To whoever is planning to do this I would highly recommend marking your scalloping depth on the side of the neck. You can use masking tape for this. Remember this: its really easy to overshoot your marked depth because of deep scratches and incorrect shape of the scallops, so don't go all the way down to the marking until you do the final sanding. For the Malmsteen style scalloping: I would recommend a depth of about fret height 1.5mm-2.5mm MAX more than that and you run the risk of losing rigidity of the neck and ruining inlays/side dots. There is no real benefit to going deeper than that into the wood, its better to re-fret with taller frets and scallop to a smaller depth . Also, the bottom of the scallops should follow the radius of the fretboard/fretwire.
I can’t stress this enough. Mark the depth across the whole board (along the board I mean) as you’ll definitely get the depths mixed otherwise and by eye it’ll be wrong.
Holy mackerel! Garry you are an amazing guitarist. I'm shooting over to your channel to see what else I can find. I believe you are one of my new favorites. Thanks also for the scalloping tips!
You play very well. I pulse the bridge often with my palm the same way you do. As a matter of fact you might be the only other person I've seen do that. Great job on that neck scalloping. I can tell that you take great pride in all that you do, and it's evident that you have great passion and appreciation for music.
Vigilius60 Thanks Vigilius. Great to hear from you as well. I'm putting the hole version of that tune on tonight. It's called Gaz's Boogie. The other tune is Still I'm Sad. In fact your version inspired me to have a go at it, however mine is not as accurate as your version a bit more improvisation. I hope you enjoy.
Garry Chambers I like improvise like Blackmore does but on TH-cam if you improvise too much people says that you makes mistakes :-( Gaz's Boogie is fantastic and your version of 'Still I'm sad' will make me happy in any case ;-) Long Live rock'n'roll!
Garry, this was a perfect watching! Not only your fine playing skills, but in-depth explanation of the scalloping process, probably the best out there so far. I'm quite more radical when it comes to scalloping since I'm YJM Strat user and it fits me perfectly. I've been struggling with an idea of getting a Strat and making the Scallop by myself and if I finally decide to do that I know that I'll be looking at you again and again. Great job!
+Mike K. Thanks for watching Mike, there is a bit more info that I should put up for those considering a Blackmore or YJM job on a rosewood neck. It has to do with the position markers on the side of the neck and the thickness of the Blackmore Strat's rosewood. Gaz.
+Garry Chambers I'm just about to start a scalloping on a rosewood neck!!!! What are the other things to consider that you just told about? Thanks and great video!!! This was the GO AHEAD DIY for me!!!!!!!!!
Too bad Blackmore had to scallop his same fretboard twice, after the second time the neck was too thin for him to play. He said he went berserk on the guy that did a refret job on it after he told Richie that there was no extra charge for planing the fretboard flat. How could anyone, even someone that has never seen a guitar before, let alone a luthier not realize the concave formations into the wood between all the frets are supposed to be there?
I'd just like to say.... I've always wanted to play with the "Blackmore scallop". Thanks to your instructional video here I found the courage to do some surgery on my guitar... and the result is really amazing! So thank you very much for such clear instructions, making it relatively easy. I am GREATLY impressed by your playing; the accuracy, the tone, the chops... my jaw just dropped when I found out you use a Zoom for overdrive and not a TP-1011 clone (like the BSM boosters or the DIY from Freestompboxes). Well done indeed on everything and thanks again. The video really has been a great help! Greetings from the Netherlands
I scalloped my 1989 Heartfield EX-1's neck after viewing this clip .. I was anxious to play it but hadn't done all of the final sanding after rasping the fretboard but i strung it up and loved the way it felt..I noticed a difference in the tone as well..It's slightly warmer sounding and you can feel the string vibration in the neck and body a bit more..I've been playing it unfinished for over a year and many string changes later , I still like it very much !
You are fantastic! What an intro! Crystal clear, very virtuous playing of Blackmore-essence. Thank for the JOY! Now, I relisten, 4. time in row:) Greetings from Hiungary: George:)
+György Wágner B. Thanks George. I'm glad you liked it. I just can not remember what into I put on at the start of that one. Anyway a big hello form flooded St Georges Basin Australia. Gaz.
The body is a fender blacktop strat and the neck is fender 70's pawn shop. The pickups in it when the video was filmed were Mexican 70's strat however they were changed for pickups from a cheap ALDI supermarket guitar I think they a Chinese. The only thing about it that is "special"...... is that it is special to me.
Great video Garry! A question - do all your scalloped neck Stratocaster have the same fretboard radius of 7.25 inches, like original 70s Strats, or do you have have any with a more modern 9.5 or 12 inch radius? Do you have a preference?
Hi. The Natural, White and Sunburst all have 7.25 the Black one has a MIM porn shop neck which I think is a 9.5 and medium jumbo frets. They all have U shape profiles. My preference is 1 Black, 2 White, 3 Natural, 4 Sunburst.
One Question Garry: how do you feel the difference between the scalloped and the non scalloped fretboards? Do you feel that is true the common opinion that scalloped make the playing easier and let you be faster??
