Scalloped mast

Scalloped or scalloped mast

On a string instrument the mast is scalloped neck or scalloped when the wood between the frets is not flat but concave. It was invented by Ritchie Blackmore (you can see it on your Stratocaster).

By touching we can get the notes without the fingers touching the wood. This is strange for the guitarist who is not used to this type of mast. But there are guitarists who find advantages in this configuration.

Commercially we find this mast in the Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster, we can also find it on guitars modified by a Luthier.

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