Members Idunno Posted October 15, 2016 Members Share Posted October 15, 2016 Mute machine; totally impossible to play. I have a studio at work. I was there doing some work on my car. When I'd finished and cleaned up I picked up a Martin (alphabet soup model number) and plugged into a Line 6 amp. Crap, there's no way I can crowd my fingers together on that guitar to play the triad open D chord. The guitar was a dread and the neck was so narrow I thought it perfect for a Lilliputian but certainly no one with Gulliver's mitts. It belongs to one of the employees. I keep a Shure mic and stand there but no guitars. I ended up capo'ing 3 frets to reach a width I could marginally play. Now that I'm conditioned on the 1-7/8ths nylon string Yamaha playing a steel string is a return to noobness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted October 16, 2016 Members Share Posted October 16, 2016 I learned on an Aria 12 string strung with 6 strings, which I think is a factor in being fairly adaptable for neck profiles/nut widths. In fact, I'd say the Martin modified low oval 1-11/16th is probably my favourite neck profile on an acoustic. I can see why it might cause problems for you, considering your exclusive use of a classical. I think I might like classical necks better if they were radiused, regardless of the nut-width. Thing that tripped me up the other day is that I bought a Gibson J-29 (it's crap, and going back) and the short-scale had my fingers bumping into each other all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted October 16, 2016 Members Share Posted October 16, 2016 One does notice the difference. Even going from 1.75 to 1-11/16 is weird. Depends what you expect though, it's not a stretch to switch from a 1-⅞ 12 string to a 1-7/16 ukulele. I had a John Morton reso uke, concert scale, with a 1-¼ nut width that was very uncomfortable to play, that's slipping into big neck mandolin territory. Too skinny, but too wide for most grassers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted October 17, 2016 Members Share Posted October 17, 2016 I played an Alvarez 12-fret OM style with a 1 3/4" nut back in college, then transitioned to a 12-string. I played the wider necks for years until about 12 or 13 years ago when I bought a used Alvarez with a 1 11/16" nut. I currently play an Ibanez with a 1 11/16" nut and a Schecter electric with a nut slightly less than 1 11/16" (42mm). I don't have a problem with either of them but I do find the neck on my wife's mandolin to be rather dinky. I guess it's a matter of what you're used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members strayGoat Posted October 18, 2016 Members Share Posted October 18, 2016 Weirdly, I find virtually no playability difference between 1-11/16ths and 1-3/4", or whatever. The reason I generally prefer 1-11/16" nuts is that my imagination tells me they provide a more cohesive chording noise. It really probably is completely imaginary, but it will not leave my head. The perception started with the unfortunate - though very brief - ownership of a Taylor 310 many years back. I'd play a chord on that thing, and it would just grate on my wee tiny brane. And I'd somehow convinced myself that the very slight extra spacing between the strings was somehow busting up the chord cohesion - making the collective tone of a chord take too long to form. It makes no sense, I know, but ever since then I can't stop hearing it. So while I would still buy a git with a wider nut, I gravitate toward 1-11/16. Also weird, I seem to know, or know of, a lot of guys with big giant enviable long guitar fingers who seem perfectly comfortable on very narrow necks. And just as many sausage-fingered fellers who prefer wider nuts. Seems counterintuitive. I live in between those two worlds, being the owner of a quite average pair of hands, so in terms of playability I couldn't really give a rip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted October 18, 2016 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2016 It isn't a gripe until I pick something up that sounds great, meaning, it might sound great but at least I can't play it. Placing the thumb square in the middle of the back of the neck pretty much forces the fingers to a 90 degree attitude to the fretboard and prevents much of the muting a baseball bat grip causes. It is with this (proper) technique that I still can't play the 1-11/16th width. So, to counter this, I bring oatmeal and raisin cookies with me to guitar stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members recordingtrack1 Posted October 22, 2016 Members Share Posted October 22, 2016 I never seemed to have a problem with wider nut spacing (until I tried a 2 inch nylon, LOL). My problem was always with the right hand, not the left. It is the extra width at the bridge that messes me up. I seem to adapt with the left hand pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted October 22, 2016 Author Members Share Posted October 22, 2016 Heard. The saddle spacing trips me up for a second or two and then I'm fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted October 22, 2016 Members Share Posted October 22, 2016 Whilst I fingerpick pretty much exclusively and the guitars I play most have neck widths of 45mm, 48mm and 52mm, I have no problem switching to narrower necks.I suppose my fingers must "remember" where to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted October 23, 2016 Author Members Share Posted October 23, 2016 Yep, agreed. Big hands and fingertips, mine just won't fit. If I play an A note on the G string with my middle finger it contacts the D or B strings. That finger is 1/2" tall at the side profile, 3/4" width across the nail and completely blunt at the tip. With just enough pressure to sound a string I'm muting one or both adjacent strings. My thumb is 1-1/8" wide, which is right at the normal nut width of some mandos. I just can't physically play a 1-11/16ths nut in the 1st position. Co-workers call me Gorilla Hands. Annecdotal - When I was in a brawl (Air Force versus Navy) in the Philippines in the 70's I was accused of seriously beating this squid because his left cheek and jaw bone were broken and his entire face was black and blue. I only hit the dude once. My attorney had me display my fist relative to the dudes face in court (UCMJ - I was accused of intentionally damaging military property under Article 108) and that was evidence enough to reduce the charge to the lesser punishment of drunk and disorderly. My fist covered the entire side of his face. The original charge was related to repeatedly hitting the guy in an attempt to send him to his maker. I was just drunkenly swinging. He mistakenly visited his noggin in the wrong space-time continuum. I remember the day I found out that there were wider nut options on steel string guitars and the elation I felt. I found a guitar with a 1-3/4" width nut and almost got misty because I could play it in the first position. It doesn't matter now because I pretty much stick with the 1-7/8ths classical I have, and I'm usually capo'ing 2 frets on it for my vocal range. Very early on I'd always have to tune down and capo up to play a steel string guitar. There was no fret wear at all on the first two frets on those guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted October 24, 2016 Members Share Posted October 24, 2016 Annecdotal - When I was in a brawl (Air Force versus Navy) in the Philippines in the 70's I was accused of seriously beating this squid because his left cheek and jaw bone were broken and his entire face was black and blue. I only hit the dude once. . . . . . I think I mentioned in another thread that I wouldn't mess with you, Joe. This clinches it! Phew! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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