Wonderful playing, fretboard sanding, and finished guitar! I just finished scalloping my third ever, a cheapo 500$ washburn N2 that I'm gonna do a bunch of cosmetic work on.
after two years of thinking about it i did a malmsteen style scallop on my two hundred buck walden accoustic shiting myself that i might wreck it,just wraped a piece of 80 grit around my finger and held it there with my other hand,took 6 hours to sand 13 frets.very happy with the result.the fretboard must be twice as thick as the depth of the scallop,do it slow,keep checking both sides for levelness and go to just above the inlays on the sides.thanks for this video
The profile changes between camera shots at 10:10 and 10:15. Look how far the scallop was from the 1st fret before, about 1 - 2 mm, then see how close it got after, less than about 0.5mm. There appears to be more wood removed, or is this just some sort of illusion?
Good point Michael. The sanding and filing took somewhere around three to four hours. The video has been heavily edited so who knows how much time was elapsed between these two shots.
Can't thank you enough for the fantastic scalloping demo! Just completed a Blackmore style scallop on a one piece maple neck, couldn't be happier with how it turned out, and I wanted you to know how much your video helped. Great playing, too!
I revisited this video to check what sort of lacquer you used because I am thinking of coating my home made scalloped neck. Is there any specification or brand of this stringed instrument lacquer you mention? I tried a lacquer years ago that the seller in the paint shop advised but it was the worst thing ever, so I only have bad experience so far :D Thanks again Garry!
+DogwithtwoBones Hi Adam, great to hear your sealing up your neck. The two part process I use is made by H.Behlen. The first is called, Vinyl Sealer Aerosol pn B102-8000. As is suggested by the name this seals the sponge like maple and also provides an anchor for the second part also made by H.Behlen It is called, Stringed Instrument Lacquer pn B104-1406 Just follow the instructions on the back and you should be ok. P.S. All your new uploads are great, nice video editing work as well.
+Garry Chambers Thanks, I'll try to get them, but my country's general market circumstances are less then adequate :D Maybe it can be bought online. Anyway thanks for checking my new videos. It seems today's musicians also have to be video editors in the same time :)
You made a very nice job, I am going to follow your procedure and try on an old Rock urn strat style rosewood fretboard, it's a inexpensive guitar but sounds good, so will give it the attention it deserves. Great playing and Best wishes.
You are a huge inspiration Mr . the techniques , and you are a luthier too maybe Blackmore meet you someday (after of this worldwide situation) , peace .
Dasunka D That's a good question Dasunka. I have not found that a big issue so far on the Strats. I don't know what it would be like on other makes. The Fender instructions are quite clean and all you need is the allen key, feeler gauges and a capo. So if there is some movement its not hard to correct.
Dasunka D If you know someone that has a Malmsteen strat maybe you could take a paper template of the profile or take some pictures and get some measurements there should be plenty on line. If its a rosewood neck you can always have another go if you don't go to deep. If its maple you will want to be more fussy because of the sealer and lacquer. Best advice is to take your time don't rush. Let me know how you go. If you like you can send photo/video to whitestrat@internode.on.net Gaz.
Hi. I'm glad you like the video. I would suggest having a go at it yourself. If your not confident just buy a cheap Strat copy and have a go. If you do let me know how you get on.
so what is the advantage of the asymmetrical (Blackmore style) scallop over symmetrical (Malmstenn style) scallop? Doing asymmetrical scalloping is definetly more demanding concerning craftsmanship but is it worth the extra effort?
Having the malmstenn style frets will make it more difficult to play chords and stuff like that because it makes it easy to accidentally bend a string due to the entire fret being scalloped but blackmores style will make it so you can play chords easily but only get the benefit of the scalloped frets higher up the fret board and on the high strings
Hey! I'm doing this to an Ibanez with a maple neck. What is the purpose of spraying the varnish? Is it just for looks or does it serve a functional purpose? I was thinking of doing very little, like 1-2 coats of a flat finish because I don't like the glossy look on the fretboard and I'm kinda lazy. Any tips and advice would be helpful, thanks! Great playing, by the way!
Thanks for your comment and question Michael. From what I have picked up from luthiers on youtube they say maple is like a sponge when it comes to moisture. If not sealed properly the neck will have a tendency to warp .
Ricky Booby Hi Ricky. Thanks for your question. I can only say what the benefits have been for me. On 70's Strats the frets are quite small so when you bend a note the skin on your finger tip contacts with the fret board which causes friction that can require more effort hence resulting in fatigue in your hand or forearm muscles. This is obviously not a rule as plenty of players get by with out scallops.
Very cool! Really want to give this scallop style a go on my own. A bit hesitant about screwing up my Jackson inlays. Were they reversed it would almost be like a template... But of course nothing in life can be that easy. Very nice playing as well!
Bryce VanHoosen I'm glad you enjoyed the video Bryce. Can I say with regards to your Jackson, just get the opinion of someone who has scalloped a Jackson before. I cheeked out your channel and noted the Paganini tunes. Great to see you having a go at that stuff.
Ooooh... I'm sitting on the edge of my seat watching this, makes me very nervous... EEEK... Are maple necks normally heavily glossed over on the fret board? I ordered my maple neck and maple fretboard unfinished... Should I lacquoer it?
Excellent video Mr. Chambers. I have a question that maybe you could answer. I have seen other videos where people performed a Malmsteen-style scallop. I have noticed that the fretboard markers get removed during the scalloping process. Do you know how one goes about putting new markers on the fretboard after the scalloping process is complete?
