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I'm trying to scallop a guitar neck i bought and seeing that there are dots built in... I don't know what to do I masked the frets with masking tape and all (with a few sangs on the frets) but other than that the dots are the only problem. Any advice?

Hey there,

have you played a guitar with a scalloped fingerboard before? the feeling is completely different than that of a normal fingerboard. you may regret doing this to a perfectly good neck. that said, i don't see why you couldn't follow any scalloping tutorial on the web, and after scalloping inlay new fret markers if you need to.

On the contrary, I have. But I wanted to see about scalloping without damaging the dot, on which i didn't see anything on. If you know drop me a link!

You can remove the inlay - then scallop and then redo the inlay - that way you save the dot - or just lose the dot and then inlay another fret marker of your choice, skulls, bird, dogs, snakes, fangs, stars

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

The best thing is to get the inlays out, if you want to save them. If you dont... well, these are thin, so guess what it will do.

But, before doing this...

- Do you know what the scalloping gives you more?
- Do you know the disadvantages of doing that?
- After those 2 questions, why do YOU want to scallop your frets?

And if you answer yes, well...

-Which tools are you going to use, and how?

If you want my opinion... scalloping is done on a very little percentage of guitars... Rarety is always a sign of something that is not good OR that is really specific to a certain style or sound.


My 2 cents.

Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

I know what your saying. In my opinion, due to the fact you can press lighter to get the sound that's why and im not doing a full scallop. More of a slight scallop.

Sorry, but scallop really don't affect the pressure you have to put to get the sound... It help you if you want to bend or make some vibratos and other technics like that. But, the scallop may cause you to press harder on the fret, cause she is deeper, so the notes will be off.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

its more for metal heads, im a idiot at explaining things.

And to complete my point... is scalloping was just helping you to use less pressure, and that's it... well, all guitars would be scalloped. It's simple reflections you have to make...

If you want to understand a situation.. exagerate it both ways, and think a little bit.. exemple:

- Why guitars don't have 40'' scale? The string brokes...
- Why guitars don't have 15'' scale? No sound, the string don't even stay at is place.

next step...

-Why guitars don't have 28''? (for regular strings, for 24-25'') String is really stretched. Gives a really really clear sound, really high.
-Why guitars don't have 22''? The string is floppy, less power, really bassy.

Next step...


What's the differences between 25½ Fender and 24¾ Gibson? And why?

I'll let you answer this. And try to applicate this method to every question you have.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Lol, yes, because I don't even understand what you are saying by...

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Skankstro, just build a simple electric guitar for your first one,
then branch out to all that weird stuff you want to do.
Silver wire? 30 way switch, ha.
By the way, regarding silver wire,
what kind of wire is in the pickups?
Copper.
what are the pots and jacks made of?
I don't even know.
Why not go with gold wire?
I think the scalloped fretboards went by the wayside, no?
Am I wrong?
Anybody here ever play one?
Or make one?
Too much information on the internet I think.

yea the design has changed since then. 1 pickup, tone & volume, and a on-off-on switch for selecting coils

skank,

seems like you are trying to build in a features list into your guitar, that you think will impress people. You have to stop thinking that way. You have to get over building one guitar, then you will find out that what is more impressive is when you build two guitars, and then a third - the 2nd and 3rd will be easier. Building one guitar is like guy that likes to tinker. Building two, people will raise their eyebrows and say "really", build three and then you will get the attention you desire socially, musically, and you become budding community craftsman. good luck.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

Scalloping a neck is all in preference. I'm not going full out wheres-the-fingerboard scallop but just a slight amount

A slight amount of uselessness is still uselessness.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

If you are only going a slight amount, might as well just go for the jumbo frets...if you don't like it then you can go back to shorter frets, but the jumbo's give the same feeling as scalloped. It won't ruin a perfectly good fingerboard either

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John Thiessen
http://www.iszacguitars.com