QUOTE (The Uncreator @ May 20 2007, 05:59 PM)
So hey guys, does anyone here have a guitar with scalloped frest, or know about them?
I was talking to one of the guys in my local music store about Iron Maiden and Ibanez and stuff, and he mentioned he is getting his RG Prestige's last 4 frets scalloped so he could play smoother and bend easier or something.
I Also noticed Steve Vai had done the same with his JEM I Belive, so my real question is, what are the pro's and cons of scalloping your frets?
The guitarist in my band has one guitar with scalloped frets - cost him quite a fortune to have done as far as I recall, which is the main reason he even keeps it, I think
The main advantage would be that it's (theoretically) easier to fret notes, since you don't have to apply as much pressure - the fretboard isn't "fighting against" your pressing the string down. There's less friction (only the frets themselves) when doing bends etc., so that's (theoretically) easier too.
"Theoretically", because it feels... weird - I tried fooling with all his guitars before buying my own and learning, and even without me being used to the normal fingerboard, it felt weird to not have any wood to under the string
). Technically, the real disadvantage is that the lack of wood means you can press too hard and "bend" the string out of tune vertically. Adding to that, it's easier to bend it out of tune horizontally, since there's no wood to keep it in place by way of friction. Also seems more fret buzz prone... My friend rarely plays it
Plus, some would probably say that there are people getting scallops made, who'd do better to reevaluate their technique - because if the wood
really gets in the way, it's probably because they're pressing too hard (or in other words, "the frets are there for a reason"
)
Another disadvantage is that everyone will think you're trying to be Yngwie, since he's probably more known than anyone for scalloping.
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