A fretted fingerboard can be scalloped by "scooping out" the wood between each of the frets to create a shallow "U" shape. The result is a playing surface wherein the players' fingers come into contact with the strings only, and do not touch the fingerboard.
The process of "scalloping" a fingerboard well is tedious work, usually done by careful filing of wood between the frets, and requires a large investment of time. Consequently, it is somewhat expensive to have done. Thus, scalloped fingerboards are most often found on custom instruments and a few high-end guitar models. Scalloped fingerboards are most commonly used by shred guitarists, most notably, Yngwie Malmsteen, who had a signature model of Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster developed with Fender. Ritchie Blackmore, of Deep Purple fame, also used a scalloped Stratocaster.
Scalloping can be:
* Full, i.e. all frets from the first to the last are scalloped.
* Partial, when some of the top frets are scalloped for fast soloing. Popular examples include half scalloping (12th to the last fret) or few top frets scalloping (19–24, 17–22, etc)
Note that filing the wood while scalloping also touches inlays, thus fingerboards with complex and intricate inlays usually aren't conducive to scalloping, as it would damage the artwork. Simple dot or block markers survive the procedure well.
[edit] Advantages and disadvantages
The "scooped out" nature of scalloped fingerboards creates a number a changes in the way the guitar plays.
Most obvious, is that the string only comes into contact with the frets and the fingertip with the string, not the fingerboard itself, creating less friction for bends and vibratos, which results in more overall control while playing. Another advantage is that the player only needs to apply a fraction of the pressure to a scalloped fingerboard to make the note sound, as compared to a traditional fingerboard. This allows the guitarist to play faster because they don't have to invest as much effort into fretting each note.[1]
However, that is also one of the main disadvantages. Many players, especially new players, may find a scalloped fingerboard to be too different to play easily. And it does take practice to play well on a scalloped fingerboard. The player has to first become accustomed to not actually touching the fingerboard, which may take a while in itself. Playing a scalloped fingerboard also requires a careful balance of pressure; because too much pressure can change the pitch of the fretted note, as during a bend, and too little pressure can cause fret buzz. As a result the majority of players choose to use a traditional fingerboard on their instruments.
