What is a scalloped fingerboard?

[Shawn Gambrel]

Could anyone tell mewhat they are and show me a picture of a mandolin that has one.

[Paul Hostetter]

Scalloping is removing wood between frets. It's done occasionally on guitars, to facilitate tremolo and pitch bending, and it looks like this:



If you do it like some do-it-urselfers, it can get ugly:



I can't see why you'd do it to a mandolin.

Are you possibly thinking of scoop, rather than scallop?

[journeybear]

Are you possibly thinking of scoop, rather than scallop?

I hadn't been, but now I am. That's the little projection containing a couple of extra frets on the E and maybe A strings, right?

Oh, terminology!

[Paul Hostetter]

Scoop refers to neck relief, which is the shape of the deflection of the entire neck (meaning the fingerboard, since that's what you actually play) under the string. A string always defines a straight line at rest, but as it vibrates, it stretches out a bit, the widest part being in the very center of the vibrating string length. The relief or scoop in the neck accommodates that string as it vibrates so it doesn't buzz on the frets. Some folks prefer to play on boards that are nearly dead flat (no relief or scoop), while others need a lot. String tension tends to induce a bit of relief, and an adjustable trussrod (if there is one) can counteract and adjust that.

The little extension of the fingerboard, at least on Gibsons and their ilk, is known as the 'peninsula.' I think Stan Jay made that whimsical term up. Otherwise it's just called the fingerboard extension.

[lenf12]

"Peninsula" because it's reminiscent of the shape of the Florida peninsula. In this context, frets may be removed and the "peninsula" shaved thinner to help eliminate "pick click", that annoying noise made when your pick hits that area of the fingerboard. It increases the clearance between the plane of the strings and the fingerboard where you do the majority of your picking/strumming (i.e. "the sweet spot"). Someone may soon be posting a picture to illustrate.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL (the sweet spot on the peninsula)

[journeybear]

Thanks Paul and Len. Man, I'll tell ya - hardly a day goes by that I don't learn something around here. Terminology has always been a bugaboo for me. This is nothing; you should hear me try to talk computerese! You'd think I were a rank newbie.

"Fingerboard extension," eh? Too many syllables. Even "peninsula." Think I'll call it a "Florida," or as some say, "Flawda."

[Mike Bunting]

"Peninsula" because it's reminiscent of the shape of the Florida peninsula. In this context, frets may be removed and the "peninsula" shaved thinner to help eliminate "pick click", that annoying noise made when your pick hits that area of the fingerboard. It increases the clearance between the plane of the strings and the fingerboard where you do the majority of your picking/strumming (i.e. "the sweet spot"). Someone may soon be posting a picture to illustrate.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL (the sweet spot on the peninsula)

How about any peninsula, does it have to be Florida?

[Paul Hostetter]

If you're Stan Jay, Florida would be obvious. But it could be the Kamchatka or Korea as well. The Keweenaw goes the wrong way.

[journeybear]

How about any peninsula, does it have to be Florida?

It ain't no part of nothin', 'cept a fingerboard ... As far as I know, there's no consensus; let your imagination be your guide. But if anyone asks me about that - and 41 years on, no one has - I'm gonna say, with my gooberest possible drawul, "Oh thayat - thayat's cawled a Flawda," wink, chuckle, and move on. It's two syllables, about all it's worth.

As someone in Jefferson Airplane once said, "No man is an island ... he's a peninsula!" That is, we're all connected, even when one stands out from the rest.

[Shawn Gambrel]

What is a scoop? how they differnt

[woodwizard]

I call it a fingerboard extension and when the frets are pulled and it's shaved down a little it's a scooped fingerboard. But that's just me.

[Paul Hostetter]

Mike makes a good point: there are a couple of very different interpretations of the term scoop, which is why I normally use 'neck relief' instead. But many people use scoop interchangeably with neck relief.

[GTG]

The original Gibson Lloyd Loar F5 design had a fingerboard extension that gave access to some very tiny frets (looks like 29 in the pic).

Here's a photo showing a flat Loar fingerboard with unmodified extension (courtesy of the Mandolin Archive)


The problem is, most people never use these frets (getting higher than about the 17th is very rare for 99% of players, I'd guess) and they often get in the way of picking, causing a 'pick click' sound that is very annoying.

The solution is either to build fingerboards that don't have the extension and those high frets, or to build fingerboards that look traditional (with the extension) but have been 'scooped' - shaved or sanded down to lower them from the strings and eliminate the pick click. This can also be done as a rework on older mandolins (somewhat controversial on vintage instruments).

Here's a modern Weins mando (#18, also from the Mando archive) with a scooped fingerboard extension. This one looks like it has real frets in it for some reason, although most only have thin metal strips inlaid (for cosmetic purposes).

[Chris Biorkman]

I think the Florida is really the only glaring flaw of the F-5 design. I hate pick click. Some people say you can adjust your picking technique to avoid it but I don't see why you should have to in the sweet spot of the string. I love when people say that the extra mass in the extension contributes to tone. I'm happy that most makers these days don't make them this way.

[Martin]

Why would somebody scallop a mandolin fingerboard? = Answer,
When I found my 20 F4 which hadn't been played since the 30's the original owner had filed on the frets so much to keep the divets away the frets were wore down to the fingerboard so he proceeded to scallop between the frets so he could keep playing. Fortunately Gibson built those fingerboards with plenty of material so I was able to clean it up flat again and instal new frets.

[woodwizard]

I really like my Goldrush fretboard. It doean't have the extension and is finished out nicely down there completely bound. Looks very clean. I've really gotten spoiled with it I guess. The little extension on my A4 over the oval hole doesn't seem to get in the way or bother me like past F5 extensions tho.

[jpiperson2002]

Here's a scalloped scoop on my Kentucky KM380, took about an hour with hand files;

[Paul Hostetter]

For the man who has everything!

[Marty Henrickson]

Yeah, but how's the neck relief on that unit?

[allenhopkins]

A basic scalloped fingerboard recipe baked in the oven.
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 thinly fretted ebony mandolin fingerboard, about 13 7/8 inches, with 29 medium-height frets, mother-of-pearl inlays
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups scalded milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Preparation:
In a buttered 2-quart baking dish, place the washed and oiled fingerboard. In a cup or small bowl, combine flour with salt and pepper. Sprinkle about half of the flour mixture over the frets. Dot with butter then pour hot milk over the fingerboard. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until fingerboard is tender and inlays have melted. Serves you right.

[Marty Henrickson]

Allen, that recipe sounds great, but I'd add some ham slices........mmmmmmmm