Back in the 90s I was a big fan of Yngwie Malmsteen. Before I started with the electric guitar I had played classical violin and Yngwie integrates classical elements like noone else before. Though I never managed to reach his blazing speed and technical command of the instrument he became a major influence on me. Because I was still an unexperienced guitar-player I thought, that I could play like him, if I would buy his Fender Signature Stratocaster. Especially the scalloped fretboard ignited my desire, because it seemed it could be the secret weapon behind Yngwies amazing skills. So as soon as I could afford one I ordered it. It was one of the first series from around 1992 in candy apple red with a maple fretboard and looked similar to this one (actual model)
But all in all the guitar disappointed. Though I liked the scalloped fretboard (more about that later) there were many things, which fell on my nerves. The trussrod lost its tension sometimes and produced rattling noises. The frets were made of soft material and melted away. The 9,5″-radius of the fretboard felt not comfortable to me. And the maple-fretboard was not resistant against my aggressive sweat and got ugly, dirty looking spots over time. Therefore I sold the guitar a few years later, but I fell in love with scalloped fretboards.
According to Wikipedia a Scalloped fingerboard is defined “by scooping out the wood between each of the frets to create a shallow “U” shape. The result is a playing surface wherein the players’ fingers come into contact with the strings only, and do not touch the fingerboard.”
Today’s guitar-market does not offer many guitars with scalloped fretboards. In fact Fender’s Malmsteen-model is the only stock-model available, which includes this option. Years ago Fender produced a Ritchie Blackmore-model, which also had a scalloped fretboard, but it is out of stock meanwhile. And fusion-legend John McLaughlin also likes the scalloped feel, but he plays custom-made instruments. Back in the heydays of Malmsteen, Blackmore and McLaughlin many guitar-players modified their guitars themselves. But scalloping never reached the mass-market and remained an obscure modification for advanced players.
The question I want to discuss here is, why scalloping became out of fashion over time, though the technical guitar-playing (or “shredding” as some call it) founded by Malmsteen and others is still raising and a scalloped fretboard can improve the playability of a guitar. If you look at the signature-models of today’s virtuosos, nobody is using it anymore, wether it’s Guthrie Govan, Martin Miller or Jeff Loomis. Their signature-models are equipped with high Jumbo-frets, but can Jumbo-frets replace all advantages of scalloping? Let us look on the widely known advantages and disadvantages of both options. At the first sight both options are very similar.
| High frets | Scalloped Fingerboard |
| Positiv: Less Contact with the fretboard Easier Legato, Tapping and Bending Available on many modern guitars Negative: A light touch is required Chords are easily out of tune Sliding can feel awkward | Positiv: Less Contact with the fretboard Easier Legato, Tapping and Bending Negative: A light touch is required Chords are easily out of tune Sliding can feel even more awkward Only available on the Malmsteen-model Scalloping a standard guitar will lower its resale-value |
This comparison might explain, why scallopping is out of fashion and only older guitar-heroes use it anymore. It is not available on stock-guitars except on the Malmsteen-model. And if you scallop your guitar yourself or let it be done by an experienced luthier, you can not sell that guitar anymore except you accept half of the money you would get for a non-modified model.
But in my opinion there is still a difference between high frets and a scalloped fretboard and I will explain now why. Below you see one of my own guitars with a scalloped fretboard.
If you compare it in your mind with a standard-fretboard equipped with the same frets, you recognise, that there is no difference at the area close to the frets, where your fingertips push the string against the frets. Usually your finger will hit the string from above. But things change, when you execute vibrato or bendings, because then you will touch the string a bit more from the side to get a better grip to push the string sideways. And at this point the scalloping becomes handy. On a standard fretboard – even with the highest available Jumbo-frets – you touch the fingerboard, when you start to bend. It will not happen, when you play legato or tapping, but during a bend it happens. That’s because while you bend the flat part of your fingertip goes slightly under the string. There might be other guitar-players with a different or better technique than mine, who don’t recognise it, but for my playing-style it is true. To demonstrate what I mean I have created a little graphic.
You see, that the fleshy part of your fingertips goes much deeper while you bend a string and therefore you get in contact with the wood of the fretboard. The contact causes friction and the friction slows down your playing and makes it less comfortable. I know myself, that millions of modern guitar-players are totally satisfied with high Jumbo-frets, and even the most technical and advanced players of our time like Guthrie Govan or Martin Miller don’t care about scalloping, so for many it does not matter at all. But I want to remember on this option, because I register, that it is more and more forgotten. In my opinion it makes a big difference regarding the feel and playability of a neck and high frets are not a perfect substitute.
Heartscore's thoughts about music, gear and recording 
An interesting insight on how Scalloped and Big Frets have some practical use and I have to admit I have not looked into it before or really was that aware of it. Good diagram too to show how it works. I think many of us can get carried away by buying the same guitars some of our idols played and thinking that the guitar itself will make you play better. But at the end of the day, it’s all down to the fingers and everyone has their own approach and feel to the instrument.
I agree, in general every player feels comfortable with the guitar he is used to play. I come back to this topic, because I still have the Eric Johnson Strat, which is damned hard to play, so I will buy a replacement-neck and scallop it myself.
I once looked at a Malmsteen Strat in a shop for quite along time before I decided it really wasn’t for me. As a Blackmore fan, I’m most impressed by the subtle nuances and variations in expression he gets from his left hand technique. I don’t know if he would have the same facility with a conventional fretboard. I think I’ve heard him say though, that if jumbo frets had been an available option at the time he might never have scalloped his fretboard.
Hi Adrian and thank you for stopping by. You can do things on a scalloped fretboard, which can not be done with a conventional fretboard, even if you have the highest jumbo-frets on it. You can bend notes just by pressing the string down. You can bend single notes of chords in the same way. I am not sure if Blackmore used these techniques, but McLaughlin did it influenced by the indian sitar.