Scalloped Fretboard

jumbo frets = scalloped fretboard

And so you scalloped that yourself? Scale of 1-10, how difficult?
it wasn't very difficult, but i have a natural knack for working with wood. i did it by hand with files and sandpaper, it basically requires a lot of patience and time.
jumbo frets = scalloped fretboard
not necessarily, the concept is basically the same since the string doesn't actually touch the fretboard but a scalloped neck has a noticeably different feel imo

And so you scalloped that yourself? Scale of 1-10, how difficult?
it wasn't very difficult, but i have a natural knack for working with wood. i did it by hand with files and sandpaper, it basically requires a lot of patience and time.
jumbo frets = scalloped fretboard
not necessarily, the concept is basically the same since the string doesn't actually touch the fretboard but a scalloped neck has a noticeably different feel imo

i have absolutely no experiance or desire to know the differance, but i'm wondering, if you aren't touching the fretboard on either how would the feel be different?
either way it seems like a silly thing to do to me. :wink:

hmmm -- on all the guitars I'd ever played with jumbo frets, my fingers still touch the 'board. I think you've over-simplified the concept in your comparison. The shapes between the frets are very different between jumbo frets and scalloped 'board. While I don't have a particular need for a scalloped 'board, I can understand that it would facilitate certain styles of playing, such as those that incorporate tapping, fast vibrato and deep bends (easier string gripping) -- but hey, maybe those styles and techniques are just silly. (Note: SA)

By the way, who started using a scalloped fretboard first - Blackmore as mentioned, or McLaughlin in his Shakti period?

hmmm -- on all the guitars I'd ever played with jumbo frets, my fingers still touch the 'board. I think you've over-simplified the concept in your comparison. The shapes between the frets are very different between jumbo frets and scalloped 'board. While I don't have a particular need for a scalloped 'board, I can understand that it would facilitate certain styles of playing, such as those that incorporate tapping, fast vibrato and deep bends (easier string gripping) -- but hey, maybe those styles and techniques are just silly. (Note: SA)

i stand corrected, i had no idea it made all those styles and techniques easier.
the only jumbo frets i ever played made pressing the string all the way to the fretboard very difficult

i stand corrected, i had no idea it made all those styles and techniques easier.
the only jumbo frets i ever played made pressing the string all the way to the fretboard very difficult

Difficulty depends greatly upon the string gauge and which position fret, but that and increased tuning error are certainly downsides of super-jumbo frets.

DemoEct -

I'm not sure if your question is who of those two guitarists started using a scalloped board first,
or if you wanna know who ORIGINATED scalloped boards....

I don't know the answer as to who between those two...

Scalloped boards on stringed instuments have been around quite awhile though.

Some old lutes were scalloped.

In fact - in addition to all the mentioned reasons for scalloping a guitar's fretboard,
It's also done to guitars for simulating Indian and Vietnamese music.

The Indian Vina is a scalloped string instrument.

That's where McLaughlin got the idea to scallop his for Shakti.
That group formed in 1975.

I'm not sure when exactly Blackmore started doing it to his guitars.

I would have to guess though, that Blackmore originated the 'modern' use of scalloping for bends/vibrato though.

Ken

i stand corrected, i had no idea it made all those styles and techniques easier.
the only jumbo frets i ever played made pressing the string all the way to the fretboard very difficult

Difficulty depends greatly upon the string gauge and which position fret, but that and increased tuning error are certainly downsides of super-jumbo frets.

Yeah, i realise this, and figured it was a given.
I should have, but saw no need to add that it was pointless (imo) considering the probabal tuning error.
my real question should have been "if you have already made contact with the fretwire, why press further to the actual fretboard?"

A question many have asked when wondering about the value of jumbo frets. Don't think most assume they were intended for complete "no fretboard contact" playing, though some may try to use them that way with extra light strings. A lot of players don't like jumbo frets.

DemoEct -

I'm not sure if your question is who of those two guitarists started using a scalloped board first,
or if you wanna know who ORIGINATED scalloped boards....

I don't know the answer as to who between those two...

Scalloped boards on stringed instuments have been around quite awhile though.

Some old lutes were scalloped.

In fact - in addition to all the mentioned reasons for scalloping a guitar's fretboard,
It's also done to guitars for simulating Indian and Vietnamese music.

The Indian Vina is a scalloped string instrument.

That's where McLaughlin got the idea to scallop his for Shakti.
That group formed in 1975.

I'm not sure when exactly Blackmore started doing it to his guitars.

I would have to guess though, that Blackmore originated the 'modern' use of scalloping for bends/vibrato though.

Ken

Hey thanks for the info CitiZenNoir! Yah I was mostly wondering about Blackmore/McLaughlin.

Add to the veena, the sitar, which is about as scalloped as you can get - no real fingerboard at all :)

And man, could Ravi pull some mean bends on his!

Thanks again!

DemoEtc -

Always happy to share info.
Glad you enjoyed it.

Yeah, Ravi's Great.
Love Harrison on sitar as well (although I think that Ravi found it hard to listen to LOL)

And, sorry about mis-spellin' yer name :oops:

It's from my Southside Chicago accent.... We say Excetera instead of Etcetera.
So my abreviation for it is always Ect. instead of Etc.

Sorry again.

Ken

ps

http://www.ancient-future.com/audio/amber.mp3

That's a link to a sound clip of guitarist Matthew Montfort.
He plays a scalloped guitar. I think he's been doin' it since '78.

If you can read music and are interested in trying to play this style of music,
he has transcribed many songs into standard music.

His band is called Ancient-Future, and is where I learned of what I know of scalloped guitars.

Funny, I didn't even notice the misspelled name, lol

Thanks for the link too.

Take care :)