Any luthiers offer Scalloped Fingerboards? Recommendations?
 

Looking for luthier recommendations for a potential build.

I would love to find or commission an acoustic 6 string with an extended scale (baritone or maybe multi scale would be more appropriate) and a scalloped fingerboard.

Unfortunately I have seen that few luthiers offer scalloped fingerboards as an option.

The tuning would be BbFDFBbF, so quite a difference from standard tuning. 6 semitones lower for the 6th string, and one whole step higher than standard for the 1st string.
I currently have a guild baritone set up for this tuning, and while it works, its not ideal due to range of tuning and tonally its nice but its not a high end guitar.

Budget wise not a great deal, but I don't care much about exquisite artistic ornamentation (even though I greatly appreciate the artistry so many luthiers exhibit in this respect). I would like to use good tonewoods (maybe adi spruce for top - simply because I have a 12 year old Eastman adi hog dread that I adore) and would prefer a Florentine cutaway. Larger body size in the dreadnought/jumbo range. Looking in the range of 3-7k. This guitar would be played and recorded quite a bit, and for finish its ok if it sacrifices long term durability (or shine) for better resonance. Would be used for original fusion in the style of Mclaughlin with Shakti (I don't need sympathetic strings :)).

-Dreadnought/Jumbo like sized body
-Florentine Cutaway
-Multiscale or Baritone scale to accomodate BbFDFBbF tuning
-Scalloped fingerboard
-Adi Spruce top
-Thin finish
-Optional arm bevel



Is this budget delusional for such an instrument?

Anyhow thanks for folks two cents.

Sounds like an interesting project. Out of curiosity, why do you want a scalloped fret board? I think I know why but would like to hear it from you.

I've done scalloped from the 14th fret onwards. In that case the customer played a lot of artificial harmonics and the extra clearance kept their right hand thumbnail from hitting the fingerboard. I expect you are looking for more of a sitar effect though.

Hi Tim,

I am increasingly interested in incorporating aspects of eastern music, and have been exploring more bends (some exceeding whole tone bends) and faster microbends one usually hears with oud, sitar and sarod players. I also have grown to prefer the feel of not hitting the fingerboard with the tips of my fingers. I have 2 guitars i've scalloped myself - a strat and an electric sitar.

Thanks for your reply and your response was what I had expected.

I am not willing to make a scalloped fingerboard, but I would recommend you try simply putting in higher frets.

I would suggest having a guitar built to your desires and having it scalloped afterwards by yourself or a luthier. Since you've done it in the past it shouldn't be a big deal for you.

It would be much easier to scallop before rather than after.

True. But it may be more expeditious to find someone to make a non-scalloped guitar. Is it something you would be willing to help the OP with? It's a pretty specific undertaking.

I don’t do post build modifications but it’s something I or many others could incorporate into a new build.

Yes. That is what I was asking - you would build one for someone who wanted those (loosely) specs?

PM sent…..

This seems to me to be more of an electric guitar deal, I have a hard time figuring out what it would bring to an acoustic?

I was wondering about this. What would be the advantage of scalloped frets vs taller frets?

Clearly, like the example of the musician playing harmonics the scallops above fret 14 makes sense, since you wouldn’t want taller frets just there, but if you are wanting this for the whole guitar, it seems tall frets would be far easier and would likely be easier for resale.

With a Scalloped fingerboard, your fingertips never touch the wood at all. Its a different feel. Its also possible to slightly roll the fingertip to the side of the string for even larger pitch bends, which is not practical with jumbo frets.

As per why do this on an acoustic - why not? It has nothing to do with being an acoustic or electric. Its about how you connect with the instrument. Scalloping, at least for me, allows for larger pitch bends, and I feel slightly more fluid on a scalloped fingerboard.

Ive scalloped 3 of my guitars at this point. A strat, an electric sitar, and an eastman e20d.