Wow, look at the action on the rosewood neck one, you can drive a train between the scallop and those strings like a tunnel. Is there a reason other than preference.
Excellent stuff Gary.Iam more towards the Malmsteen style scalloping which i did to two of my guitars after i refretted them with extra jumbo stainless steel frets....the combo of the extra slick ss frets combined with the scalloped feel i believe gives you the ultimate in guitar neck playability.
Dreamdancer11 Thanks. It would have been good if Fender could have installed medium jumbo fret on these guitars just for the sake of having something to work with when the fret wear becomes an issue.
Garry Chambers Yes but for me just bite the bullet and install SS frets and never again bother with them...i get preradiused ss jescar fretwire and install it myself on almost all my guitars.They ll outlast me for sure lol.
Terrific playing, Garry. Outstanding tone. Presumably, you are in Australia. Do you play live at all? You inspired me to take the plunge and partially scallop a cheap strat i have. I'm enjoying the results so much, I'm now eyeing the neck on my Les Paul.
extremaphile Thanks extremaphile. I live on the south coast in N.S.W Australia. I'm not playing live. Good on you for having a go at scalloping. I would check youtube for advice on Les Paul's before you start scalloping. I scalloped my Stratacoustic a couple of weeks ago, in my next video I'll be using it. Gaz.
Garry Chambers Cheers, Garry. Yeah, I will definitely ponder hard before scalloping a set neck Les Paul. I only scalloped down to the C#. Think I might extend the next one down to B. Keep up the grand tradition of Blackmore style rocknroll.
extremaphile Maybe that's why RB stuck with the rosewood neck as they are so quick to scallop. The stratacoustic only took 2:30 to do from start to finish. Why not whack a video up of your finished project. Gaz.
Thanks for the info. I remember back in the 80's you could find a scalloped neck pretty much everywhere but none to try out here now. I wanted to try one to see if it could help eliminate my arthritis pain in my hands. I went out bought a $100 pawn shop Dean. to do this as my first run at scalloping a neck. A couple days of work and boom! It is great I can burn for hours, my vibrato is easy and sweat, I can bend for days my high end is clean..best of all my hand fell much better after a jam.THANKS again for the know how
Thanks tim76239. It's great the scallops worked for you. If your interested in some great relief for your arthritis cheek out what Andrew Saul, Abram Hoffer, Carolyn Dean and Phillip Day have to say about it. Good heath to you.
Slick pickin'! A tape line on both side's of the neck above the fret makers seems sensible as well as filling from both sides to accurately keep above the tape line. But what do I know, I've never done it.
+anthony mallia Well that's a good question Anthony. If you know some one with a Blackmore strat maybe you could take a pattern off that guitar. It is still hard because that will give you the profile but not the contour of the scallop as they are graduated. It is best to have a neck that you can use as a template.
not very long it in my familys blood my dad was a musicisian my uncle was a orchestra leader my brother violin and so on i started at 15 i made 2 yrs and i got into addiction i made 20yrs battiling to quit the addiction but now im like a rock and iv been playin for almost 5yrs by ear alone watching david gilmour playing and trying to play and make the sound like him
+anthony mallia That's great to hear your story Anthony. If I understand you rightly you said you are from Malta. We had a good friend years ago who was Maltese and played and sang, in fact his whole family were musical. It's Great to hear you have overcome the addiction. I have been of all drugs for over 30 years. So considering what you have been through I think your doing an excellent job. As a guitar teacher I have taught a few who have overcome addiction and a positive with an instrument is that if one is to play it well it nearly has to be an addiction. Gaz.
I see that you don't have to replace the fretmarkers? I will have my 9.5 radius strat neck flattened to 12" and the markers will obviously not need to be replaced in this case either? Nice playing by the way
TheSonOfAlerik Hay TSOA great to hear from you. I'm glad you liked it. As a suggestion, try it on a rosewood neck first because you can have another go anytime you like, just finish with 1500 that will get a shine out of the wood.
Blackmore on a interview said :" I don't play maple fretboard stratocaster because is too difficult scallop " , but since Yngwie was famous Fender built his maple glossy fingerboard so Ritchie can ask to Fender doing the same on his stratocaster maybe like Yngwie ( 2 models rosewood fretboard and Maple too ) but he don't like anymore ( maybe that's the reason).
I'm a long time player off and on with the two musicians you mentioned including the Joe Satriani riff you played I asked Joe to check you out hell comment I'm sure. Point is I've seen several techniques for scalloping fretboards and I have to say yours looked the least labor intensive and bringing on a fantastic finish as a 67/strat I have has a scalloped fretboard. And a nice paint finish.As demanding as I am about my guitars I would be very content with that job. Cheers brother...
This man is a true, pure musician in every way. Fantastic player AND Luthier, Incredible. You know you're a badass when you just start scalloping you're badass Strats on you're own.. I have 1 small question tho. Maybe already asked & answered in comments. Why you clip your strings at the tuning peg? Especially since you have locking tuners.. Just curious. You clearly have a reason & after listening to you play and watching you scallop a neck like a master very curious..
Thanks. If you mean. Why do I not clip my strings at the tuning peg? My video, DIY Broken String Repair. Tutorial by Garry Chambers. Should explain this.DIY Broken String Repair. Tutorial by Garry Chambers.
