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Looking for a nylon string guitar w/ a slim neck


Cheifj13

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Unfortunately I think it is out of your budget, but the Taylor nylon is designed as a classical style guitar for steel string players - 1-7/8 neck, some curve to the fretboard, cutaway and decent electronics. The Martin nylon might be worth looking at too - I know it has a similar neck.

 

Btw - 46" nut is a little wide, no matter what kind of hands you have. Most classicals, as you know, are right at 2" and a pretty flat fingerboard.

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i'm looking for a classical guitar but i hate the wide necks. the one that i am leaning toward is a ibanez AEG10NE (linked below) it has a 46" nut which is good but it has a very shallow body which i don't like.



any suggestions?

You do realize that by having a thin neck you defeat the purpose of a nylon strung guitar?

 

The large distance between the strings makes it easier to finger pick.

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You do realize that by having a thin neck you defeat the purpose of a nylon strung guitar?


The large distance between the strings makes it easier to finger pick.

 

 

it makes it a lot harder if you have been finger picking on a steel string your whole life. i'm a fairly accomplished picker. i'm not looking for strat thin but rather a little wider than my taylor.

 

the hard part is that it is very hard to find actual measurements on the good ole interweb. i think that i'm just gonna have to call a bunch of manufacturers tomorrow. i live in the middle of now where so the only shop with in an hours drive has a very limited stock.

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While a lot of it might be tongue in cheek, you are getting some pretty bad advice. DON'T try to reshape the neck of another guitar, DON'T put nylon strings on a steel string git, and nylon strings do not equal failure,

 

However, as you know, most "classicals" do have the neck shape, width and flatness for a reason - so you are limiting yourself to those guitars that are purpose built for players like yourself - someone who wants to cross between two styles. You might look into some of the guitars that are used by nylon-jazz players - Godin is one that comes to mind (I don't know the specs but their web page may have them). And, as I said before, Bob Taylor specifically says that his nylon is intended that way - 1-7/8 nut, curved fretboard.

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While a lot of it might be tongue in cheek, you are getting some pretty bad advice. DON'T try to reshape the neck of another guitar,
DON'T put nylon strings on a steel string git,
and nylon strings do not equal failure.

 

 

It's not often that I disagree with you Freeman but this time I do - it is perfectly possible to put nylon strings on a steel string guitar (with a few easy adjustments) and the guitar sounds good and plays well, particularly if you are used to the narrower neck and curved fretboard of a steel string guitar. It's also a great option for those players who may have a spare steel string guitar and want to try out nylon strings without buying a classical guitar.

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What you may want is not a classical but what they call a crossover or hybrid. These are instruments with a neck like a steel string guitar (thinner, narrower than a classical and with crowned fingerboard) but with a slotted head and bridge for nylon strings. Most of the manufacturers make them. I've been looking at a nylon acoustic/electric from Alvarez lately. I just haven't pulled the trigger.

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ok, i made up my mind. i'm going with the alvarez http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alvarez-Artist-Series-AC60SC-Classical-AcousticElectric-Cutaway?sku=518735 it has a 2" nut and really good electronics. it also has a cedar top which is new to me. from what i read cedar (when compared to spruce) gives a mellower sound but is wears quicker. anyone have any opinion on this?

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ok, i made up my mind. i'm going with the alvarez
it has a 2" nut and really good electronics. it also has a cedar top which is new to me. from what i read cedar (when compared to spruce) gives a mellower sound but is wears quicker. anyone have any opinion on this?

 

 

The big problem with classical fretboards for those of use who don't play them very often is that the flat board is hard to barre. I happen to like wider boards (I play a lot of 12 string), but the flatness bothers me a lot.

 

Cedar is a wonderful top wood. Most people feel that it opens up much faster than spruce, but doen't quite have the headroom. That shouldn't be a problem on a nylon string guitar. It is also a little softer - watch your nails. But it is a very popular wood for classicals.

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The big problem with classical fretboards for those of use who don't play them very often is that the flat board is hard to barre. I happen to like wider boards (I play a lot of 12 string), but the flatness bothers me a lot.


Cedar is a wonderful top wood. Most people feel that it opens up much faster than spruce, but doen't quite have the headroom. That shouldn't be a problem on a nylon string guitar. It is also a little softer - watch your nails. But it is a very popular wood for classicals.

 

 

Good comments. To me the most uncomfortable thing about the classical neck is that I have to keep my left forearm pretty much perpendicular to the neck in order to barre chords near the headstock and it bothers me too, even after about 15 years of classical playing. With the crowned fingerboard, you can bend the left forefinger a little to barre and put some angle to your forearm and that certainly is more comfortable. To me the only thing the classical neck has going for it is plenty of distance between the strings for fingerstyle playing.

 

I still hold my guitars and fret them like a classical but I do take advantage of those things that make a modern steel string guitar more comfortable to play. A rocker would probably chuckle if he saw me holding my Telecaster on my lap with the headstock pointing straight up in the air but it works for me.

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I still hold my guitars and fret them like a classical but I do take advantage of those things that make a modern steel string guitar more comfortable to play. A rocker would probably chuckle if he saw me holding my Telecaster on my lap with the headstock pointing straight up in the air but it works for me.

 

 

 

I always play sitting down and since taking some classical lessons some thirty five years ago, I have always been most comfortable playing in the classical position. The neck is at a better angle and position for me, and with the guitar supported at three points, it is very stable when I remove my left hand to move up and down the neck. The guitar feels as if it is supported by a tripod, yet it is only touching me at three points and on the edges where the sides meet the back. This give the back space to vibrate and reflect the vibrations from the top without being muffled by my body (beer belly).

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You might want to take a look at the Ibanez AEF20CS. It has a slimmer neck and a little deeper body with a cedar top. I've got one and really like it. They also are very reasonably priced. It has a B-Band pick up in it. Kelley

 

 

just when i thought that i made up my mind!!

 

it looks like a nice guitar. how does it sound unplugged vs.plugged?

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