Old L-00 with scalloped fretboard

Billy Hill · #1 03-08-2011, 04:38 PM

My friend just recently purchased a 1933/34 L-00 which is in nice shape judging from the pics I've seen. I'm far from being an expert on vintage guitars, but, I've been lurking the various forums for years and have never heard mention of a scalloped fretboard until now. Is this feature unique to this model? Spill yer guts!

geronimotwo · #2 03-08-2011, 04:43 PM

i have never heard of this on an acoustic. 20 years ago steve vai made it popular with the electric crowd. not sure of the reasoning for it. bending strings? lighter touch?

LoMa · #3 03-08-2011, 04:47 PM

I've only seen them on appalachian dulcimers....

patticake · #4 03-08-2011, 05:19 PM

i've sure never heard of a scalloped fretboard on an acoustic. i've only played scalloped fretboards on electric guitars - the yngwie malmsteen and ritchie blackmore strats, to be specific. to my surprise, i really liked them.

you're not billy hill from orange county, are you?

Billy Hill · #5 03-08-2011, 09:30 PM

I suspected it would go something like this. Thanks for your responses. Geronimo is right. It's all about the lighter touch according to my friend. He loves it.

No, patticake, I've never had the chance to visit Orange County

Thanks again!

JRB · #6 03-08-2011, 11:53 PM

Pictures? Sounds interesting.

Kitchen Guitars · #7 03-09-2011, 08:07 AM

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wik...oped_fretboard

Acoustic Guitar Magazine did an article about one in the past year. There was a fellow playing very "Sitar" sounding music with one on NPR a while back. He did it for sound effects.

Tele1111 · #8 03-09-2011, 03:34 PM

Actually, John McLaughlin had one of the first scalloped fingerboard acoustics that I am aware of. Way before Vai was even concieved. (well maybe) He played it on his "Shakti" albums, and for a couple of other cuts here and there. It also had drone strings. If you really want to hear what can be done with a scalloped fingerboard, check out that first Shakti album. It will blow you away.

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Billy Hill · #9 03-09-2011, 04:09 PM

Hi all,
I wish I had the pics to post, but I don't. This guitar is a standard L-00 with a black finish, a couple repaired cracks and the scalloped fretboard. I may get to play it in the not too distant future. If so, a full report and pics will be forthcoming, Hilly Bill

arie · #10 03-09-2011, 04:47 PM

here's a scalloped fretboard on a guitar from the 1820's~1830's (they claim)

don't know if it's original or not though.......

i don't think Gibson L00's ever had factory scalloped fretboards though.

Wade Hampton · #11 03-09-2011, 05:02 PM

Actually, it's one of those old ideas that never catches on with the general music-playing public but which gets reinvented every generation or so.

Back in the early part of the 20th Century there was a banjo virtuoso named Fred Van Eps who played a classical repertoire on the nylon string five string banjo. He was also an inventor and innovator on the instrument, and the banjos he had manufactured also had scalloped fretboards to facilitate musical expression.

Fred's son George Van Eps became a well-known jazz guitarist, and is generally considered the first jazz guitarist to add a seventh low string (tuned to an A, I believe) to his guitar. So innovative thinking clearly ran in that family.

Anyway, scalloped fingerboards require more precision than most guitarists (or five string banjoplayers) have, so aside from the occasional virtuoso like Mahavishnu John McLaughlin or Yngwie Malmsteen who can use them in a profoundly musical way, they tend to be more of a novelty than a truly useful musical tool.

And, yes, I include myself in that latter group. I've dinked around both with a Van Eps banjo and some scalloped fretboard electric guitars, and they're way too fussy for me....I'm a good musician, but not at that level.

Wade Hampton Miller

vintageparlors · #12 03-09-2011, 06:43 PM

I have a few vintage guitars with "cowboy scalloping" in the first three frets only. These were created by precisely playing the same three chords, over and over again, for 70 years.

If this becomes a new fad, maybe I should charge more for these

Wade Hampton · #13 03-09-2011, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vintageparlors

I have a few vintage guitars with "cowboy scalloping" in the first three frets only. These were created by precisely playing the same three chords, over and over again, for 70 years.

If this becomes a new fad, maybe I should charge more for these

Uh, we'll get back to you on that one!

Actually, I've run into what you're calling "cowboy scalloping" more than once, most often on guitars with rosewood fingerboards (or other, softer woods - pearwood fretboards dyed black with aniline dye seem susceptible to this, as well.)

There does seem to be a fairly high correlation between the general grubbiness and dirt levels present on the instrument, as well - as though part of the reason that those guitars got grooves worn in their fingerboards is that the folks who owned them weren't too conscientious about hand-washing or personal hygiene in general....

Maybe the dirt on the players' fingers got ground into the wood of the fingerboard, acting a bit like sandpaper and accelerating the wear in the process.

whm

OleGibby58 · #14 03-09-2011, 09:36 PM

Quote:

John McLaughlin had one of the first scalloped fingerboard acoustics that I am aware of

Yes, but I've followed that guy forever--love "My Goal's Beyond"--and he's always been a guy who pushed the limits with technique. If memory serves me, he worked on his method for "My Goals Beyond" so he could pick very note, no slurs, hammer-ons, pull-offs included. I saw him on tour a year or so ago and he is still a master of the 'fast riff' thing.

Agree w. Wade etc. on scalloped fretboards plus utility for an average player like me. Might stumble around OK w. my flattops but would likely sound like King Kong on my Tele.

Tele1111 · #15 03-09-2011, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OleGibby58

Yes, but I've followed that guy forever--love "My Goal's Beyond"--and he's always been a guy who pushed the limits with technique. If memory serves me, he worked on his method for "My Goals Beyond" so he could pick very note, no slurs, hammer-ons, pull-offs included. I saw him on tour a year or so ago and he is still a master of the 'fast riff' thing.

Agree w. Wade etc. on scalloped fretboards plus utility for an average player like me. Might stumble around OK w. my flattops but would likely sound like King Kong on my Tele.

I agree Gibby. That is in the top three of my all time acoustic albums. John did with a flat pick what most can only dream of. Yes, he was/is fast, but oh so musical. Clean, precise and more. As Wade said; "occasional virtuoso". (I believe he meant by occasional, that they are far and few between. Correct me if I'm wrong Wade.)

As far as playing a scalloped fingerboard? I dont even want to try. Even finger pressure for every chord just to play in tune? I'm no where near that good.