+anthony mallia Yes I just cheeked out some of them. My favorites from Pulse are, Diamond, One Of These Days, Run Like Hell. By the way your tone is pretty authentic, great effort well done.
Garry Chambers thankx man im still learning iv been playing almost by ear watching listening and search on my neck but somtimes i go for a lesson i have the best teacher in malta but still my dream is to play pink floyd on stage with a band so i practice alll my pink floyd solos everyday did u see my shine on u crazy diamond both versions are good and comf,numb and time they r good but i have a hater hes making me dislikes for nothing i dont know how to get rid of him fuckin asshole
Blackmore use-delineated, asymmetrical scallops feel and sound better. I do the same taping procedure you do and also use a dremel contour sander and several grades of sandpaper. It's one of my favorite mods.
***** I'm sorry, I should have been more forthcoming. My "slave-name" is Eric Rogers. I'm from Troy, NY (USA). You should have no trouble finding my facebook profile, now. Just go to photos and see some of what I've done. You do great work, but a dremel contour sander might save you a little time and physical effort.
Good afternoon friends, I bought a california squier manufactured in china in 2008, the guitar has a scalloped neck and the previous owner says that it left the factory that way, would that be possible, squier at some point produced scalloped guitars, maybe on order but really that is true ?
![Blackmore Guitar Collection [HQ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/M-jP38If6CA/mqdefault.jpg)
To whoever is planning to do this I would highly recommend marking your scalloping depth on the side of the neck. You can use masking tape for this. Remember this: its really easy to overshoot your marked depth because of deep scratches and incorrect shape of the scallops, so don't go all the way down to the marking until you do the final sanding. For the Malmsteen style scalloping: I would recommend a depth of about fret height 1.5mm-2.5mm MAX more than that and you run the risk of losing rigidity of the neck and ruining inlays/side dots. There is no real benefit to going deeper than that into the wood, its better to re-fret with taller frets and scallop to a smaller depth . Also, the bottom of the scallops should follow the radius of the fretboard/fretwire.
+infectionsman
Thanks for you comment. These are Blackmore style scallops which are a different profile and contour to the Malmsteen type.
Garry Chambers
Yes,i know ;) I was mainly giving tips on the malmsteen style scallops that are found higher up the neck on a blackmore strat. cheers
+infectionsman
Thanks for the input.
I can’t stress this enough. Mark the depth across the whole board (along the board I mean) as you’ll definitely get the depths mixed otherwise and by eye it’ll be wrong.
I agree in all what you said.
Love the playing too, like a combination between Jazz and Neo-Classical. Brilliant.
It's Joe Satriani riff
Holy moley I hope Ritchie doesn't see this. This guy's a better player than Blackmore!
@@IbanezWizard_59what song? I’ve been trying to look for it but I’m not too privy to his discography
Can't stop admiring! Sir, you are really The Great Guitarist!!!
Thanks again for your positive thoughts Jurgen.
And you meet Ritchie and say this because he can sign your Stratocaster!
Holy mackerel! Garry you are an amazing guitarist. I'm shooting over to your channel to see what else I can find. I believe you are one of my new favorites. Thanks also for the scalloping tips!
Thanks image30p. I'm glad you liked it and I hope you like the channel.
Gaz.
So inspiring mate. Really well done. And the clothes + playing I can’t get enough of. What a stylish dude!
You play very well. I pulse the bridge often with my palm the same way you do. As a matter of fact you might be the only other person I've seen do that. Great job on that neck scalloping. I can tell that you take great pride in all that you do, and it's evident that you have great passion and appreciation for music.
I only came for the scalloping method but... Whaooooh the sweep ! Gave a like juste for your playing
+Farmiluc
Thanks for watching.
Jesus the action on the rosewood neck is like a piano.. you could fit a mack truck under those strings!
Wonderfull tutorial and outstanding playing!
Vigilius60 Thanks Vigilius. Great to hear from you as well.
I'm putting the hole version of that tune on tonight. It's called
Gaz's Boogie. The other tune is Still I'm Sad. In fact your version
inspired me to have a go at it, however mine is not as accurate as
your version a bit more improvisation. I hope you enjoy.
Garry Chambers I like improvise like Blackmore does but on TH-cam if you improvise too much people says that you makes mistakes :-(
Gaz's Boogie is fantastic and your version of 'Still I'm sad' will make me happy in any case ;-) Long Live rock'n'roll!
Very cool and informative...about to try my hand at scalloping. Fantastic playing as well! Cheers!!
Thanks Garry, really enjoyed the video. Thats a bad-ass Strat!!!! Nice playing as well.
+Stephen Vattimo
Thanks Stephen.
Garry, this was a perfect watching! Not only your fine playing skills, but in-depth explanation of the scalloping process, probably the best out there so far. I'm quite more radical when it comes to scalloping since I'm YJM Strat user and it fits me perfectly. I've been struggling with an idea of getting a Strat and making the Scallop by myself and if I finally decide to do that I know that I'll be looking at you again and again. Great job!
+Mike K.
Thanks for watching Mike, there is a bit more info that I should put up for those considering a Blackmore or YJM job on a rosewood neck.
It has to do with the position markers on the side of the neck and the thickness of the Blackmore Strat's rosewood.
Gaz.
+Garry Chambers I'm just about to start a scalloping on a rosewood neck!!!! What are the other things to consider that you just told about? Thanks and great video!!! This was the GO AHEAD DIY for me!!!!!!!!!
