Mr Glyn and Scallops

[gatvsgat]

Greetings fellow guitarists!!

How many of you folks have gone into a music store and bought a guitar only to later realise that it isn't quite what you really had in mind or... ever had that sensation that "this guitar would almost be perfect if...." Well to be perfectly honest I have been through that dilemma a number of times.. Guitars for the masses but never quite for me.. Maybe I'm just fussy... However if you feel that same way that I do then please pay Mr Glyn at Poolside Studios a visit because he has done an amazing job at making my very ordinary Ibanez S series guitar feel like it was purpose built for me. Brilliant scalloping job!!

This leads me onto another interesting topic.. Scalloping. Unfortunately this is not about those succulent shellfish. For those of you not familiar with the concept of scalloping it is when grooves are cut out of your fingerboard between the frets so their is a concave groove between every fret. Not a common thing found on guitars but those of you into Malmsteen or Vai or Blackmore be very familiar with this concept. There are a lot of mixed reviews about this. I think there is a big gap in what people feel about scalloping their beloved guitars... Why is it that manufacturers to not make this a stock feature on their guitars?

On a personal note I prefer a scalloped neck because it encourages precision in fingering, facilitates better string control and all in all feels great to play.
I would love to hear peoples thoughts on the mysterious concept of scalloping.

[Some Bozo]

I'm not sure I'd want to scallop a guitar that I ever might want to sell again. Wouldn't you be reducing the number of potential buyers to about 1% of what there were before it was scalloped ?

[Vorbis]

You might get someone buying out of curiosity, that's the only reason I scalloped mine.
It's hard to go back to a normal board after a while of playing.

What did Mr Glyn charge you ?

[ash]

I'm not sure I'd want to scallop a guitar that I ever might want to sell again. Wouldn't you be reducing the number of potential buyers to about 1% of what there were before it was scalloped ?

Seems crazy, I know... but some people buy their guitars with the intention of playing them, not maintaining them for the benefit of the next buyer. Madness.

[Some Bozo]

I'm not sure I'd want to scallop a guitar that I ever might want to sell again. Wouldn't you be reducing the number of potential buyers to about 1% of what there were before it was scalloped ?

Seems crazy, I know... but some people buy their guitars with the intention of playing them, not maintaining them for the benefit of the next buyer. Madness.

Yeah but what if after playing it for a while you decide that scalloping's not for you. Then you've basically got to wait until Yngwie shows up on Trademe to buy it

[Mr Glyn]

I scalloped gatvsgat's Ibanez from the 12th fret up and charged $250. To do a whole board is $350. That included polishing the frets and setting the guitar up.

I wouldn't want to do the job for a player with a rough, dig in, blues style of playing - you need good technique and a light touch to benefit from scalloping.

Mr gatvsgat's is a seriously good player and it suits him completely.

And yea its gonna be harder to sell but hey - live for the moment, better to burn out... etc. this is rock'n'roll afterall

[willow13]

Greetings fellow guitarists!!
Why is it that manufacturers to not make this a stock feature on their guitars?
On a personal note I prefer a scalloped neck because it encourages precision in fingering, facilitates better string control and all in all feels great to play.
I would love to hear peoples thoughts on the mysterious concept of scalloping.

welcome to the scalloped club, theres no going back now

I think the lack of manufactured scalloped fretboards is because we guitarist are a picky bunch and don't like change.....I would say that out of all the guitarist in new zealand only about 5% would have even played a guitar with scallop's, why ? because you generally can't walk into a music shop and pick one up to try.........

I have said many many times that I get a guitar based on looks first and foremost, and others say tone is what attracts them... but what keeps me playing my favourite guitar as apposed to the numerous others that I own is the FEEL of it in my hands and I think most people are the same so they don't even want to try something different, and lets face it a scalloped board is very different from your standard ones.....most peoples attitude is,if it ain't broke don't fix it...

[snitchez]

hehe. im still thinking about defretting my bass with mr gyln. =p gah. decisions!

[willow13]

I wouldn't want to do the job for a player with a rough, dig in, blues style of playing - you need good technique and a light touch to benefit from scalloping.

totally agree...I have a very light touch so it suits me really well.....trouble is with a light touch I can make a les paul sound like one of those shredder ibanez kinda thingys....less bottom end than a skeleton

[hamo]

I remember when I was first getting into Vai, and with my mates the scalloping thing came up a lot, but most of us had never even seen a guitar with scalloped frets in the wood. I still haven't!

[ash]

Why is it that manufacturers to not make this a stock feature on their guitars?

I think the lack of manufactured scalloped fretboards is because we guitarist are a picky bunch and don't like change.....I would say that out of all the guitarist in new zealand only about 5% would have even played a guitar with scallop's, why ? because you generally can't walk into a music shop and pick one up to try.........

The main reasons are:
1. Most players dont seem to don't want or need it.
2. Its an expensive thing to do to a stock production guitar that can't be undone if not wanted (see 1.)

Imagine if half the guitars out there suddenly were available with scallop action, but cost $250 each extra. There'd be some price bitching then!

Which reminds me, the Safon prototype in the PGM thread will have progressively scalloped fretboard in the shred zone. Cliche central!

[Miza]

That's why Strats are so good. Just buy a cheap replacement neck, scallop it and you're not wrecking the original guitar. Then you can chop and change next depending on how you feel.

You wouldn't do it to a LP now would you.

[Hot_Grits]

I remember when scalloping was hip. I still have a rosewood strat neck I scalloped somewhere. A friend of mine had a maple neck on which he very cleanly scalloped one fret right in the middle (as that's what his file was suitable for). I wonder what happened to that neck?

Scalloped boards are an interesting ride, but 90% of the benefit most dudes are after (translated: I play with a light touch and I need to hear a lot of notes) can be achieved by super jumbo frets. There is that little bit of extra 'ping' a scallop seems to provide, though.

There are some very cool things you can do with intonation on a scalloped board, too. A definite aid for the microtonal player.

As for scalloped guitars in shops, over the years I've seen two: a first series Malmsteen strat (back when they were more like an Am std) and a progressively scalloped MIJ Fender Blackmore model. That's it for the last 20-odd years.

[Mr Glyn]

I've just bought a Samick on TM for $50 and was gonna set it up, route it for humbuckers n load it with Bareknuckles just to demo the pickups at the next Auck gearfest.
Maybe I should scallop it fron 12th up - see what folk think.
Any thoughts?

[stuu]

not to say whether or not i'd buy one: i've never actually understood hat the practical function of scalloping is for:

is it so you can press harder to raise the note? if so why not just bend?

somebody please enlighten me / shoot me for my ignorance.