The Scalloped Guitar Fretboard Is It For You?

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Scalloping is a process of 'scooping out" the top layer of wood on a fretboard of a guitar between frets...

creating a "U" shape or "concave" instead of a flat surface.

The technique produces tall frets leaving string contact only and less or no contact surface with the fingerboard.

History Of The Scalloped Fretboard

Although Scalloped necks are not a standard option, especially on production-line guitars...

History Of The Scalloped Fretboard

This feature has been around before guitars were invented. Especially in the East.

This concept of having little or no wood between the frets is not new to the Indian sitar. 

Or the Indian Veena or Vina style of fretted instruments.

Scalloping is not the same across the board; you have different process variations for specific needs or wants.

-Firstly you have Extreme Scalloping. This type of Scalloping has lateral intrusions along with the standard vertical hollows.

-Next is Full Scalloping, a more popular version of this neck design wherein the entire fretboard is done.

  –Finally, Partial Scalloping is designed to target half or full frets but only certain neck regions,

Michael Schenker On his 1984 Greco MSV650, Michael Schenker Signature has a scalloped fingerboard from 12th-23 frets on first strings only.

Examples Of Partial Scalloped Fretboards

Steve Vai on the JEM or PIA has a scalloped fingerboard on 21-24 frets only. Kiko Loureiro of Megadeth has his neck scalloped from the 12th to the last fret.

Examples Of Partial Scalloped Fretboards

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