My First Post :) Options

[Cosmin Lupu]

I think Darius is right about the comparison of jumbo frets to a scalloped neck. Paul Gilbert's newer signatures model have jumbo frets. PG says its about the same feel as having a scalloped neck. Meaning he can get that extra finger grip for bending and vibrato. Other than that, I don't think a scalloped neck has any other real advantages. Yngwie claims that it is harder to play "fast" with a scalloped neck but I don't really find this to be true. Its probably harder to play the stuff he plays on a vintage Fender with single coils but that is a whole other discussion.

I don't have any issues with de-pitching and don't consciously use a lighter touch that I would with any other guitars. As Darius mentioned, it would be the same as playing some jumbo frets and pushing to hard. I've read different claims about scalloped necks and its not everyone's cup of tea. Hopefully you guys will get a chance to try one out. Please let me know what you think of it when you do!

My JEM also has jumbo frets and indeed I haven't found myself using a different touch with my left hand. But what I do have to add, is that I love jumbo frets I just remembered I had a thought a long time ago to get them on all my guitars

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[Darius Wave]

I got the same thoughts...How this can be harder....or maybe just for those who have weak control of their own pressure on the strings.

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[Leo Chang]

Hi Leo, and welcome in the active side of the forum

Wow...... you have 7 Jackson guitars I have 1 Jackson and I'm feel proud for this
Some of your gear are on my "to buy" list. I mean Mesa Boogie Mark V and Fractal Audio Axe-FX Ultra.
I'm very curious to hear the tone you chose to achieve, using all those jewelery You have any video or audio demo?

Hi Monica!

Sorry for the late reply, been busy with school and midterms...etc

I used to be pretty active on the Jackson Charvel Forum too, but haven't visited for a long time. One of my Jacksons is a limited custom run "DK2 LE" of which only 24 were made. Unfortunately, Jackson won't do these small-batch custom runs anymore.

Mark V + Axe FX Ultra:
Basically all the positive reviews out there are indeed true. HOWEVER... be prepared to spend a lot of time tweaking settings. As long as you know that going in, you won't be disappointed with either of these.

I plan on doing fresh recordings this summer, when (hopefully) I'll have more time. In the meantime, here is a video I recorded last year. I believe some of the GMC teachers who have commented on this thread also commented on that one
(I have re-worked my vibrato since then, pursuant to the instructor feedback)

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...mp;#entry634674

The tone here is my Axe FX-Ultra, using a sound I made from scratch, based on the Bogner Uberschall. No effects, just a dry sound.
(I have tweaked it quite a bit since then)

Recorded using an old camcorder, so both video and audio quality is not too good. So unfortunately it's not a good demo for what the Axe FX ULTRA can do.

I do plan on posting more videos, but that will depend on how busy my summer courses are

Hi Leo! Great to find your introduction here! Now I know the music that you like and also that you have enough gear to destroy a building! Awesome stuff mate. You surely know about Vchats, Mentoring programs, REC and Collabs but if not, be sure to check them!
Also, if you need some help designing a guitar plan, just let me know.

Good luck with the riffs!

Hi Gabriel!

Thanks! The Gab's Army looks very interesting. I am sure I'll eventually join, but right now with an intensive program at school (basically a 4 year degree in 2 years), can't commit to a set weekly progress. I do like the sound of that though

I know of the other features, but haven't really looked into them in detail, I'll do that over this weekend.

Howdy Leo You are set to KILL! Mate, if you need a practice schedule/ mentoring and you think you'd like to work together, pelase check out this thread here: https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...t=0&start=0

Oh cool! Will be sending you a PM shortly

Hi Leo! Wellcome in the family It looks like Your in the same team with Monica You would only have to share some of Your Jacksons with her If You need any help just contact one of the instructors with mentoring thread available or write Your thougts on forum We're here to help

Thanks!

welcome ,we have to say that, and I am kinda not likin you for all that awesome gear you have

Thanks!

Well, I went through a phase where I was mistaking the "accumulation of gear" with "improvement in musicianship"... hence all the stuff. So still got a lot to catch up before I feel fully worthy of some of my gear

Congrats on your first post!! Also congrats on your goal! I'd say jump in to the VIDEO CHAT LESSONS as much as possible as it's a great way to get live interaction with fellow musicians and instructors. Also, jump in the REC program and join a COLLAB!!!

Thanks! I'll definitely look into those programs more deeply this weekend.

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This post has been edited by Leo Chang: Mar 13 2014, 01:15 PM

[Leo Chang]

BTW DG and Leo - how do you guys like the scalopped neck?

