Scalloping a standard neck?

cromulent

Senior Member
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I just got a great deal on new maple fretboard strat neck and can't justify buying another custom neck just to get scallops.  I'm wondering if I might as well just start sanding.  Is this doable/advisable?
 
A few questions and a thought:
Is the neck fretted?
Is the neck finished?

Those are things I would consider before a DIY situation

My thought was to send it DC Custom Guitars.  They have experience and do it all the time.  I’ve received great work and service from them on this very topic item.
 
It's an American standard maple neck, with frets and finish.  Fwiw, I had actually considered lightly sanding the fingerboard regardless to get rid of the gloss.
 
Never done it, but I say if you have the initiative and resolve to go slow and see it through you will have a good result.

If that is what you want make it happen. Just be honest with yourself. :icon_thumright:
 
 
Having done several, I would offer the following:
It doesn’t take too much to be too deep.  Most people do and it brings out all sorts of anomalies in the neck.  Having done many by hand, I feel it’s best now a days to just pay for it.  Warmoth starts with a full 1/4” thick slab for the fingerboard and their process is precise.

I’ve seen some necks that played wonderfully before to be wavy afterwards, and I’ve seen other necks develop this really bad low resonant frequency.

Don’t go too deep, try it before you decide to go deeper and take some time to let it acclimate under string tension for a few days before you do the full setup on it.  TApe off the frets before you go and be careful otherwise you’ll have to do a full level/crown/dress again and it’s no fun to do that on a scalloped neck.
 
For now maybe just try some scallops next time you dine out.  If TonyFlyingSquirrel advises against it, I would listen to him.
 
bro u can totally diy it yourself, just don't go so deep that you reveal the side dots through the top of the fingerboard, trust me, those side dots are longer than u think. They're like rods, why they gotta be so long? anyway that's the biggest risk imo, have fun
 
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