I've only dealt with a few scalloped fretboards, using the notched straightedge as you described with a set of ultra-thin feeler gauges to ascertain any gap clearances evident at the corners of the respective notches (per fret). It's time consuming, takes some patience and good lighting (write down the measurements & fret numbers--never rely on memory) but it works well enough to determine if there's excessive relief or back-bow that merits attention. After any truss rod adjustments, take new measurements & compare results. The last time I did this, the guitar owner was hovering at my shoulder (mildly annoying, but bearable). When I finished, he thanked me profusely and asked how long I'd been suffering with the curse of OCD . . . I sighed and explained, "It's not a curse--it's a superpower." We both chuckled; he's been coming back ever since.
If you CNC your scalloped fretboards, couldn't you also CNC a notched and scalloped 'straight edge' at least for your own guitars? Greatly enjoying your videos!
Scalloping changes the strength of the neck so it throws the straightness off. Doesn't matter if you scallop before or after installing frets. Still messes things up ever so slightly. The best solution is doing it like Vigier. Vigier skipped the truss rod and just went for bigtime carbon fiber neck reinforcement. Or you can just settle for super jumbo frets.
It could be nice to see scalloped neck project after the electric violin. All the details and precision with CAD and CNC machine seems as a good match to this kind of spec!
Alright, I've made many guitars from scratch. I've been making custom homemade guitars probably about four or five years. My present project is a double neck Strat style guitar with the upper neck being scallop 24 fret neck. I always purchased my necks. On Amazon or ebay. I always personally do the level crowning and polishing of all frets on all the instruments that I make. I went to go do both necks this morning and I discovered that my usual technique for making the frets level prior to leveling, crowning and policing the frets. Would not work,..I tried the straight edge like you mentioned.... I also put a string at the first fret and that's 24th fret to See if that would show me any back bow but. It seems like it's a hit or miss to try to get as close as possible prior to. Doing the fret work. This video does help. I must admit I'm a little stumped. I played a few in the past, but not super familiar with scalloped frets. I know that Mr. Malmsteen and a few other artists play them exclusively, so this is why I decided to dive into that. I just want all the frets to be perfect when you play the guitar, so there's no buzzing or high or low frets. Thanks again for the video🤨😓😱
Hello. I'm from spain and I am doing my 8th grade final work about guitar pickups. The thing is that there is not to much information about this subject and I have a couple doubts. Since you have been the only one I have truely understand and the only whom I have been able to collect some information, I have wondered if you mind to give me a way to comunicate directly to you to explain you some of my doubts. Thank you.
Full proof way is to have the neck made normal with stainless steel frets. Then level and crown till it's perfect. Then scallop the neck and used the frets as your reference. It wouldn't work if the neck was already scalloped and the frets were worn and out of level, etc. Or maybe rip out the frets level the leftover tops of the fretboard and then check those tops with a straight edge. Then refret and yada yada. Pretty much a nightmare 😕 Great topic and video. Definitely a barren zone of guitar repair techniques.
If you scallop your neck just behind the fret only, then taper up and try not to scratch in front of the rear fret, then there will be an unscalloped portion for your saw tooth beam. It’s easy to say but hard to do, especially on the high end. People scallop TOO DEEP. not necessary, one mm will do just fine
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I've only dealt with a few scalloped fretboards, using the notched straightedge as you described with a set of ultra-thin feeler gauges to ascertain any gap clearances evident at the corners of the respective notches (per fret). It's time consuming, takes some patience and good lighting (write down the measurements & fret numbers--never rely on memory) but it works well enough to determine if there's excessive relief or back-bow that merits attention. After any truss rod adjustments, take new measurements & compare results. The last time I did this, the guitar owner was hovering at my shoulder (mildly annoying, but bearable). When I finished, he thanked me profusely and asked how long I'd been suffering with the curse of OCD . . . I sighed and explained, "It's not a curse--it's a superpower." We both chuckled; he's been coming back ever since.
I always wondered how this would be done. Thank you!
If you CNC your scalloped fretboards, couldn't you also CNC a notched and scalloped 'straight edge' at least for your own guitars? Greatly enjoying your videos!
Yes, absolutely.
Great idea!
I thought about that too, although the thought of then calling it a straight edge makes me chuckle.
Scalloping changes the strength of the neck so it throws the straightness off. Doesn't matter if you scallop before or after installing frets. Still messes things up ever so slightly. The best solution is doing it like Vigier. Vigier skipped the truss rod and just went for bigtime carbon fiber neck reinforcement. Or you can just settle for super jumbo frets.
It could be nice to see scalloped neck project after the electric violin. All the details and precision with CAD and CNC machine seems as a good match to this kind of spec!
Cool idea!
Alright, I've made many guitars from scratch. I've been making custom homemade guitars probably about four or five years. My present project is a double neck Strat style guitar with the upper neck being scallop 24 fret neck. I always purchased my necks. On Amazon or ebay. I always personally do the level crowning and polishing of all frets on all the instruments that I make. I went to go do both necks this morning and I discovered that my usual technique for making the frets level prior to leveling, crowning and policing the frets. Would not work,..I tried the straight edge like you mentioned.... I also put a string at the first fret and that's 24th fret to See if that would show me any back bow but. It seems like it's a hit or miss to try to get as close as possible prior to. Doing the fret work. This video does help. I must admit I'm a little stumped. I played a few in the past, but not super familiar with scalloped frets. I know that Mr. Malmsteen and a few other artists play them exclusively, so this is why I decided to dive into that. I just want all the frets to be perfect when you play the guitar, so there's no buzzing or high or low frets. Thanks again for the video🤨😓😱
I've been wondering about this for quite some time. Thank you for making it clearly understandable. Great video! 👍
Hello.
I'm from spain and I am doing my 8th grade final work about guitar pickups. The thing is that there is not to much information about this subject and I have a couple doubts. Since you have been the only one I have truely understand and the only whom I have been able to collect some information, I have wondered if you mind to give me a way to comunicate directly to you to explain you some of my doubts. Thank you.
Full proof way is to have the neck made normal with stainless steel frets. Then level and crown till it's perfect. Then scallop the neck and used the frets as your reference.
It wouldn't work if the neck was already scalloped and the frets were worn and out of level, etc.
Or maybe rip out the frets level the leftover tops of the fretboard and then check those tops with a straight edge. Then refret and yada yada.
Pretty much a nightmare 😕
Great topic and video. Definitely a barren zone of guitar repair techniques.
Use a line laser to check for straightness. I use the one by Skil.
I keep meaning to buy one of these for this purpose.
If you scallop your neck just behind the fret only, then taper up and try not to scratch in front of the rear fret, then there will be an unscalloped portion for your saw tooth beam. It’s easy to say but hard to do, especially on the high end. People scallop TOO DEEP. not necessary, one mm will do just fine
You must have Jedi senses. I am doing a build with a scalloped fretboard.
When you scallop, concentrate on removing the wood just behind the fret, leaving a small ledge just in front of the fret for the notched beam