Scalloped question

[Ripper]

Do you think a guitar with scalloped frets would need the fretwires changed more then a regular fretboard?
My theory being youre putting more pressure on just the metal of the fretwire instead of the neck.

[Runewalker]

I suspect the opposite because you must significantly adjust your technique paradoxically to a firm yet lighter touch. Of course that depends .......

The conventional wisdom on the conventional neck is to achieve low action for a speedy neck and reduction in sharpening of tones when griping the string against the fretboard. If you go for the SRV style technique you are choking the life out of the notes, digging in with aggressive bends and vibratos, and grinding strings against frets. A style that just would not work with a scalloped neck.

If you think about it a scalloped neck is more like a sitar than a guitar. If you listen to much sitar music, and of course you do in your den of handtied indian rugs and centerpiece hooka, then you notice a fluidity to the notes. The music relies heavily on note motion around the tonic, slides, glissandos and even 1/8th and 1/4 tones. That motion around the note fools the ear into hearing the tonic of the note. Conventional western music and subsequently our ears are conditioned to rather rigid 12 tones per octive, when in fact there are many stops along the path between octives. Blues and slurring tones acknowledge and leverage that notion.

A scalloped neck lends itself both to a light touch and slurring movements between and within tones. The slurs are what will file the frets.

Most reference Ygngie (what kinda name is that?) or Richie Blackmoore when talking scalloped. But listen to John McGlaughlin in his Shakti period to see a more extravagant exploration of between tones movement and lighting.

So accelerated wear will largely depend on whether you play static notes or lottsa psycho vibrato and slurs. Even in the latter, the touch or dig can be lighter on a scalloped neck than a conventional neck.

On my instrument with the most hours, I notice a type of scalloped wear pattern on the fretboard from years of digging in on bends and vibratos. So I have a slowly developing scalloped neck. Should take about 15 more years to go full scalloped..

One last thing (thank god, the crowd roars) .... most of the commercial scallops you see have those oil pipe sized super jumbo frets. It's gonna take a few thousand playing hours to move through the meat in those suckers. Are you playing 12 hours a day? If so, where can I get a job like that?

[Ripper]

Thanks Runewalker, you answered my question and gave me a laugh!
Ill have a big decision to make next month when I at last make my purchase.

[Runewalker]

One other thing that will help you manage your fretwear, but stress your budget and relationships, is to simply buy/build or trade for more guitars. Go on rotation and no one fret gets overuse.

Just trying to be helpful.

[ChrisK]

My limited experience w/ scalloped necks has been the need for regular "fingertip" replacement. (And then there's the butter stains....)


If'n yer worried, go fer the stainless steel frets