Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

JacksonShredHead

JacksonShredHead

New member
So I'm looking at an Ibanez steve vai Jem 7vwh model, it has features that interest me, but I just realized it has 21, 22, 23, and 24 frets scalloped. I've never played a scalloped fret board so how much differnt is this? Would I be able to make the transistion from non-scallops to this scalloped fret board without too many problems?
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

How much time do you spend on those frets anyways? I never get past the 12th!
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

It will take you between 2 or 3 minutes. Seriously.

You will find it easier to do hammer-ons and tapping on those frets. Just watch the pressure applied so you don't go sharp on those notes and that's it. You shouldn't have much of a problem with that.
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

Scalloped fretboards and thin-ass Ibanez necks seem like a disaster waiting to happen, unless they are re-inforced with graphite rods!
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

theodie said:
Scalloped fretboards and thin-ass Ibanez necks seem like a disaster waiting to happen, unless they are re-inforced with graphite rods!
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Actually, here's what I read. The original non- all access neck joint necks had the fretboard overhang from the 22nd through 24th frets, the all-access neck joint Jems are one solid piece, the neck goes all the way to the end of the fretboard.

Supposedly the 20-24 frets on the non- all access neck joints would sound dead notes, or not as clear or harmonically rich as the others due to the lack of wood under the fretboard. Ibanez then scalloped frets 20-24 which eliminated this problem- don't ask me how, but it did.

On the all access neck joint necks, the neck wood under the freboard eliminated the above problem, and that is why the scalloped boards were not included on the other recent Jems like the BSB, the black tar finished one and the rock mirror.

Anyway, that was Ibanez's explanation why some of the Jems were not scalloped. Personally I think it was just a cost issue since it was the lower priced Jems that were non-scalloped. The scalloping has got to make playing in the upper registers easier
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

I was talking about if the whole board was scalloped. 20-24 makes some sense becasue the width of the fret is tiny.
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

i dont really notice the scalopped frets on my jem. like mentioned before the distance between the frets is too tiny to really feel it.
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

i couldnt feel any diference on those tiny frets when i played EVO, though it seems logical, since the higher frets are hard-er to reach, and a lighter touch does help a bit, but like said, i didnt notice any diference.

and yes, the pre AANJ ibanez guitars had a fender pocket, and 21 fret necks could be fited without a problem. they had a 24 fret overhang on those


a scalloped wizard neck .. well.. i dont know if you can call it a neck, since it doesnt have any wood left on it.
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

theodie said:
I was talking about if the whole board was scalloped. 20-24 makes some sense becasue the width of the fret is tiny.
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It's not just the tiny fret width, like JMH151 said, they come AFTER the neck joint ends. So you can basically do whatever you want up there and it doesn't affect the stability of anything.
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

Davey said:
a scalloped wizard neck .. well.. i dont know if you can call it a neck, since it doesnt have any wood left on it.
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No kidding... just weld some frets to a truss rod and call it a day.
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

frankfalbo said:
It's not just the tiny fret width, like JMH151 said, they come AFTER the neck joint ends. So you can basically do whatever you want up there and it doesn't affect the stability of anything.
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Yeah, I understand that after I noticed it was only on the very high frets.
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

i think the biggest problem is you will wish the rest of the fretboard was scalloped. love mine!
 
Re: Scalloped Frets---Ibanez

The higher up the neck, the harder it is to go sharp. This is due to the frets being closer together. Since we're talking about frets 21-24, you'll hardly notice any difference from a regular fingerboard. It would take a deathgrip + roids to make it go sharp up there. :)
 
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