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Jenna Jameson Jackson Guitars

Scalloped Fretboards

by Dave from Hazard Factor

www.hazardfactor.com/dave/

On this guitar I had the neck shipped to Doug Frye at Dharma Guitars to have the neck scalloped. He has done a wonderful job, with no file marks or nicks or anything – like it came from the factory. This is not an easy job to do, but he is a master. I highly recommend him and his wonderful work.

I didn’t do this because I am a big Yngwie fan, because I am not. I had tried his signature Fender guitar years ago and loved it. I am a Ritchie Blackmore & John McLaughlin fan though, both of whom use/used scalloped boards. Tony Iommi has used one in the past as well. Mostly I got it because I remembered how much I liked the Yngwie Fenders. That is, I liked the neck, not the rest of the guitar.

Scalloped fingerboards are something of a mystery to guitarists. True, they are not for everyone. They are not only for ‘shredders’ either. It is just something different. It is not the same as big frets – people who say that have no experience with both big frets and scalloped boards. Or maybe they are a repairman trying to talk someone out of it because they don’t have the skills to make one. Who knows, I just know it feels very different. You have to develop a light touch or else chords will go out of tune. You never feel wood under your fingers. I play lightly anyway so this isn’t a problem. Bending strings the normal way is easier because you can really get your finger under the string, and you don’t run into the ‘hump’ of the middle of the fretboard. It is a non-reversible modification, but I love it. Very, very cool.

If you think a Scalloped fretboard is for you, Shredaholic recommends How To Scallop A Fretboard by project guitar. Just make sure your guitar doesn’t end up like Scallopwned!!!:

Scallopwned

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