The Blackmore's scalloping is the very best. Thanks for the lesson, I was made scalloping on my Strat in your lesson
That's great, I'm glad you got something out of the lesson.
Too bad Blackmore had to scallop his same fretboard twice, after the second time the neck was too thin for him to play. He said he went berserk on the guy that did a refret job on it after he told Richie that there was no extra charge for planing the fretboard flat. How could anyone, even someone that has never seen a guitar before, let alone a luthier not realize the concave formations into the wood between all the frets are supposed to be there?
I'd just like to say.... I've always wanted to play with the "Blackmore scallop". Thanks to your instructional video here I found the courage to do some surgery on my guitar... and the result is really amazing! So thank you very much for such clear instructions, making it relatively easy.
I am GREATLY impressed by your playing; the accuracy, the tone, the chops... my jaw just dropped when I found out you use a Zoom for overdrive and not a TP-1011 clone (like the BSM boosters or the DIY from Freestompboxes).
Well done indeed on everything and thanks again. The video really has been a great help!
Greetings from the Netherlands
Thank for your experience Wlat, I hope to see your work in a post some time soon.
cant believe that amazing playing skills
I scalloped my 1989 Heartfield EX-1's neck after viewing this clip .. I was anxious to play it but hadn't done all of the final sanding after rasping the fretboard but i strung it up and loved the way it felt..I noticed a difference in the tone as well..It's slightly warmer sounding and you can feel the string vibration in the neck and body a bit more..I've been playing it unfinished for over a year and many string changes later , I still like it very much !
That's great to hear you liked it and that it has worked out for you.
Brilliant.....
Nice chap , good job , excellent guitarist , fantastic video .....
made my night , thank you...
+Players Music
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed some wholesome or should I say scalloped entertainment.
You are fantastic! What an intro! Crystal clear, very virtuous playing of Blackmore-essence. Thank for the JOY! Now, I relisten, 4. time in row:) Greetings from Hiungary: George:)
+György Wágner B.
Thanks George. I'm glad you liked it. I just can not remember what into I put on at the start of that one. Anyway a big hello form flooded St Georges Basin Australia. Gaz.
It's Joe Satriani essence...Satch did a live version like it at a G3/ in 2003
Scalloped fenders the most hyperbolic guitars in the guitar era¡¡¡ thank you for the video and congratulations.
Your black guitar is a american Special stratocaster ?
The body is a fender blacktop strat and the neck is fender 70's pawn shop.
The pickups in it when the video was filmed were Mexican 70's strat however they
were changed for pickups from a cheap ALDI supermarket guitar I think they a Chinese.
The only thing about it that is "special"...... is that it is special to me.
My friend Víctor say thank you
You're welcome.
Great video Garry!
A question - do all your scalloped neck Stratocaster have the same fretboard radius of 7.25 inches, like original 70s Strats, or do you have have any with a more modern 9.5 or 12 inch radius? Do you have a preference?
Hi. The Natural, White and Sunburst all have 7.25 the Black one has a MIM porn shop neck which I think is a 9.5 and medium jumbo frets. They all have U shape profiles. My preference is 1 Black, 2 White, 3 Natural, 4 Sunburst.
One Question Garry: how do you feel the difference between the scalloped and the non scalloped fretboards? Do you feel that is true the common opinion that scalloped make the playing easier and let you be faster??
i really don't know as I only play scalloped guitars these days.
Just an awesome display of craftsmanship and playing. Thanks!
Thanks John, I'm glad you liked the video.
Interesting! BTW what is the String Action? It looks mile high?
Thanks... great information, Garry --- what amp are you using?
+Mark Norris
Thanks Mark, it's an Engl E650.
Wonderful playing, fretboard sanding, and finished guitar! I just finished scalloping my third ever, a cheapo 500$ washburn N2 that I'm gonna do a bunch of cosmetic work on.
How long did it take you to finish everything?
The wood work around 5 to 6 hours and the painting a few days. So for a maple neck with lacquer around 3 days. Rosewood neck 5 or 6 hours.
Thanks I have rosewood neck.
after two years of thinking about it i did a malmsteen style scallop on my two hundred buck walden accoustic shiting myself that i might wreck it,just wraped a piece of 80 grit around my finger and held it there with my other hand,took 6 hours to sand 13 frets.very happy with the result.the fretboard must be twice as thick as the depth of the scallop,do it slow,keep checking both sides for levelness and go to just above the inlays on the sides.thanks for this video
I was expecting the inlays to be filed out. How deep do inlays go?
The profile changes between camera shots at 10:10 and 10:15. Look how far the scallop was from the 1st fret before, about 1 - 2 mm, then see how close it got after, less than about 0.5mm. There appears to be more wood removed, or is this just some sort of illusion?
Good point Michael. The sanding and filing took somewhere around three to four hours. The video has been heavily edited so who knows how much time was elapsed between these two shots.
Excellent playing and great tutorial. Thank you sir!
Thanks
Can't thank you enough for the fantastic scalloping demo! Just completed a Blackmore style scallop on a one piece maple neck, couldn't be happier with how it turned out, and I wanted you to know how much your video helped. Great playing, too!
Thanks John I'm glad it helped. Post a video demo of the scalloped guitar so we can see and hear it.
Gaz.