I love the full scalloping, but I don't like the small radius vintage spec fretboard, since I am used to a flatter, more "modern" fretboard radius...but that's a different discussion.

The first time I unboxed my YJM strat and played on it... it was like a finger-gasm (not a word, but you get the idea ). Some people have trouble adjusting to it, but it feels perfectly natural to me, since I already play with a fairly light touch anyway.

But I can see how some people may have trouble, if they are used to playing with a lot of finger pressure (like say, old school Blues or Classic Rock). For people who are into Neoclassical Metal / Shred and other more technical styles of playing... chances are they already have a light touch, so shouldn't be a problem for most.

Need to be slightly more careful when playing chords near the nut, so that one finger is not pressing harder than the others and causing one note to go sharp relative to the others. But doesn't take long for this to become automatic.

I kinda agree with Yngwie in that this neck will force you to have good technique... so for those whose left hand still has too much tension, it is definitely much harder to play on compared to the standard fretboard. But again, if you already use a light touch, not a problem.

Actually, I would say scalloped > merely having jumbo frets in terms of how much you can press directly down (as in... "into" ) the fretboard in order to more finely control pitch. It's actually quite a dramatic difference. Great for vibratos, for bending, and especially for vibratos on top of a bend... that's when having the scalloping REALLY makes a HUGE difference.

I suspect that the people who say having scallops = jumbo frets in this regard are using gauge 10 and up. Don't do that on a scalloped neck, because you'll be eliminating one of the coolest things about it. Just exactly how much further you can press directly down doesn't become obvious until you use gauge 9s or even gauge 8s. I use Malmsteen's signature Dean Markley string sets on my, he has a pretty extreme spread from 8 - 46. (discontinued, but he has new signature string sets coming out from Fender).

Some of my other guitars have gauge 10s and 11s, but yeah... the YJM strat is most fun to play if you use really light strings on the treble side. Feel free to go as heavy as you want on the bass side.

I used to use 10 - 46 on all my guitars, but after trying the YJM string set, I switched all my guitars in standard tuning to 9 - 46. I agree with Yngwie in that, if you are playing with significant distortion, thicker strings on the treble side will have negligible tonal impact while making bends more difficult for yourself, whereas the bass strings just don't have the right punch unless they are thick. So a light top heavy bottom set actually makes perfect sense.

(only the YJM strat gets the Malmsteen signature set, 'cause they are kinda hard to get. All my other electrics use DR Tite-Fits)

For the record, I am perfectly happy to play nothing but scalloped necks. You do not need guitars with regular necks alongside it. If I could, I would retrofit all my guitars with fully scalloped fretboards, but unfortunately that's not a very realistic thing to do.

Otherwise I totally would

(... and also because I can't find local luthiers who won't try to talk me out of it. One has said he will do it if I insist... but he clearly doesn't want to, and I don't believe in forcing skilled craftsmen into projects they are not enthusiastic about).

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This post has been edited by Leo Chang: Mar 13 2014, 01:55 PM

[Storm Linnebjerg]

I love the full scalloping, but I don't like the small radius vintage spec fretboard, since I am used to a flatter, more "modern" fretboard radius...but that's a different discussion.

The first time I unboxed my YJM strat and played on it... it was like a finger-gasm (not a word, but you get the idea ). Some people have trouble adjusting to it, but it feels perfectly natural to me, since I already play with a fairly light touch anyway.

But I can see how some people may have trouble, if they are used to playing with a lot of finger pressure (like say, old school Blues or Classic Rock). For people who are into Neoclassical Metal / Shred and other more technical styles of playing... chances are they already have a light touch, so shouldn't be a problem for most.

Need to be slightly more careful when playing chords near the nut, so that one finger is not pressing harder than the others and causing one note to go sharp relative to the others. But doesn't take long for this to become automatic.

I kinda agree with Yngwie in that this neck will force you to have good technique... so for those whose left hand still has too much tension, it is definitely much harder to play on compared to the standard fretboard. But again, if you already use a light touch, not a problem.

Actually, I would say scalloped > merely having jumbo frets in terms of how much you can press directly down (as in... "into" ) the fretboard in order to more finely control pitch. It's actually quite a dramatic difference. Great for vibratos, for bending, and especially for vibratos on top of a bend... that's when having the scalloping REALLY makes a HUGE difference.

