Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

[Snow007]

I'm looking to try a scalloped fretboard instrument and they seem the most common, and usually fairly decent on ebay.

Does anyone like them?

[JohnnyMac]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

Arent the Malmstiens also?

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I have played the Malmsteen and really liked it. That was years ago though so I can't give any real obective review except I wanted to buy it right then.

[straycat]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I like the Malmsteen strats.They play great but a bit on the bright side with the brass nut.I like the Jap Malmsteen version better than the USA Malmsteens.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I have briefly played a Malmsteen Strat. I didn't care for the neck backshape, but the scalloped frets were quite cool. Precise insane vibrato. Takes a little while to "relearn" playing in terms of applying finger pressure, but I wouldn't mind having a scalloped fret guitar one day.

[hippietim]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I had a Malmsteen and spent a bunch of time with a Blackmore. I prefer the scallops on the Blackmore. The best scallop job I've ever played on is my Grosh - I sold the Yngwie the day after I got the Grosh. Man am I glad that the Grosh didn't sell when I put it up on Ebay and here.

[Lurchhammer]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I played a Malmsteen strat- very nice guitar, but you have to use very light pressure on the strings when you play. Chords were going out of tune for me because of my uneven finger pressure. You could get used to it, but why. hehe. I do like the higher scallops (like an Ibanez Jem 20-24) it seems like the notes ring out clearer.

[toejam]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

How many Blackmore models are there, and are the fingerboards on all of them scalloped? I know there's one with only neck and bridge single coil pups and no middle pup the way Ritchie likes it.

[Fragle]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

i also played malmsteen strat and found it to be very good for shred...but i guess its supposed to be [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] the scallops are really fun to play once you know how much pressure to apply. i didnt like the stock pu's, but i guess theyre perfect for yngwie. i also found the tremolo to stay amazingly well in tune - for a non-locking one.

but the blackmore one....if i remember correctly only the frets 12-21 are scalloped, or am i wrong? havent played one yet

greets
fragle

[SEEGERMANY]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I have a Malmsteen Strat and absolutely love it. It took me about two, maybe three weeks to get used to the scallops. I had read and then told by my tech that "light" gauge strings perform best on the Malmsteen model. I was also not pleased with the HS3 pickup, so it was replaced by a JB.

Good luck in trying to score one. You'll be happy that you did.

[jackson1]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I have a Japanese made Custom Edition Strat with a signature Yngwie Malmsteen neck, with HS-3 and YJM pickups. I am having a lot of fun with it and it's a great playing guitar. It nails the Malmsteen sound. All guitarist should allow themselves a 30 day test run on a scalloped neck. The vibrato is unbelievable. I'm sorry that i waited 15 years before trying one.

[fuel0707]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I've tried both the Malmsteen and the Blackmore and I own one of the 500 Blackmore signatures built in Japan in 1997:


It was mentioned that there are different models of the Blackmore and that's correct. Besides this Japanese model, there's also a USA Custom Shop version. It differs in having only two pickups, both Lace Sensors. The Japanese version has 2 SD Quarter Pounders with a dummy plastic coil in the middle slot.

The Blackmore is also scalloped differently. The Malmsteen, depending some on the year, is pretty much scalloped fully from the nut to the end of the fretboard. The 1997 Blackmore (and I think the USA model) are scalloped in a unique way. The scallops get deeper the higher the you go on the neck and the scallops are also deeper on the treble side than on the bass side at any given fret. Therefore, the guitar exhibits very little scalloping for the first several frets. I would also say that while the scalloping is decent, you can tell that Fender/Japan was probably a little new to this style of scalloping.

Overall, I like the Blackmore. Given some of the unique features on it (SD pickups and a graphite nut), it's a cut above typical Japanese Fenders. It's also a pretty well-built guitar, too.

[Krash]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

I used to scallop the necks on all my guitars, but got away from it for a while. I recently picked up a "Malmsteen" and got the Scalloped fever again. So now I have a vintage 70's Fender that has a deep scallop job and another vintage Fender neck with a USA custom body that has a med. deep scallop job on it. I didn't realize how cool the scallops were until I quit playing them & went back again. You can see pics at the link below.

[jgcable]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

Malmsteens are common. Blackmore's are not. I prefer the compound scallop that the Blackmore has but I like the electronics of the Malmsteen better. They are both 21 frets so if you need high notes you need to use 8's and tune down 1/2 step like Yngwie does so that you can bend the piss out of them. Duncan 1/4 pounders are great but they are pretty noisy.. especially on a high gain amp. IMHO, the rosewood Malmsteen necks have a more balanced tone. The maple is cooler but alot brighter. Be prepared to relearn the way you play guitar because a scalloped neck demands a very light touch. If you have a heavy fret hand you will be playing sharp all the time. Blackmore's and Malmsteens both have all of their 21 frets scalloped.

[jhale667]

Re: Anyone played a Blackmore or Malmsteen Fender?

[ QUOTE ]
I have briefly played a Malmsteen Strat. I didn't care for the neck backshape, but the scalloped frets were quite cool. Precise insane vibrato. Takes a little while to "relearn" playing in terms of applying finger pressure, but I wouldn't mind having a scalloped fret guitar one day.

[/ QUOTE ]
Same here..I used to regularly beat the sh*t out of a Malmsteen Strat we had during my GC tenure...hated the neck shape, loved the scallops...it does take a few to adapt your finger pressure so's not to fret notes sharp.I still can't bring myself to do it to one of my main guitars, but I wouldn't mind having one someday....