Will do. I'm having the neck refinished so it'll be a while.
I revisited this video to check what sort of lacquer you used because I am thinking of coating my home made scalloped neck. Is there any specification or brand of this stringed instrument lacquer you mention? I tried a lacquer years ago that the seller in the paint shop advised but it was the worst thing ever, so I only have bad experience so far :D Thanks again Garry!
+DogwithtwoBones
Hi Adam, great to hear your sealing up your neck. The two part process I use is made by H.Behlen. The first is called, Vinyl Sealer Aerosol pn B102-8000.
As is suggested by the name this seals the sponge like maple and also provides an anchor for the second part also made by H.Behlen It is called, Stringed Instrument Lacquer pn B104-1406
Just follow the instructions on the back and you should be ok.
P.S. All your new uploads are great, nice video editing work as well.
+Garry Chambers Thanks, I'll try to get them, but my country's general market circumstances are less then adequate :D Maybe it can be bought online. Anyway thanks for checking my new videos. It seems today's musicians also have to be video editors in the same time :)
How is the action...Looks quite high..
Most of my guitars are a little high.
You made a very nice job, I am going to follow your procedure and try on an old Rock urn strat style rosewood fretboard, it's a inexpensive guitar but sounds good, so will give it the attention it deserves. Great playing and Best wishes.
thanks i finally understood the difference between symetrical and assymmetrical ;)
Awesome -- thanks for sharing. Great playing too.
Thanks.
What was the donor guitar here? Is that an original 70s strat?
All the info you need is in this video.
th-cam.com/video/M8qc-PTbQtU/w-d-xo.html
so what happens if you go through fret board a little?
That's a good question. Why not give it a try and let me know how you get on.
Garry Chambers ok, send me one of your expensive ones.
Is that fender Blackmore made in Mexico? cheers
Mexico.
Great workmanship and awesome playing!
Thanks Joska I
You are a huge inspiration Mr .
the techniques , and you are a luthier too maybe Blackmore meet you someday (after of this worldwide situation) , peace .
Do you need to adjust the thrust rod afther scalloping
Dasunka D
That's a good question Dasunka. I have not found that a big issue so far on the Strats. I don't know what it would be like on other makes. The Fender instructions are quite clean and all you need is the allen key, feeler gauges and a capo. So if there is some movement its not hard to correct.
Garry Chambers I am going to scallop squier afinity malmsteen style do you have any tips how to get even groovs
Dasunka D
If you know someone that has a Malmsteen strat maybe you could take a paper template of the profile or take some pictures and get some measurements there should be plenty on line. If its a rosewood neck you can always have another go if you don't go to deep. If its maple you will want to be more fussy because of the sealer and lacquer. Best advice is to take your time don't rush.
Let me know how you go. If you like you can send photo/video to whitestrat@internode.on.net
Gaz.
Can I ask why you wind your strings at the post instead of trimming them off?
+NoyzyBoyZ3
I'll explain in a video in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks for watching, Gaz.
+Garry Chambers Ok Garry,fair enough!
Damn I love your playing/tone!
You're a luthier or a simple guitarist ?
A simple guitar teacher.
Thank you !
Great song at the end! What's the name?
Thanks. Gaz's Boogie
I'm impressed by your DIY Scalloping... Would you do it for me and how much would it cost me if you did ? I have two Strat necks
Hi. I'm glad you like the video. I would suggest having a go at it yourself. If your not confident just buy a cheap Strat copy and have a go. If you do let me know how you get on.
I'm so glad i found this clip BY ACCIDENT again - your guitar playing is simply "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".
Thanks Hocus Pocus.
so what is the advantage of the asymmetrical (Blackmore style) scallop over symmetrical (Malmstenn style) scallop?
Doing asymmetrical scalloping is definetly more demanding concerning craftsmanship but is it worth the extra effort?
Having the malmstenn style frets will make it more difficult to play chords and stuff like that because it makes it easy to accidentally bend a string due to the entire fret being scalloped but blackmores style will make it so you can play chords easily but only get the benefit of the scalloped frets higher up the fret board and on the high strings
Hey! I'm doing this to an Ibanez with a maple neck. What is the purpose of spraying the varnish? Is it just for looks or does it serve a functional purpose? I was thinking of doing very little, like 1-2 coats of a flat finish because I don't like the glossy look on the fretboard and I'm kinda lazy. Any tips and advice would be helpful, thanks!
Great playing, by the way!
Thanks for your comment and question Michael. From what I have picked up from luthiers on youtube they say maple is like a sponge when it comes to moisture. If not sealed properly the neck will have a tendency to warp .
whats the benefit of scalloped frets?
Ricky Booby
Hi Ricky.
Thanks for your question. I can only say what the benefits have been for me.
On 70's Strats the frets are quite small so when you bend a note the skin on your finger tip contacts with the fret board which causes friction that can require more effort hence resulting in fatigue in your hand or forearm muscles.
This is obviously not a rule as plenty of players get by with out scallops.
Very cool! Really want to give this scallop style a go on my own. A bit hesitant about screwing up my Jackson inlays. Were they reversed it would almost be like a template... But of course nothing in life can be that easy. Very nice playing as well!
