# Scalloping Acoustic Guitar? Nylon or Steel?



## Trespass (Mar 17, 2010)

Hey guys,

I've got some crazy ideas that I want to try out with an acoustic. In particular, I want to completely delve into the Shakti sound. I'll be attempting to do this with the help of a guitar tech, forums (this and projectguitar.com) and for really sticky situations, a local luthier (I'm trying to do this by myself if possible).

But first, I need an acoustic to start on. 

While McLaughlin's guitar was obviously a steel string, I'm debating between these three types of guitars:

1) Seagull Steel String

2) Rondo Nylon String Valencia CG-1000-LTD 5 W/Case at RondoMusic.com

3) Rondo Selmer clone (I already own one of these that I've done work on, I would buy another)
SX DJG1 Gypsy Jazz Acoustic With Case at HomeOld

The proposed mods are:

1) Scallopedfrets

2) Drone strings/Sympathetic Strings

Original Shakti Guitar:







Another Shakti Guitar:






What do you guys think?

What style of strings should I go for? Nylon or Steel? Which is more sympathetically resonant, which will react better to the constant bending with the scallops?


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 17, 2010)

Go for the cheapest guitar available. If you do well, and you really like the results, invest in modding a better instrument down the road.


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## Trespass (Mar 17, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Go for the cheapest guitar available. If you do well, and you really like the results, invest in modding a better instrument down the road.



That's the idea, yep.

What style of strings should I go for? Nylon or Steel? Which is more sympathetically resonant, which will react better to the constant bending with the scallops?


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## MaxOfMetal (Mar 17, 2010)

Trespass said:


> That's the idea, yep.
> 
> What style of strings should I go for? Nylon or Steel? Which is more sympathetically resonant, which will react better to the constant bending with the scallops?



I doubt either is better, just a bit different. Personally, I think I'd go with steel.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Mar 18, 2010)

Steel is more responsive to bending. It takes a lot to bend the pitch on nylon strings.


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## dpm (Mar 18, 2010)

I'd go steel. The bracing position is probably more ideal for the sympathetic strings on a steel.


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## avenger (Mar 18, 2010)

This looks like a really cool project! What if you did this to an electric with a pezio system for the sympathetic strings and had a mix to control the balance between the pickups and pezio system? I actually like this idea so much I may look into it myself. Keep us updated on how things go. 

That could be really far out!


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## Trespass (Mar 20, 2010)

avenger said:


> This looks like a really cool project! What if you did this to an electric with a pezio system for the sympathetic strings and had a mix to control the balance between the pickups and pezio system? I actually like this idea so much I may look into it myself. Keep us updated on how things go.
> 
> That could be really far out!



I was actually thinking a Shure Beta (or whatever the smaller mics are) placed in the soundhole for the sympathetics, and piezo for the clarity/direct sounding strings. Mix the two for gigs. (With delay and reverb to up the sound for smaller groups)

Mostly, I just love hitting a note on an acoustic and listening to the other strings reacting in sympathy. My Selmer clone has a thin cedar top, and it's incredibly responsive to sympathetic strings - It feels alive in your hands!

I have several ideas with sympathetic strings not limited to one guitar - This is the first effort to start experimenting with them.

-------

DPM or other luthiers:






Should the sympathetic string bridge have a bridge plate underneath it?


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## SargeantVomit (Mar 22, 2010)

You might need to take the top off and redo the bracing but I wouldn't really know. I just assume...


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## Hasmamagee (Dec 19, 2010)

okay well the whole reason that scallopping became popular is A. the fact that you can apply less pressure to the string to fret a note opening up tons of legato possibilities. And B. guitarists wanted to emulate the deep highly articulated bends that were capable on a sitar. So basically the first high profile instrument to have scallopped frets were sitars so the best thing one can do with a scallopped guitar is to emulate the setup of a sitar, so here 's what you'll need to do-

. get some super light gague strings, lightest you can find (the strings on a sitar are much, much lighter than your average guitar string)

.I personally would get metal strings simply because nylon does not provide enough resistance to stand up to flat picking let alone McLaughlin style picking

.get some super large frets on your guitar to compensate for the string pressure you'll be putting on them due to the scallopping 

.consider tuning to DADGAD or downtuning to emulate a sitar more

. you'll probably want a concert style cutaway on this thing if your planning on emulating shakti

other than that man props for beginning this project I'm sure it'll be awesome when it's done.


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