I suspect that the people who say having scallops = jumbo frets in this regard are using gauge 10 and up. Don't do that on a scalloped neck, because you'll be eliminating one of the coolest things about it. Just exactly how much further you can press directly down doesn't become obvious until you use gauge 9s or even gauge 8s. I use Malmsteen's signature Dean Markley string sets on my, he has a pretty extreme spread from 8 - 46. (discontinued, but he has new signature string sets coming out from Fender).

Some of my other guitars have gauge 10s and 11s, but yeah... the YJM strat is most fun to play if you use really light strings.

For the record, I am perfectly happy to play nothing but scalloped necks. You do not need guitars with regular necks alongside it. If I could, I would retrofit all my guitars with fully scalloped fretboards, but unfortunately that's not a very realistic thing to do.

Otherwise I totally would

(... and also because I can't find local luthiers who won't try to talk me out of it. One has said he will do it if I insist... but he clearly doesn't want to, and I don't believe in forcing skilled craftsmen into projects they are not enthusiastic about).

You can scallop the frets yourself if you're up for it. I started doing it on an old guitar of mine that is now unfinished at my parents house. I moved out back when I was working on it 6 years ago, and I don't have a place to work on it here. Maybe I'll go visit my parents soon and try to finish it. It's not too difficult to do yourself, but it's a bit time consuming...and dusty. If you have a cheap guitar, you could always try to scallop it yourself and see how it goes.

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[Todd Simpson]

Todd here I wanted to share a short film I did about hide Matsumoto (X Japan) since I saw that hide and Xjapan were in your influences list Hope you like it!



As for jumbo frets, I LOVE them They do have more of a scalloped "feel" but as anyone whose played a scalloped neck can tell you, jumbo frets and scalloped necks are two different kettles of fish entirely

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[Leo Chang]

Todd here I wanted to share a short film I did about hide Matsumoto (X Japan) since I saw that hide and Xjapan were in your influences list Hope you like it!



As for jumbo frets, I LOVE them They do have more of a scalloped "feel" but as anyone whose played a scalloped neck can tell you, jumbo frets and scalloped necks are two different kettles of fish entirely

Wow, you must have spent a lot of time and effort on that documentary, well done! Good review and learned some new things too

Yeah, I love jumbo frets. But as awesome as they are, they are still a far cry from what a scalloped fretboard offers.

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[Monica Gheorghev...]

Hi Monica!

Sorry for the late reply, been busy with school and midterms...etc

I used to be pretty active on the Jackson Charvel Forum too, but haven't visited for a long time. One of my Jacksons is a limited custom run "DK2 LE" of which only 24 were made. Unfortunately, Jackson won't do these small-batch custom runs anymore.

Mark V + Axe FX Ultra:
Basically all the positive reviews out there are indeed true. HOWEVER... be prepared to spend a lot of time tweaking settings. As long as you know that going in, you won't be disappointed with either of these.

I plan on doing fresh recordings this summer, when (hopefully) I'll have more time. In the meantime, here is a video I recorded last year. I believe some of the GMC teachers who have commented on this thread also commented on that one
(I have re-worked my vibrato since then, pursuant to the instructor feedback)

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...mp;#entry634674

The tone here is my Axe FX-Ultra, using a sound I made from scratch, based on the Bogner Uberschall. No effects, just a dry sound.
(I have tweaked it quite a bit since then)

Recorded using an old camcorder, so both video and audio quality is not too good. So unfortunately it's not a good demo for what the Axe FX ULTRA can do.

I do plan on posting more videos, but that will depend on how busy my summer courses are

DK2 LE you say........you lucky man
I also have DK2 but of course not LE. Anyway, I love this guitar and was very hard to find it. In my country didn't exist this model and many others guitar models, but unfortunately this is nothing unusual for Romania. So, I paid a price more expensive and I was lucky because an musical store from UK made miracles to bring for me this guitar. I'm happy and this guitar worth it every cent

About Mesa and Axe FX - I am really obsessed to make experience when it's about tone. I guess it will be a real pleasure for me to spend time and make settings. For my conceptions the tone it's primordial and always will make an improvisation to shine. I usual spend much time for this

I liked your video. Good tone, great playing and nice lesson choice
Will be great to see much more videos from you with the new settings. Maybe you will find some time and you can join in a collab with us

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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[Todd Simpson]

I did It took two years to finish!! Collecting the clips from DVDs imported from Japan took a full year. Then putting the rest together/research getting voice over talent, etc. It was quite an effort, but I was so struck by the story of hide I just had to make a film about it Thanks for watching and glad you liked it

