Shakti - Scalloped Fretboard demonstration. Part 2

[GREGLUHOWY]

Congratulations, I've been using Dr. Thomastiks since 1982. Sometimes not so easy for me to get them but they're the only thing I'll buy. The scallopning makes perfect sense to me. I had a 1928 National. Bell Brass Nickel Plated. It had been played by so many people that by the time I got it in 1974 that the neck had become scalloped naturally by the wear of the playing. The thing was uber fast, slick almost. I loved it.

[able2biteme]

What doea scalloped frets do?

[stringrip]

@able2biteme

 It doesn't do anything , its just that some players like the feel of not having fretboard , see the video explanation for more detail.

[psyoptica]

I didn't know they made .16 gauge wound strings. That thing's gotta be so fragile.

[stringrip]

@psyoptica  Yes but only Thomastick makes them . They are not so fragile but they don't give that much sound output because they are so thin.

[Pan3405]

Not impressed...

[Nevigo]

@Pan3405

You dont have to be.Its that great feeling the player get when he play on a scalloped fretboard that counts.

[Pan3405]

@Nevigo ok.. i understand

[stringrip]

@Pan3405 Its your turn to play it now.

[Nevigo]

Just start playing with a scalloped fretboard.You fingers/hands will get used to the feather touch you need to use a scalloped neck,same with chords.I wouldnt go back to a "normal" neck at any cost.

[KyleStonehouse]

Once again, you just took out the middle of the fret without scalloping it on a gradual curve.

I couldn't stand having the wood there near the edge of the fret.

[stringrip]

@KyleStonehouse Scalloping close to the frets increases the risk of scratching them . Plus I feel that having some wood around the frets would make it easier for the gtr to be refretted and the fretboard retains more strength .

[KyleStonehouse]

@stringrip Fair enough. I scratched mine quite a bit when I scalloped my neck, but I just buffed them out and it was fine.

[stringbreaker6]

wow i do not call that pleasant to the ears but thats my opinion i still enjoyed the variety tho

[ajaydotcom]

hey great piece! i scalloped my own acoustic and stringed it with d`addario phosphor bronze 0.047-0.010 and it sounds great on the bends...i get a range of about 3 frets from the 2nd fret onwards. but as for microtunes as on sitar its tougher...i havent tried any 0.009`s yet...can you advise on the which to choose? i`m planning to get a pickup, so even with the light gauge i hope to catch some of that remaining tone :P

[stringrip]

@ajaydotcom Thanks , give the 009s a try , they would give more bending possiblity altho the tone will become weaker , the only way to know is to experiment. I agree that with light guage strings on an acoustic gtr you need amplification . As point of interest , I read that the custom Wechter Gibson gtr John McL used with Shakti had 3 transducer pick ups , and special bracing to compensate for the light strings low output. It also had extra wide fretboard to give more room for bending.

[q28s1]

Just makes me think. Usually because of the lack of "true temperament" on guitar I usually bend notes. I guess for here it applicable by pressure. I want one!

[Minor8Flat4]

scalloped freboards are not really the way to go for attacking the bends in indian music . There is one major flaw , they dont bend down, only up . The best way in my opinion is to use a trem to get the desired effects.

dj

[aoisatan]

wat about shredding is it easier?

[stringrip]

Even though its not a good answer - yes and no . it gives a freerer feeling not having friction with the finger board , but at the same time you have to concentrate more on applying equal pressure so some notes don't go sharp. It would vary from player to player , some may feel it makes it easier , others the reverse. The only way to know is to try it out , which admitedly not so easy to do . not many stores have scalloped gts in stock to try out.

[aoisatan]

Oh Alright thanks !

[Hoopermazing]

Does this make barring any easier? If so, I'm going to pay a guitar tech to scallop my Yamaha LL16.

[stringrip]

I think barring chords is easier on normal fretboard . It could cost alot for gtr tech to do the job because of many hours of work involved . The ideal thing would to test play a scalloped gtr to see if you like it first , such as the Fender Yngwie Malmstein signature gtr , but not many stores will have those in stock .

[Hoopermazing]

Thanks. I might just go the larger fret route instead.

[Hoopermazing]

@stringrip - I must have been high when I wrote that comment. As it turns out, all I needed to do is cut the nut slots to the proper depth... which was easy to accomplish with a set of fret saws from Stew Mac.

[Sweedenlover]

thanks Ill probaly sccallop a steel string then man..ok thanks!

[Sweedenlover]

they dont respond as well..or at all?? Will I at least still have that smooth cloud like feeling when I go across strings?

[stringrip]

With nylon strings you have to bend the strings much more to get the same effect . With steel strings you don't have to push that much to change the pitch . You won't get the cloud like feeling with nylon , it would feel sloppy and probably the strings would be buzzing. Scalloping is for steel strings only. Nylon strings don't vibrate in the right way for this.

[Jeahbuddy]

how did you make the fretboard that shiny again.

i have made a scalloping myself but the wood doesn´t look taht good anymore

[stringrip]

You can use those sandpaper pads to make it shiny . You can restore the colour by getting some woodworking stain from the hardware store . The video - "HOW TO SCALLOP YOUR FRETBOARD" by platinumjam22 has some good tips about scalloping.

[Sweedenlover]

Hey do you think its possible to scllop one of those cheap nylon acoustics and paint on it .and still be good in sounds and looks? IM only worried about the scalloping..?

[stringrip]

Scalloping doesn't work at all with nylon strings , they don't respond to bending as well as steel strings .

[TheLivingDeadOne]

Wow, after watching that awesome display of guitar playing,. I dont fell so bad,..

[ak47mustang]

really cool! You ever thought about adding sympathetic strings to it as well?

[stringrip]

Thanks , but drone strings require special bracing , and only a skilled builder could do it . John McLaughlin' s Shakti guitar made by Abraham Wechter had tuners for the drone strings as well . Theres a Guitar Player magazine article that describes that gtr in detail , its possible to find it on the web.

[glorplaxy]

drone strings refer to something else. he is talking about sympathetics.

[stringrip]

Just as point of interest , I have old magazine interview with John McLaughlin where he talks about this . Quote- [speaking about the custom Shakti gtr] - " It had several innovations. One was the scalloped fingerboard , the other was the accompanying strings , or what people think of as "drone" or "sympathetic" strings ,which they aren't truly - they're accompanying strings . I wanted to be able to play chords without stopping my single note soloing".

[braindrillskater69]

so does the scalloped fretboard make shreddin easier? how are arpeggios affected? it pretty much makes everything easier except chords right, cuz you dont have to press as hard to fret the note?

[stringrip]

Some players think it makes shredding easier , it does make chords and arpeggios harder but this depends on how light the strings are .

[danny239]

what does that kind of fretbord make your guitar do

is it easyer to play

[stringrip]

In some ways it makes it harder as there is no board to stop you pressing out of pitch . In other ways it gives a freerer feel to bending and vibrato as there is no friction with a fretboard.