I finally got to play a scalloped neck last night!

[gschmittling]

I was always curious after hearing about Yngwie's neck on how it would be different. I host an open jam every Monday and we get some seriously good players and amazing songwriters, and in walks this guy from out of town who's been coming up when he's in the area and he brought his Yngwie's strat. I was curious to play and see how I intonate on it and I was really surprised as how I didn't have to change my technique at all! I think I have a very light left hand so that would help. The coolest thing was I could do microtonal bends by just pressing down harder and bend up and press harder for a bigger bend.

 

Anyways I though it was cool. Have any of you seen a big difference in playing scalloped necks? Any huge advantages? I probably would never buy one after playing it last night as I didn't really notice anything different... other than a really strange looking fretboard.

[gennation]

I've played a few full scalloped necks and also tried the Jem 777 (I think it's called) with the higher frets scalloped.

 

I didn't really see a huge difference. I think I'd see more of a difference if I played one for a long period, like working with it more than playing it. I've played sitars before and it took a bit to understand how to exploit it to get some of the traditional sounds out of it, other wise I was really just "seeing it" as a fretboard similar to a guitar...not that I could play the thing, but I'd still try and emulate the cool sounds. I could see though that if I could devote time to the instrument I would end up viewing it at another level than "the guitar". I would assume the scalloped guitar fretboard would fall in that same category.

 

(Hey, two weekends ago we got escorted out of Inkster MI by the Wayne County Police!!! The club didn't have a license for a burlesque show but booked us anyways, for some reason the cop thought that was OUR mistake. They shut us down, followed us around while we tore down and left. They even pulled over one of the guys in the group once he left the club, boo!)

[mosiddiqi]

I would really love to have an Yngwie Strat just 'cos I'm a big fan..but I've never really bonded with any of the ones I tried. I didn't have any particular issue with the scalloping..but there was something about the feel of it that just wasn't happening for me. Hard to describe. ..I liked that bends and vibrato seemed much easier to control..though not that much easier than just having jumbo frets..

[gschmittling]

 

(Hey, two weekends ago we got escorted out of Inkster MI by the Wayne County Police!!! The club didn't have a license for a burlesque show but booked us anyways, for some reason the cop thought that was OUR mistake. They shut us down, followed us around while we tore down and left. They even pulled over one of the guys in the group once he left the club, boo!)

 

 

That's funny! Inkster is rough, I'm RIGHT next door in Dearborn. Last week I was playing in S. Lyon, Brighton and White Lake... ugh the drives. Hopefully they weren't too much of a pain, I'm not sure how the county cops are, most of the city cops around here are hit or miss.

[AXEL276]

I've owned a Malmsteen strat for over 10 years now, it's a favorate of mine. I also have a Warmoth strat that I put together that sports a 1/2 scalloped neck (12 - 22). The Warmoth is one of my primary guitars, I play it all the time. The Malmsteen is a great guitar for soloing and I use it quite a lot for recording. I bonded with these guitars right away, I like jumbo frets as well. Yes you do need a light touch, for me it was never a problem.