I have a bunch of stuff from Fred's estate, and a scalloped fingerboard, unslotted, is among that stuff.

A completely different approach to scalloped boards was taken by Hobart Middlebrooke, and later Fred Van Eps--both banjo makers. Middlebrooke patented his board in the 1890s, and Van Eps applied for a patent, but it was apparently not granted (probably due to Middlebrooke's existing one). At any rate, these fingerboards have flush metal frets and are scalloped between these flush frets. They were both intended for gut string use. These instruments play as if they were fretless, except they're always in tune. Super super smooth going up and down the fingerboard.

I had an L00 Gibson that Fred Van Eps had modified with one of his flush fret scalloped boards, and it was the best playing guitar I ever played. It was set up with light gauge steel strings and was an absolute delight. My wife's cousin is a much better player than I am, so I let him have the thing.

The difference in feel between one of these flush fret scalloped boards and a Malmsteen type fretted board is like night and day.

I don't know what Middlebrooke's process was, but Van Eps scalloped the boards before cutting fret slots. I have a bunch of stuff from Fred's estate, and a scalloped fingerboard, unslotted, is among that stuff.

Dave

A completely different approach to scalloped boards was taken by Hobart Middlebrooke, and later Fred Van Eps--both banjo makers. Middlebrooke patented his board in the 1890s, and Van Eps applied for a patent, but it was apparently not granted (probably due to Middlebrooke's existing one). At any rate, these fingerboards have flush metal frets and are scalloped between these flush frets. They were both intended for gut string use. These instruments play as if they were fretless, except they're always in tune. Super super smooth going up and down the fingerboard.

I am trying to imagine this... so pretty much like metal bar stock inlayed into the board? I'd love to see a picture if you have one handy...

Very interesting post, Dave.
Any chance you could look out that scalloped fingerboard and give us some idea of how deep the scallops are ..ie the depth in the middle, in between the fret locations, and if they are the same depth all the way up the board?

They are indeed the same depth all the way up the board, and about 1/16" deep or a little less on both the Van Eps and the Middlebrooke. The radius is obviously tighter the higher up the fingerboard you go--it looks to me like Van Eps used either a ball end mill or maybe even a sanding drum. The lower frets aren't as perfect semi-circles in cross section as the higher frets are, so I think that he used a single radius cutter of whatever type and then created a flatter bottom of the scallop.

The Middlebrooke patent makes it look like a very abrupt transition, but the scallops are very subtle on the actual instruments--probably more subtle than the Van Eps, just due to the difference in shape of the scallops.

Dave

Short story is, higher frets have a similar effect.

Thanks Dave ...just one more question if you don't mind ... is your Van Eps fretboard flat across the width, like a classical guitar, or is it radiused across the width as a normal steel strung guitar would be ?

Yngwie does it because he plays those vintage strats with tiny frets and so scalloping the fretboard let's him get under and still bend the notes, which is difficult to do with small frets as you are rubbing the fretboard so much and can't really push the strings across effectively.