Bryce VanHoosen I'm glad you enjoyed the video Bryce. Can I say with regards to your Jackson, just get the opinion of someone who has scalloped a Jackson before. I cheeked out your channel and noted the Paganini tunes. Great to see you having a go at that stuff.
great playing and spot on Blackmore tone
Ooooh... I'm sitting on the edge of my seat watching this, makes me very nervous... EEEK...
Are maple necks normally heavily glossed over on the fret board? I ordered my maple neck and maple fretboard unfinished... Should I lacquoer it?
Outstanding playing
Excellent video Garry!!! Very informative. Killer playing also!!! New subscriber!
LostMyMojo100
Thanks. I'm glad you got something out of it.
just wow, the great work and also the playing
An outstanding video, Sir. Thank you. I will try this now.
Impressive on all counts, hats off to you!
Excellent video Mr. Chambers. I have a question that maybe you could answer. I have seen other videos where people performed a Malmsteen-style scallop. I have noticed that the fretboard markers get removed during the scalloping process. Do you know how one goes about putting new markers on the fretboard after the scalloping process is complete?
awesome job and awesome playing !!!
Great jam. Bravo. Love Richie also!
Great job ! On the fretboard and on stage
Wow, look at the action on the rosewood neck one, you can drive a train between the scallop and those strings like a tunnel. Is there a reason other than preference.
It's probably half because I'm not a expert on setup and the other half is because I'm used to it.
You said 3 vinyl sealer coats per day. How many days?
And what doy you mean with 320 sand in between?
That was my method. You might get a better idea if you go to H. Behlen and see what the manufacturer says about the application process.
What's the name of the song at the beginning? Are there tabs?
Gaz's Boogie. Sorry no tabs. You'll just have to slow it down and work it out.;)
@@GarryChambers Thanks bruddah!
Excellent stuff Gary.Iam more towards the Malmsteen style scalloping which i did to two of my guitars after i refretted them with extra jumbo stainless steel frets....the combo of the extra slick ss frets combined with the scalloped feel i believe gives you the ultimate in guitar neck playability.
Dreamdancer11
Thanks. It would have been good if Fender could have installed medium jumbo fret on these guitars just for the sake of having something to work with when the fret wear becomes an issue.
Garry Chambers Yes but for me just bite the bullet and install SS frets and never again bother with them...i get preradiused ss jescar fretwire and install it myself on almost all my guitars.They ll outlast me for sure lol.
Dreamdancer11
Sounds very interesting Dreamdancer. I might have to give it a go.
Terrific playing, Garry. Outstanding tone. Presumably, you are in Australia. Do you play live at all? You inspired me to take the plunge and partially scallop a cheap strat i have. I'm enjoying the results so much, I'm now eyeing the neck on my Les Paul.
extremaphile Thanks extremaphile. I live on the south coast in N.S.W Australia. I'm not playing live. Good on you for having a go at scalloping.
I would check youtube for advice on Les Paul's before you start scalloping. I scalloped my Stratacoustic a couple of weeks ago, in my next video
I'll be using it. Gaz.
Garry Chambers Cheers, Garry. Yeah, I will definitely ponder hard before scalloping a set neck Les Paul. I only scalloped down to the C#. Think I might extend the next one down to B. Keep up the grand tradition of Blackmore style rocknroll.
extremaphile Maybe that's why RB stuck with the rosewood neck as they are so quick to scallop. The stratacoustic only took 2:30 to do
from start to finish. Why not whack a video up of your finished project.
Gaz.
Have you ever tried a bobbin sander,its really quick and it comes out very neat and clean.
Thanks for your comment mark 123. I have not tried one, maybe you could post a video tutorial of your next neck on the bobbin sander.
Thanks for the info. I remember back in the 80's you could find a scalloped neck pretty much everywhere but none to try out here now. I wanted to try one to see if it could help eliminate my arthritis pain in my hands. I went out bought a $100 pawn shop Dean. to do this as my first run at scalloping a neck. A couple days of work and boom! It is great I can burn for hours, my vibrato is easy and sweat, I can bend for days my high end is clean..best of all my hand fell much better after a jam.THANKS again for the know how
Thanks tim76239. It's great the scallops worked for you.
If your interested in some great relief for your arthritis cheek out what Andrew Saul, Abram Hoffer, Carolyn Dean and Phillip Day have to say about it.
Good heath to you.
Slick pickin'!
A tape line on both side's of the neck above the fret makers seems sensible as well as filling from both sides to accurately keep above the tape line. But what do I know, I've never done it.
how do u measure them ???
+anthony mallia
Well that's a good question Anthony. If you know some one with a Blackmore strat maybe you could take a pattern off that guitar. It is still hard because that will give you the profile but not the contour of the scallop as they are graduated. It is best to have a neck that you can use as a template.
Garry Chambers yeah good answer that makes huge sense thankx man
+anthony mallia
Can you let me know how long you have been playing?
not very long it in my familys blood my dad was a musicisian my uncle was a orchestra leader my brother violin and so on i started at 15 i made 2 yrs and i got into addiction i made 20yrs battiling to quit the addiction but now im like a rock and iv been playin for almost 5yrs by ear alone watching david gilmour playing and trying to play and make the sound like him
+anthony mallia
That's great to hear your story Anthony. If I understand you rightly you said you are from Malta. We had a good friend years ago who was Maltese and played and sang, in fact his whole family were musical. It's Great to hear you have overcome the addiction. I have been of all drugs for over 30 years. So considering what you have been through I think your doing an excellent job. As a guitar teacher I have taught a few who have overcome addiction and a positive with an instrument is that if one is to play it well it nearly has to be an addiction.
