed this too, and want to know. yngwie who's fender sig mod. is done that way says it makes it harder to play and stay in tune. i can see where it would add to your range on bends & stuff.

also you might post this thread in the luthier section since those guys could probably tell you why.

 

[Prydogga]

Jem doesn't spring to mind? Ritchie Blackmoore strat? There's really not that many scalloped 7s, I dont think it appeals to 7 string players any more than it does to 6ers. A few things about them are they help you get more comfortable with pressing on the string with the riht pressure, you can do cool vibrato and vertical bends, there's not some huge awesome secret to them.

 

[drmosh]

they just feel different, it's personal preference.
And also, I think Siggi Braun has made maybe a handful of scalloped boards compared to many more normal one. I would hardly say that 7 string guitar players seem to prefer scalloped

 

[ralphy1976]

i have a 1991 Jem, post AANJ neck and to be honest the scalopped frets are pretty hard to reach (due to the neck joint).

When i do manage to reach them and make a decent sound of it i can't really say that i feel something magical happening.

However i am willing to say that it might be totally different elsewhere from 1st to 15th fret.

 

[Louis Cypher]

i have a 1991 Jem, post AANJ neck and to be honest the scalopped frets are pretty hard to reach (due to the neck joint).

When i do manage to reach them and make a decent sound of it i can't really say that i feel something magical happening.

However i am willing to say that it might be totally different elsewhere from 1st to 15th fret.

Great question as I would love to know what the actual differnece really is... ^ Same mate, the old (first) Jem I had was the same, last few frets scalloped up to the 24th, dunno tbh same really never really played up that high that often to tell if it helped inspire some musical witchcraft or voodoo.... Have to say the Yngwie Strat does look very very cool with the full scallop and I would love to give it a go....

 

[Harry]

Yeah I honestly don't notice any difference in playing speed using a scalloped fret board.
As long as your guitar already has jumbo frets/Dunlop 6100s/6105s, scalloping wont increase your playing speed, only working on technique will do that.
It will make bending and vibrato easier, but if you have jumbo/Dunlop 6100s/6105 frets already the difference wont be huge, but it will be noticeable enough that you may be able to justify using a scalloped fretboard.

And honestly I've never noticed it being more popular among 7 string players at all. I don't think the appeal of it has anything to do with how many strings you have, just rather what a player feels suits them

 

[Esp Griffyn]

Time for someone with a YJM strat to chime in...

The main benefit of scalloping is to facilitate easier vibrato. Vibrato on an unscalloped board is inefficient compared to vibrato on a scalloped board, as with the wood scalloped away, you can get your finger more sideways into the string to bend it, instead of sort of dragging over it. Bends require less effort and put lss strain on the fingers, and its easier to control the subtle nuances of your vibrato.

As for speed, it doesn't add a great deal. Some people cannot get on with scalloped boards, and lose speed. I feel more fluid on my Fender YJM than I do on my Ibanez K-7, but I think it's all just perceived by the player - If you can play so fast on your regular guitar, playing a scalloped guitar will not make you 50% faster by magic, your fingers can only move as fast as your brain can coordinate them, that is the barrier to getting faster, not your fretboard.

Some say that they are difficult to play because if you press too hard the notes go sharp as they dip into the scooped out area. To this, I say if you are a decent player to start with it will never be an issue, even when you are playing chords. You really need to press the string hard to make it go sharp, far harder than you would ever press a string in any normal situation.

In summary, they don't make you faster, they probably will make your vibrato better and you might find them more comfortable than unscalloped necks. For several reasons the YJM has become my main guitar now (the snappy sound, the looks etc) but the feel is a big part of it. It just feels awesome

 

[avenger]

Time for someone with a YJM strat to chime in...

The main benefit of scalloping is to facilitate easier vibrato. Vibrato on an unscalloped board is inefficient compared to vibrato on a scalloped board, as with the wood scalloped away, you can get your finger more sideways into the string to bend it, instead of sort of dragging over it. Bends require less effort and put lss strain on the fingers, and its easier to control the subtle nuances of your vibrato.

