Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: gwEm on May 26, 2010, 02:17:02 PM
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I'd like to experiment with a fully scalloped board, but the Malmsteen strat would be a seriously expensive experiment(!)
Anyone know any cheaper options around?
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I've thought about this myself and the best option I could find was Warmoth.
Try one of their necks on your strat and if you like it buy a new body, if not sell it to me8)
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Failing that, buy an old Fender (or even Squier) neck of t'Bay and scallop it yourself. I know a few people who have done this. It's not the best option but it's probably the cheapest.
Speaking of scalloped boards, they are REALLY weird to play. A friend of mine had a Malmsteen Strat and you do get what feels like more control of the string (for bending and vibrato) on the dusty end of the fret board but chords etc just feel really weird to play. Not to mention that it feels harder to fret the chord (which makes almost no sense).
Not all scallops are the same however. AFAIK The Fender Japan Ritchie Blackmore Strat has scallops which gradually get deeper further down the neck.
Paddy
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Guess what I'm gonna say.... Take anything to Feline - his scallops are magnificent. :)
Maybe just do the 12th or 15th fret up.
(http://www.felineguitars.com/guitar_images/Panther%20-%20swamp%20ash%20blond/PANTHER-BLONDE-SCALLOP-4.jpg)
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Not all scallops are the same however. AFAIK The Fender Japan Ritchie Blackmore Strat has scallops which gradually get deeper further down the neck.
Paddy
I think you're right about the Blackmore. There is a MIM and MIJ version and I think the MIM has a full scallop and the MIJ is graduated so that the bass side of the fretboard is almost intact.
There's another difference with the Blackmore scallop and the Malmsteen, the latter has the deepest point midway between the frets whereas the former has the deepest point just behind the fret. There you go, now you know :P
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You're right there, I forgot about that!
But I think you are wrong about the depth thing, I'm pretty sure the scallops are shallower at the top end of the neck and get deeper towards the bridge.
Paddy
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Not all scallops are the same however. AFAIK The Fender Japan Ritchie Blackmore Strat has scallops which gradually get deeper further down the neck.
Paddy
I think you're right about the Blackmore. There is a MIM and MIJ version and I think the MIM has a full scallop and the MIJ is graduated so that the bass side of the fretboard is almost intact.
There's another difference with the Blackmore scallop and the Malmsteen, the latter has the deepest point midway between the frets whereas the former has the deepest point just behind the fret. There you go, now you know :P
interesting stuff gingataff - the blackmore scallop sounds a bit more usable. but what do i know? ;)
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Guess what I'm gonna say.... Take anything to Feline - his scallops are magnificent. :)
Maybe just do the 12th or 15th fret up.
(http://www.felineguitars.com/guitar_images/Panther%20-%20swamp%20ash%20blond/PANTHER-BLONDE-SCALLOP-4.jpg)
i have no idea if i'll like it though - feline standard (on a) cheapie neck may be too much here. i play most of my leads around the 9th fret.
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gwEm - I have a semi scallopped neck for sale
Remember I upgraded the neck on Frankie as seen here with the old neck
(http://www.felineguitars.com/images/about/PERSONAL-AXES-WEB_000.jpg)
So the neck you see here is available - scalloped from the 13th upwards
It's a little narrow - runs 42mm up to 56mm like a strat and has nice big frets too
£150 ono
Here is Frankie with the new neck
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/WHITEpanther.jpg)
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i'll send you a PM Jonathan..
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You're right there, I forgot about that!
But I think you are wrong about the depth thing, I'm pretty sure the scallops are shallower at the top end of the neck and get deeper towards the bridge.
Paddy
I'm pretty sure that's how Ritchie has it done but his signature/tribute models are a bit different (probably due to time/cost)
Anyway, I've found some pics of the MIM and MIJ Blackmores and it looks like I got them the wrong way round!
Here is the MIM, notice how the treble side of the board is scalloped in the direction of the fret and the bass side is untouched:
http://www.ikebe-gakki.com/shopping/goods/goods_detail.php?view=1&count=48&sort=1&fair=256&id=127618 (http://www.ikebe-gakki.com/shopping/goods/goods_detail.php?view=1&count=48&sort=1&fair=256&id=127618)
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l231/gingataff/MIMblackmore.jpg)
And the MIJ has standard 'Malmsteen' sttle scalloping:
http://www.ikebe-gakki.com/shopping/goods/goods_detail.php?offset=144&view=1&count=48&sort=1&fair=249&id=74738 (http://www.ikebe-gakki.com/shopping/goods/goods_detail.php?offset=144&view=1&count=48&sort=1&fair=249&id=74738)
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l231/gingataff/MIJblackmore.jpg)
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Apologies, I stand corrected.
Paddy
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No need to apologise.
There are so many variations I just thought I'd share some of the ones I've seen.
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there is an allparts one for sale here:
http://simnettguitars.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2014.0
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I have a Feline scalloped neck and I have to say that it is a superb job. It is an ebony/flamed maple neck and I have it on a WarmothStrat swamp ash body with a flamed redwood top. The pickups are HSS with Holy Diver and 2 trilogies and it sounds great. The scalloping is not that strange to play because it is after the 12th fret perhaps.