Get one of Yngwie's guitars

giggsy

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yngwie-Malmsteen-Owned-Played-Aria-Pro-II-Guitar-Custom-Made-Prototype-1-1-/261098818129?_trksid=p4340.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D555001%26algo%3DPW.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D7%26meid%3D2298941451373293291%26pid%3D100010%26prg%3D1004%26rk%3D3%26sd%3D290780065059%26

psyx

Ive always wondered why the frets are "hollowed out" on his guitars...
Can anyone shed some light on this?

ezietsman

psyx wrote: Ive always wondered why the frets are "hollowed out" on his guitars...
Can anyone shed some light on this?

They're scalloped. It's so that he can do his fancy uber vibrato. Vai has scalloped frets on his guitars too, but I think its only the last couple high up.

needleshy

psyx wrote: Ive always wondered why the frets are "hollowed out" on his guitars...
Can anyone shed some light on this?

There is zero resistance when doing bends from the fret board onto your finger tips, so bends are super easy to do and can be very quick if required. Vibrato is way easier and most importantly the notes are easier to play, less pressure is needed to push down on the string to allow for the note to ring, so your forearms have less fatigue when playing.

Malkav

needleshy wrote:
psyx wrote: Ive always wondered why the frets are "hollowed out" on his guitars...
Can anyone shed some light on this?
There is zero resistance when doing bends from the fret board onto your finger tips, so bends are super easy to do and can be very quick if required. Vibrato is way easier and most importantly the notes are easier to play, less pressure is needed to push down on the string to allow for the note to ring, so your forearms have less fatigue when playing.

I don't really agree with a lot of this, I found bends were "easier" only in the sense that you get more of a grip on the strings, it's actually very easy to apply too much pressure and overbend. The same applies for chords, they can go pretty haywire pitch wise if you're not hugely controlled. From what I experienced it's also very difficult to play really fast and accurately, it slows you down in the sense that you've always gotta be right on top of how much pressure you're putting down constantly - In fact in interviews with Malmsteen he actually states it slows you down as well.

Vai does it because Malmsteen recommended it on their G3 tour together but that's only frets 20 - 24 I believe, you can see him talk about it in Premier Guitar's Rig Rundown - I also read notes from the guy who helped design the original Jem saying that they found scalloping the frets that were over the body helped increase their sustain.

IceCreamMan

went for a great price when u consider what you are getting ..a state of the art guitar made by top craftsmen in japan and played by a guitar legend .....

ZarK

When I compare the 4 scalloped frets on my Jem to my RG J Customs unscalloped top frets, it really comes down to a coin flip which I prefer. Doesn't make much of a difference except that it looks cool. I understand if someone took a guitar with small or medium frets and considered scalloping the neck. With modern tall Jumbo frets you have so much clearance already... I don't see the point but then I haven't played a Malmsteen strat in quite a while... Seems to work for Malmsteen, I'm sure we'd all agree... ?

Jack-Flash-Jr

I like scalloped frets but as noted they require a light touch and I sometimes feel like I'm playing a sitar...

Rescator

one need just a few days of practice to get used to scalloped frets .
but , comeback to "normal" guitar with small frets , sometimes is not easy , since touching a wood is what makes you slower ! ?

anyway , to each his own
scalloped frets are about light touch and ridicules vibrato , not about speed on the first place .
but once you build light touch , speed is already there .

note - one cannot enjoy scalloped frets benefits with .012-. 56 strings set ;
0.08-.48 in E flat makes this guitar to sing and your fingers to fly !

Steve Vai does 20-24 scalloped because of his big fingers and pretty narrow 20-24 frets , not because Malmsteen told him , by the vai 8)
(check his site for more info )

Rescator

and yes, hurry up , who knows , tomorrow maybe no more Fender ....
Gibson us the same , if not the worst shit as well ....

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/business/fender-aims-to-stay-plugged-in-amid-changing-music-trends.html?_r=0

Malkav

Rescator wrote: Steve Vai does 20-24 scalloped because of his big fingers and pretty narrow 20-24 frets , not because Malmsteen told him , by the vai 8)
(check his site for more info )

Bob-Dubery

IIRC the scalloped fret board thang began with Richie Blackmore

guidothepimmp

Yngwie loved deep purple, that's where the blackmore link comes in..

He got the scalloping idea after seeing a lute that was scalloped and started doing it to his guitars

Read it here, cool interview if you're a malmsteem fan

http://guitarinternational.com/2010/06/24/malmsteen/

epictring

Started watching that vid saying to myself "10mins max."

Half an hour later... :?

Rescator

Chad Adam Browne wrote:
Rescator wrote: Steve Vai does 20-24 scalloped because of his big fingers and pretty narrow 20-24 frets , not because Malmsteen told him , by the vai 8)
(check his site for more info )
=

I cannot see that Steve said YJM told him to install scalloped frets , they just talked about it .

Steve Jem's with scalloped high frets existed a way before G3 tour with YJM .

But anyway , thanks for the link .

By the Vai 8) , I love both of my YJM STrat and S. Vai JEM .

Guitars with distinctive characters ,IMHO

arjunmenon

Rescator wrote:

Rescator, that is a very tasty looking Anderson you have there...yum

Rescator

Thanks Arjun ! ?