As for speed, it doesn't add a great deal. Some people cannot get on with scalloped boards, and lose speed. I feel more fluid on my Fender YJM than I do on my Ibanez K-7, but I think it's all just perceived by the player - If you can play so fast on your regular guitar, playing a scalloped guitar will not make you 50% faster by magic, your fingers can only move as fast as your brain can coordinate them, that is the barrier to getting faster, not your fretboard.

Some say that they are difficult to play because if you press too hard the notes go sharp as they dip into the scooped out area. To this, I say if you are a decent player to start with it will never be an issue, even when you are playing chords. You really need to press the string hard to make it go sharp, far harder than you would ever press a string in any normal situation.

In summary, they don't make you faster, they probably will make your vibrato better and you might find them more comfortable than unscalloped necks. For several reasons the YJM has become my main guitar now (the snappy sound, the looks etc) but the feel is a big part of it. It just feels awesome

Vibrato control is probaly the biggest reason. Being able to grip the strings better when bending and such (as stated above).

I am also wondering if it makes it a little easier to get your fingers in on those higher frets 22/23/24 as the frets start becoming quite close together and harder to fret properly (fit my finger in).

 

[Deadseen]

Isn't it something to do with the fact that once you have accepted that a guitar can have more then 6-strings you're just more open for other thing as well, I see the Kramer turbulence guitar quite often over here. But on other forums, any guitar that isen't a strata, tele or LP is evil incarnated and should be destroyed with fire.
On this site people seems to be okay with 7-8-9 strings, scalloped, ergonomic guitars, carbon-fiber necks, weird custom pickups and so on.

 

[Edroz]

i don't have anything against scalloped boards, but if you're running huge frets like 6100 or 6000 size, your fingers really don't touch the fretboard while playing anyway. so i don't see a big advantage to going scalloped.

i have a very wide, slow vibrato ala Yngwie, Andy LaRoque, Stephan Forte, etc. i'm pretty aggresive and like to dig in when i bend. and maybe it's just me, but i don't play any differently, nor does anything feel easier on my YJM strat than any of my other guitars that have big frets.

 

[Esp Griffyn]

i don't have anything against scalloped boards, but if you're running huge frets like 6100 or 6000 size, your fingers really don't touch the fretboard while playing anyway. so i don't see a big advantage to going scalloped.

i have a very wide, slow vibrato ala Yngwie, Andy LaRoque, Stephan Forte, etc. i'm pretty aggresive and like to dig in when i bend. and maybe it's just me, but i don't play any differently, nor does anything feel easier on my YJM strat than any of my other guitars that have big frets.

My Ibanez K-7 has jumbo frets on it, and the difference between that and my YJM strat is massive. Like it or not, even the biggest frets you can get will never completely eliminate finger / fretboard contact, a scalloped board will.

 

[Edroz]

My Ibanez K-7 has jumbo frets on it, and the difference between that and my YJM strat is massive. Like it or not, even the biggest frets you can get will never completely eliminate finger / fretboard contact, a scalloped board will.

yeah, i'm not doubting that scalloped boards can make a big difference for alot of players. but for me and my playing style, big frets give me all the advantages that scallops would.

i just know, that when i got my YJM strat, it wasn't like HOLY SHIT! i can never go back to a regular fretboard again!

i still keep my YJM strat around just because it sounds so good .

 

[troyguitar]

It just gives you a little more control, which can be good or bad depending on the player

I personally love them, even though I don't own any at present. One of these days I'll do it, possibly on one of my 7-string builds I have planned for this summer.

 

[Deadseen]

Another thing that scalloped can do over jumbo fret. You will still have the benefits of a jumbo fret. but the string height can be lower.

 

[beneharris]

i scalloped the fretboard on my old king v, and i think its fun to play. its really comfortable when doing bends and stuff, but when im trying to play fast, it is a huge adjustment for me. it definitely makes your control on vibrato a lot better though