Scalloped fretboards. - uurgghhh

[IAA]

I was watching Ritchie Blackmore on something, oh alright, YouTube and he was talking about the benefits of said scalloping (Is that a verb?), anyway I was in some strange way repelled by how it looks. I can’t explain why, but it’s so weird I don’t even like looking at pics of them.

So it’s not happening to my guitars and I wondered whether my reaction is atypical?

Of course if it made me play immediately like Blackmore I’d get my chisel out tomorrow- as they say.

Just wondering.

Ian

[Wonks]

It's a very Marmite thing. I really don't like the feel of tall frets so it would never work for me, but if people can benefit from them, then good for them.

[sonics]

Interesting that you mention Marmite. If you said "scalloped fretboard" round here people would think it some sort of culinary specialty.

It is a feel thing. It may or may not suit your playing style. Try one and find out is my advice, and forget about how weird it might look.

[Luke W]

I dislike the look of them as well. That aside, my playing is far too oafish for it to be of any benefit anyway, I'd never be in tune.

[sonics]

I dislike the look of them as well.

Guitarists. Such a vain bunch!

The fretboard is meant to be pointing away from you, I thought!

[Drew Stephenson]

I don't dislike them, but I figure if you're going down that route then why not do a Gittler and go the whole hog?

[amanise]

If you think scalloped fingerboards are weird what about wiggly frets? Terrifying!!

[Luke W]

Guitarists. Such a vain bunch!

The fretboard is meant to be pointing away from you, I thought!

I definitely spend more time looking at my guitars than playing them. But that’s a whole separate issue.

[sonics]

Mmm.

If I had the money, my next guitar would be a custom-built multi-scale headless with equal temperament (aka the technically correct term, "squiggly") frets.
No scallops, though.

I really would like to play in tune with my keyboards. Buzz Feiten has helped thus far, but he's getting old now.

[zenguitar]

Buzz Feiten has helped thus far, but he's getting old now.

Let's be perfectly clear. The Buzz Feiten Tuning System is complete and utter b*ll*cks. The wonderful thing is that everything you need to rip it up and tear it into pieces is neatly contained in his patents.

Essentially, he had a brilliant idea for a bridge for acoustic guitars that combined bone saddles that seated against the wood of the bridge with electric guitar tune-o-matic style intonation adjustment. As an addition to this excellent idea was a bunch of meaningless crap about intonation 'justified' by an explanation of the alleged failings of the calculation of fret positions which clearly showed that he had no understanding of how these were calculated and instead referenced an out dated reference that contained a poor 'rule of thumb' approximation that no trained luthier had ever used.

The patent was awarded for the bridge, but also included the ridiculous BFTS. All we can infer from the award of the patent was that the assessor was blinded by bullshit.

Fortunately, the temperament tables offered in the initial patent didn't work in the way he expected and he had to apply for addition patents to add additional temperament tables to further tweak his ridiculous kludge.

And there's no need for squiggly frets. Straight frets guarantee Equal Temperament, that's the whole point. The squiggly frets you describe are designed for Well Tempered or Harmonic tunings.

Andy

[sonics]

First off, I meant to write True Temperament. That was simply a typo.

BFTS is a kludge yes, but it's useful to me and I prefer it in some situations, that's why I use it. You sound rather annoyed by it which I don't understand. I really have no interest in the patents and the like. No, it's not perfect, but we are talking about the guitar.

[tea for two]

a Gittler and go the whole hog?

Lookswise kinda reminds me of a Sitar. I should really get a Sitar. An Electric Sitar. Don't really know why I haven't yet.

[merlyn]

Another guitarist who used a scalloped fretboard was Yngwie Malmsteen. Malmsteen is another fast player. I imagine the thinking is that scallops cut down on friction from the finger being in contact with the wood of the fretboard. I've never tried one, but I imagine it requires a very light touch with the left hand, which goes along with spider web strings, and an action below the frets.

