Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar review

Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar review - Fender scalloped fretboard review

If you’re looking to buy an Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar, or just wondering what Yngwie’s guitar is like, this review is for you.

I’ve been an Ibanez guitar player for years but always wanted a Fender guitar. Being that Yngwie Malmsteen is one of my favorite guitar players, I always wanted to try the Yngwie Malmsteen custom Fender guitar.

In this Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar review I will let you know my thoughts on Yngwie’s Fender guitar, how it plays and why I like it.

Yngwie Malmsteen’s revolutionary guitar style—combining elements of classical music with the speed and volume of heavy metal—made him a staple of the 1980s rock and metal scene.

Decades later, Yngwie (pronounced Ingvay) is still a guitar legend, having sold 11 million albums and influenced generations of rockers and guitarists since.

Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, George Lynch and of course Yngwie Malmsteen are some of my favorite guitar players. I toyed with the idea of getting a fender stratocaster guitar for years but never did due to the price, lack of locking trem (I’m a whammy bar user / abuser) and lack of good metal tone due to no humbucking pickups.

Humbucker pickups give a thicker fuller sound and are used mainly for METAL, which is what I play.

Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar review - Fender scalloped fretboard review
Yngwie Malmsteen in the studio with Fender scalloped guitar

So why did I buy this Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar you ask? I have been eyeing it for sometime and curiosity finally got the best of me.

I never played the Yngwie Fender guitars before ordering, so I just had reviews to go on. Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitars are very rarely found in stores so buying one online was the only way to go.

I had no idea what the scalloped fretboard on the Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar would feel like. It has been said you will either love this Malmsteen guitar or hate it due to the scalloped fretboard. They compared playing on a scalloped fretboard to “playing on trapeze wire.” That made sense to me since you would only be feeling guitar strings and nothing else beneath your fingers.

yngwie malmsteen scalloped fretboard guitar review
Scalloped fretboards have the wood “scooped out” unlike standard guitar fretboards which are flat.

I’m not a fan of fat / thick guitar necks. My Ibanez guitars have thin guitar necks, which are what I prefer. Fender guitars have thicker necks, which are different from what I’m used to but curiosity was getting the best of me.

I placed the order for the Yngwie Malmsteen fender without ever playing one and had it in 2 days. For me, the scalloped fretboard feels perfectly comfortable.

There is something about playing this guitar where it feels like I’m playing for the first time and I can’t wait to play again. The scalloped fretboard is not as foreign as I thought it would be. To me this Fender guitar feels natural.

Your fingers don’t touch the wood on the guitar fretboard at all due to the scalloped fretboard. I thought this would be bad for me since I love really low action. It’s an illusion that the action is high due to the scalloped frets. Within about an hour of playing this guitar I was getting the hang of it.

Yngwie Malmsteen with Malmsteen guitar
Yngwie Malmsteen

You need to be careful when playing guitars with a scalloped neck since it will sound out of tune sometimes due to the amount of pressure you put on the strings. If you press the string a little too much you will go sharp. There is no fretboard / wood under your fingers to stop you from pressing down hard so it’s easy to keep pushing a little harder, which will result in the guitar going out of tune.

Sounding out of tune on a scalloped fretboard is noticeable when playing chords. there are some chords you play everyday with no problem but on this guitar it can be a problem really fast with more complicated guitar chords. Each finger has to have the right amount of pressure to prevent strings from going sharp. It will take some practice to play on scalloped fretboards. I have avoided certain songs because of this.

As for playing fast I have no problem with it. the lighter you play the faster and cleaner you will be. This Yngwie Fender guitar is awesome for legato, bending notes very high or finger tapping.

I was amazed right away with the vibrato and bends. I can’t explain how perfect and natural this Fender guitar feels. I have always had great vibrato and bends but with this guitar it’s total freedom. It is effortless to bend higher notes on this Fender guitar due to the scalloped fretboard. Even when bending really high notes on this guitar, it very rarely goes out of tune. Vibrato on the higher notes is easier because of the scalloped fretboard.

Guitars with standard fretboards can be tougher to bend higher notes due to the shortening of the string as you get higher on the neck. Not so with the scalloped fretboard on the Yngwie Malmsteen Fender. I love the way the strings feel: it’s more natural to me.

Some guitarists complained that when you play on the high E string of the Fender Yngwie Malmsteen guitar, or do certain chords involving this string, your finger will slip off. This is true. It just happens but it’s not a deal breaker. I don’t find this to be a huge issue, just something you need to be more in control of.

yngwie malmsteen scalloped fender guitarYou need to spend a little more time looking at your playing and focusing on each individual finger’s pressure when playing this Malmsteen Fender, especially with guitar chords. It will sound bad if you don’t press evenly…and I mean really bad. You need to constantly be aware of even finger pressure so you don’t sound out of tune. The lighter you play, the better results you have. It will take practice.

All the years I have been playing guitar, I’m not going to risk playing easy chords and having them sound like I’m a beginner or that I don’t know how to tune my guitar. This statement may scare you but don’t let it. You just need to spend a little time focusing on your finger pressure, along with your guitar chording. Yes it’s an extra step but it’s a very small step backwards.

After playing this Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar then picking up an Ibanez, I play a little faster on the Ibanez…probably because I don’t have to be as concerned with the strings going sharp or whatever…I can just play. Don’t let this detour you…I’m just letting you know what is on my mind.

So onto the Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar review…

The Yngwie Malmsteen Fender is great. As for looks I can’t be happier. I love the aged look of the guitar and it’s more than what I expected it to be…it’s truly a work of art and feels very pro, because it is.

The tone on the Yngwie Malmsteen Fender is really nice. I am happy with the heavy tone of the guitar, as metal tones can be had easily.

I was afraid the metal tone on the Malmsteen Fender was going to be THUD THUD THUD with palm mutes but I’m pleasantly surprised. It sounds pretty good. The last few times I played it, I haven’t even plugged it in since it sounds so good with no amp. This Fender guitar just resonates.

Here’s a video I made showcasing the Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar from my YouTube channel.

I haven’t used the whammy bar much and don’t plan to with this guitar since when I do whammy I whammy a lot! I’m sure this Fender guitar can take it but I just don’t plan to play that way on this guitar.

The Fender tweed case for the Yngwie Malmsteen guitar is really nice with fender tweed / cloth on the outside and velvet on the inside. I’m going to enjoy this guitar in my home and probably will not gig with it. I don’t want it stolen.

The Malmsteen Fender guitar is really nice in tone and comfort. I’m glad I made the purchase. I would definitely purchase again.

I hope this Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar review has helped you in making a decision. Any questions, comment below. Do you have one?

Checkout the Yngwie Malmsteen Fender guitar HERE

I write about anything techy, music, photography, artsy and whatever I think you may find interesting.

Steve

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I’m a video editor of 25 years, audio engineer 20 years, photographer 25 years and guitarist 20 years. Visit my YouTube channel, Rotter, for videos on photography, camera gear, creativity in video editing, movie reviews and the gear I use in my studio.

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