Neck Scalloping

Neck Scalloping

Why scallop a neck? It allows a lighter touch to achieve the note fascilitating faster playing, allows more aggressive string bends, more vibrato. Some players cannot take to a scalloped neck, others wouldn't go back to a normal neck. It's all a matter of preference.

The scalloping on the neck of Ritchie Blackmore's Stratocasters is unique to him, a graduated scallop which varies along the length of the neck and generally deeper at the high E.

There are no definitive guides to Blackmore's scalloping, clear photos are hard to find and the actual dimensions are a closely guarded secret

Fender has produced several Blackmore Signature Stratocasters that, in reality, bear little resemblance to the real thing. They are standard guitars with higher output pickups and a mildly scalloped neck in the style of Blackmore's scalloping. The story goes that Blackmore sent a guitar to Fender for them to copy, they took one look at the scalloping, nearly had a fit and "sanitised" the scallop to make it easier to machine and play.

To achieve the scallop I wanted I acquired numerous photos of one of the Fender Signature guitar, as many photos of Blackmore's Strats as I could find and came across a site that gave dimensions of the scalloping on the Fender Signature guitars. Knowing the scallop had been tamed I exaggerated the dimensions, adding around 1mm to the depth. I then made up a guide, how much material to remove at each fret.

The neck was prepared as can be seen in the photos on the right. The frets were taped to protect them and using the guide I had made up I made a start. Drawing a file across a perfectly good guitar neck takes a lot of courage; I put it off several times before building up enough courage to start! The bulk of material was removed using files, round and flat, then switching to shaped sanding blocks with progressively smoother wet & dry paper.

Once the scalloping had been done the neck was finished off with fine wire wool before cleaning and conditioning with Lemon Oil.

This was, by far, the biggest part of the Sunburst project but what I have ended up with is acknowledged as being extremely close, if not identical, to the genuine article. Some of the fret markers are damaged by the scalloping process; I have the same damage to the same fret markers as on the neck of Blackmore's Strats.

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Frets Taped Up, Ready To Start

Midway Through The Job

Before Final Polishing And Cleaning

Ready To Go Back On The Guitar

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