Wow, you must have spent a lot of time and effort on that documentary, well done! Good review and learned some new things too

Yeah, I love jumbo frets. But as awesome as they are, they are still a far cry from what a scalloped fretboard offers.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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[Cosmin Lupu]

I did It took two years to finish!! Collecting the clips from DVDs imported from Japan took a full year. Then putting the rest together/research getting voice over talent, etc. It was quite an effort, but I was so struck by the story of hide I just had to make a film about it Thanks for watching and glad you liked it

Good point Todd - I was ready to ask you if you traveled to Japan for any of the footage

Leo - I have tried a lot of guitars which weren't properly set up and the action near the nut was so big, that it was really difficult not to bash an F major chord with a barre for instance.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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[Leo Chang]

DK2 LE you say........you lucky man
I also have DK2 but of course not LE. Anyway, I love this guitar and was very hard to find it. In my country didn't exist this model and many others guitar models, but unfortunately this is nothing unusual for Romania. So, I paid a price more expensive and I was lucky because an musical store from UK made miracles to bring for me this guitar. I'm happy and this guitar worth it every cent

About Mesa and Axe FX - I am really obsessed to make experience when it's about tone. I guess it will be a real pleasure for me to spend time and make settings. For my conceptions the tone it's primordial and always will make an improvisation to shine. I usual spend much time for this

I liked your video. Good tone, great playing and nice lesson choice
Will be great to see much more videos from you with the new settings. Maybe you will find some time and you can join in a collab with us

North American guitarists are fortunate in that many manufacturers of guitar gear are located here, but glad you were able to get the guitar you want

Tone: I see, then you'll have lots of fun with either. They both have practically unlimited tweaking possibilities.

Video: thanks! Yeah, I really do hope I'll have more time in the summer to post new videos and maybe join a collab!

I did It took two years to finish!! Collecting the clips from DVDs imported from Japan took a full year. Then putting the rest together/research getting voice over talent, etc. It was quite an effort, but I was so struck by the story of hide I just had to make a film about it Thanks for watching and glad you liked it

That... is an amazing amount of time + effort + dedication Hats off to you sir!

You did the narration yourself?

Good point Todd - I was ready to ask you if you traveled to Japan for any of the footage

Leo - I have tried a lot of guitars which weren't properly set up and the action near the nut was so big, that it was really difficult not to bash an F major chord with a barre for instance.

Yes, that can definitely happen on a scalloped fretboard, since it doesn't take a lot of pressure to make the strings go sharp. So yes, there would be a learning curve associated with that, particularly for people who are used to using lots of fretting hand pressure.

Although these two scenarios are slightly different, in that, in the "poor setup" scenario, the output sound is going to sound weird no matter what one does. In the scalloped fretboard scenario, all it takes to stay on pitch is to lighten the pressure exerted by the fretting hand (which is conducive to good technique anyway).

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Yes, that can definitely happen on a scalloped fretboard, since it doesn't take a lot of pressure to make the strings go sharp. So yes, there would be a learning curve associated with that, particularly for people who are used to using lots of fretting hand pressure.

Although these two scenarios are slightly different, in that, in the "poor setup" scenario, the output sound is going to sound weird no matter what one does. In the scalloped fretboard scenario, all it takes to stay on pitch is to lighten the pressure exerted by the fretting hand (which is conducive to good technique anyway).

Very true And practicing chord changes slowly so that you won't land on that certain spot too abruptly and thus push the strings too hard

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[Todd Simpson]

I searched forever to find the right voice over guy. He did a great job It want' me. I wish my voice was the good!!! A guy named MITCH LEOPARD

North American guitarists are fortunate in that many manufacturers of guitar gear are located here, but glad you were able to get the guitar you want

Tone: I see, then you'll have lots of fun with either. They both have practically unlimited tweaking possibilities.

Video: thanks! Yeah, I really do hope I'll have more time in the summer to post new videos and maybe join a collab!



That... is an amazing amount of time + effort + dedication Hats off to you sir!

You did the narration yourself?



Yes, that can definitely happen on a scalloped fretboard, since it doesn't take a lot of pressure to make the strings go sharp. So yes, there would be a learning curve associated with that, particularly for people who are used to using lots of fretting hand pressure.

Although these two scenarios are slightly different, in that, in the "poor setup" scenario, the output sound is going to sound weird no matter what one does. In the scalloped fretboard scenario, all it takes to stay on pitch is to lighten the pressure exerted by the fretting hand (which is conducive to good technique anyway).

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!