Gaz.
Great playing with that Blackmoreish flavour to it ! your guitar playing skills exceed your considerable woodworking skills
I see that you don't have to replace the fretmarkers? I will have my 9.5 radius strat neck flattened to 12" and the markers will obviously not need to be replaced in this case either? Nice playing by the way
+Henrik Møller
Thanks Henrik. I have never scalloped a 12" so it might pay to ask a luthier.
I have always wondered how to get those string loops
Absolutely cool. Thank you so much, Garry.
Now, for me, left to find only a good pattern for the correct measurement.
TheSonOfAlerik Hay TSOA great to hear from you.
I'm glad you liked it. As a suggestion, try it on a rosewood
neck first because you can have another go anytime you like,
just finish with 1500 that will get a shine out of the wood.
I had my neck scalloped by Jon Stillwell back in 2004 for $300. I just love it!
Blakmore chitarrista geniale il piu' grande in assoluto
what song did you open with?
Gaz's Boogie.
Excellent playing!
Blackmore on a interview said :" I don't play maple fretboard stratocaster because is too difficult scallop " , but since Yngwie was famous Fender built his maple glossy fingerboard so Ritchie can ask to Fender doing the same on his stratocaster maybe like Yngwie ( 2 models rosewood fretboard and Maple too ) but he don't like anymore ( maybe that's the reason).
Mr. Chambers, I would love my rosewood guitar neck scalloped. Do I need vinyl seal on a rosewood? Thank you sir
No sir. No need for vinyl sealer.
I'm a long time player off and on with the two musicians you mentioned including the Joe Satriani riff you played I asked Joe to check you out hell comment I'm sure. Point is I've seen several techniques for scalloping fretboards and I have to say yours looked the least labor intensive and bringing on a fantastic finish as a 67/strat I have has a scalloped fretboard. And a nice paint finish.As demanding as I am about my guitars I would be very content with that job. Cheers brother...
Great video, great playing!
nice vid and playing!
wow dig that snarling tone! and your licks? like a boss!
This man is a true, pure musician in every way. Fantastic player AND Luthier, Incredible. You know you're a badass when you just start scalloping you're badass Strats on you're own.. I have 1 small question tho. Maybe already asked & answered in comments. Why you clip your strings at the tuning peg? Especially since you have locking tuners.. Just curious. You clearly have a reason & after listening to you play and watching you scallop a neck like a master very curious..
Thanks. If you mean. Why do I not clip my strings at the tuning peg? My video, DIY Broken String Repair. Tutorial by Garry Chambers. Should explain this.DIY Broken String Repair. Tutorial by Garry Chambers.
what an amazing guitarist
+anthony mallia
Thanks Anthony. It's nice you enjoyed it.
Garry Chambers offcourse i enjoyed it you have a huge talent i have a playlist of me playing pink floyd solos
if u wanna see i will appreciatte it
+anthony mallia
Yes I just cheeked out some of them. My favorites from Pulse are, Diamond, One Of These Days, Run Like Hell.
By the way your tone is pretty authentic, great effort well done.
Garry Chambers thankx man im still learning iv been playing almost by ear watching listening and search on my neck but somtimes i go for a lesson i have the best teacher in malta but still my dream is to play pink floyd on stage with a band so i practice alll my pink floyd solos everyday did u see my shine on u crazy diamond both versions are good and comf,numb and time they r good but i have a hater hes making me dislikes for nothing i dont know how to get rid of him fuckin asshole
What did you mean by blackmore style? i wast 100% sure on that
Hi Sammy pc.
The shape of the scallops are different on the Malmsteen strat.
Garry Chambers thank you sir
Blackmore use-delineated, asymmetrical scallops feel and sound better. I do the same taping procedure you do and also use a dremel contour sander and several grades of sandpaper. It's one of my favorite mods.
Modes9That's great Modes9. Maybe you could do a video of your hard work and give us a look.
Gaz.
Garry Chambers Come to facebook and check out my partscaster and squier mod galleries.
Modes9 Where is that facebook site you mention? I'm interested in knowing a lot about this if you don't mind :)
***** I'm sorry, I should have been more forthcoming. My "slave-name" is Eric Rogers. I'm from Troy, NY (USA). You should have no trouble finding my facebook profile, now. Just go to photos and see some of what I've done. You do great work, but a dremel contour sander might save you a little time and physical effort.
Modes9 Nice, just followed you ! :)
Hi, i am wondering how scalloping might interact with a neck's radius? My neck has a 8.5 inch radius. thanks
Simply Brilliant!
Daniel Pérez Thanks Daniel. Oh well I suppose it give a bit of an idea on the subject.
i like your guitar videos...!
+spigax
Thanks for watching.
Nice work
What is the opening song?
Thank you
I love this. I generally prefer the Blackmore style scallop, but feel the Yngwie Strat is a better guitar. Certainly not all scallops are the same.
Good afternoon friends, I bought a california squier manufactured in china in 2008, the guitar has a scalloped neck and the previous owner says that it left the factory that way, would that be possible, squier at some point produced scalloped guitars, maybe on order but really that is true ?
You could pre cut the tape and avoid any risk of fret damage