Steve Vai had a guitar where the top four frets were scalloped. That was for wild bends, where a string can be bent by pushing down.

[amanise]

I've never played one - though they always fascinated me. I imagine there's some friction advantages - but probably the lack of the considerable impact of smashing your fingertips into a plank of wood makes it more like a Sitar to play and hence helps speed and bends/vibrato. Most likely takes away any of the need for those highly technical 'squiggly frets' as you'd compensate for intonation 'drift' with a mixture of finger pressure and slight bending as you played anyway. I think players of conventional guitars do this with experience without the need for special fretwork. I bet they take a bit of getting used to.

[mrsteve]

I scallop the top frets (20-24) to allow my rather large and somewhat mis-shaped fingers to get a better "grip" on the string. My touch doesn't really change much, if at all.
And no I don't really care at all what it looks like

[Wonks]

Of course with scalloped fretboards, you must have a hard-shell case.

[Kwackman]

Of course with scalloped fretboards, you must have a hard-shell case.

Go sit on the naughty step!

[merlyn]

OK, so maybe there's no thinking involved -- it's a feel thing. Ritchie Blackmore was a bit of a maniac. Before he was in Deep Purple he was in a band that had their own van. When they were driving around, Blackmore would throw bags of flour out of the window at passers-by. I think particularly pretty young women. The police got involved and he was threatened with prison if he didn't stop. Then he got into Deep Purple and maybe he stopped, or maybe Deep Purple didn't let him sit at the window.

Blackmore also screwed a strap button to his headstock "to annoy people." Why exactly he scalloped his fretboard may remain a mystery.

[MarkOne]

Why exactly he scalloped his fretboard may remain a mystery.

It’s because he was born by the sea! To be exact, 290 yards from where I sit right now

[BWC]

I've had a play on a scalloped fretboard or two. To me, what made it feel faster isn't about reduced friction or impact, but reduced need for precision. Your fingers just, sort of, fall on to the right spots. I found it to be too much of compromise for that benefit, personally.

Here's some Yngwie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yni9Qu76UyA

Check out his pitch correction on the note at about 1:30. I also note that, while much of his picking is from the wrist, a lot of his fastest picking seems to come largely from the knuckles in his thumb.

[IAA]

Interesting. Maybe that’s it,

K, so maybe there's no thinking involved -- it's a feel thing. Ritchie Blackmore was a bit of a maniac

. I think it makes the fretboard so, well, ugly and I want my instruments to move me aesthetically as well as sound good. I must point out I’m not a seasoned guitarist, more a keys chap who’s noodled for years. I honestly couldn’t see it adding anything to my abilities.

[Wonks]

In looks, just think of it as a Roli, rather than a conventional keyboard.

[arkieboy]

I thought the point about scalloped fretboards was that it encouraged a really light touch, commensurate with playing fast. Happy to be corrected …

Never played one - I have a death grip on a guitar neck so I can see attempting one ending in tears!

[BWC]

I thought the point about scalloped fretboards was that it encouraged a really light touch, commensurate with playing fast. Happy to be corrected …

Maybe, but that wasn't my experience. Playing faster is about efficiency of movement, which is similar to a "light touch", but not exactly the same thing. Some of my fingers are stronger than others, so lightness of touch varies a bit between them at high speeds. As long as they don't move any more than necessary to get where they're going, they'll get there fast.

[merlyn]

Here's some Yngwie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yni9Qu76UyA

Check out his pitch correction on the note at about 1:30. I also note that, while much of his picking is from the wrist, a lot of his fastest picking seems to come largely from the knuckles in his thumb.

Before he goes into Far Beyond The Sun, he plays Albinoni -- Adagio in G Minor. There is something before Albinoni. I don't know what it is. Anyone?

All roads lead to picking technique ...

I think when he's using his knuckles he's sweeping, i.e. using consecutive downstrokes to cross strings going upwards in pitch (towards the floor).