Members locallau Posted January 30, 2007 Members Posted January 30, 2007 Hi, I just wanted to thank the people who'd responded to my very first post when I was deciding which guitar to buy. It was quite a journey. Long story short, I bought the Guild GAD-40C, ended up realizing I preferred smaller-bodied guitars and after much research purchased a Larrivee OM-03. (I'm still trying to sell-off the Guild). I LOVE the larrivee's sound, feel, and look, but the only thing concerning me is that although the 1 3/4 " nut width gives more room, I feel like my hand has gotten tired more quickly lately than when I played with a 1 11/16 " nut width. Also playing into my thinking is, I had been working on Neon by John Mayer (Hated in this forum?) and he uses his thumb for the 6th string bass note quite often and I feel like my playing isn't as smooth. Almost everywhere I read, I hear that complicated fingerstyle songs simply cannot be done with any width shorter than 1 3/4 ". I feel my fingers are too short to handle the neck. I remember playing a Martin 000-15 and just LOVING the neck, but no so much the sound of mahogany. So now, I'm considering re-selling the Guild/Larrivee for a 000-16GT or 000-16RGT (discontinued I think), or maybe an early OM-03 model with 1 11/16 " nut width. Is this a good idea, or should I just give the Larrivee a few more weeks to get used to? Also, I considered that John Mayer's Martin signature model is 1 11/16". I haven't been able to find what nut width he uses on most of his fingerstyle songs (Man on the side, neon (acoustic), comfortable, etc.). And I also couldn't find what nut width other players use whose songs I wish to learn in the future, like Tommy Emmanuel. Sorry for the long rambling, just hoping to get some good advice. Basically, I feel like the 1 11/16" is SO much more comfortable, but research tells me that it may prove to be a hinderance down the road. Stay with Larrivee or go?
Members knockwood Posted January 30, 2007 Members Posted January 30, 2007 Basically, I feel like the 1 11/16" is SO much more comfortable, but research tells me that it may prove to be a hinderance down the road. Stay with Larrivee or go? Trust your hands and screw the verbal "research." The one thing I'd be a little cautious about, however, is a kind of grass-is-always-greener syndrome. I play mostly fingerstyle, but I play on 1-11/16" boards and do not find them in the least limiting or uncomfortable; however, I also find that 1-3/4" has its own merits... I was never ultimately able to decide between them, so I want both. The whole point of a 1-3/4" nut is comfort, and the fact that many or most fingerstyle players find it more comfortable doesn't mean you have to. There are no rules. Sounds like you have the right idea, looking into a 000. Just sell the freakin' Guild first so you don't end up with a pile of guitars that aren't really you - which is exactly what I have.
Members Dave W. Posted January 30, 2007 Members Posted January 30, 2007 Neck profile also has a lot to do with getting that thumb over. You could play a Martin low profile, or any of the Taylors in 1 3/4" as comparison, but you probably will just get used to the Larri. Give it some time. I have seen people with amazingly small, stubby looking fingers get all over a neck. Look at Don Ross's hands.
Members Hudman Posted January 30, 2007 Members Posted January 30, 2007 Neck profile also has a lot to do with getting that thumb over. You could play a Martin low profile, or any of the Taylors in 1 3/4" as comparison, but you probably will just get used to the Larri. Give it some time. I have seen people with amazingly small, stubby looking fingers get all over a neck. Look at Don Ross's hands.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFYa-r9UFyo I agree. Neck profile is MORE important than nut width. 1/16" more at the nut is no big deal. The extra width allows you to have a tiny bit more room between strings. I have medium sized hands. I own a Larrivee OM-03. The neck profile is nice and low. I prefer it to my 1 11/16" Epi Masterbilt DR-500R. Why? I have more room for chording while playing fingerstyle. Sometimes I end up partially muting strings on my DR-500R. Due to the low profile neck, I am able to wrap my thumb around to fret the low E on my OM-03 just as easy as I can on the DR-500R. I'm a big Mayer fan too. He loves doing the SRV / Hendrix thumb move. In other words, I don't think the Larrivee 1 3/4" neck plays thick. If it did I wouldn't like it. On the other hand, I strongly advise you to forget the measurements and what other people do (per Knockwood). I owned a Seagull S6 for 8 years and never new the scale length or nut width. Why? I played it in the store and liked it instantly (I wish I never sold it). Thanks to the internet, I over analize everything on guitars.
Members rjoxyz Posted January 30, 2007 Members Posted January 30, 2007 I have about as stubby fingers as you will find, though my hands are probably more like average. I agree the neck profile makes the greatest difference. I bought my Larrivee L-03 in December and the 1 3/4" neck is now my favorite for the reasons Hudman states. I was not a complete stranger to the wider neck, as my Martin 000-15s has the same width, but I had used it exclusively for fingerstyle. I think the L-03 is more versatile. It does seem that my hand tires and cramps up a little faster on the wider neck, but not so much as to be a deterrant.
Members Dave W. Posted January 30, 2007 Members Posted January 30, 2007 I have two Martins that both have the low profile neck, so that is my reference point. When I played the 000-28 EC it had the mod-V profile and felt very chunky. This was only in the music store, so given time, it may be just fine. Which can be translated to: if anybody were to give me one, I promise not to throw it out for at least six months.
Members kwakatak Posted January 30, 2007 Members Posted January 30, 2007 Yes, neck profile is definitely a factor here. Jean Larrivee originally learned to build classical guitars and IMO the neck profile is a carry-over. It's shallow yet broad so that it has more of a C shape to it so that your thumb (well mine at least) is able to plant itself more firmly in the exact center of the back of the neck. OTOH, if ever take the chance notice how close to the edge of the fretboard the high and low E strings are. It allows you to wrap your thumb over but I have to do it with a little more care than many other guitars because the string is prone slip off the edge of the fret/fretboard. I have a similar problem when bending notes on the high E string. None are a big problem in my case and I have stubby, crooked fingers. It just means that I needed to clean up my technique and warm up more if I haven't played my OM-03R in awhile.
Members Queequeg Posted January 30, 2007 Members Posted January 30, 2007 Neck profile also has a lot to do with getting that thumb over. You could play a Martin low profile, or any of the Taylors in 1 3/4" as comparison, but you probably will just get used to the Larri. Give it some time. I have seen people with amazingly small, stubby looking fingers get all over a neck. Look at Don Ross's hands.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFYa-r9UFyo yep. +1what Dave and Hud said. You will get used to it.As humans, we are very adaptable.you can lose a king's ransom trying to find the perfect guitar. In the end, there is no perfect guitar. Because we are human. Therein lies the imperfection.But you got a darned good one there, locallau.
Members T.B. Posted January 31, 2007 Members Posted January 31, 2007 What about a shorter scale guitar? AG has written several articles about this subject in the past year or so, if I can find those articles I'll pass along the info.Trina
Members johnfrusciante Posted January 31, 2007 Members Posted January 31, 2007 Almost everywhere I read, I hear that complicated fingerstyle songs simply cannot be done with any width shorter than 1 3/4 ". I feel my fingers are too short to handle the neck. a guitarist's limitations aren't because they can't do things, but because they choose not to.
Members Dan Hall Posted January 31, 2007 Members Posted January 31, 2007 With me it's old mother thumb that has trouble with fretting the low E on a 1.75 nutted guitar. Her four daughters prefer the wider neck. I've found too that neck profile does figure in. If you've got a fair amount of radius in the fingerboard or rounder edges you'll have a nicer time. All that being said, I think you'll get used to it. My Les Paul had the typical Gibson round shouldered board. When I moved to the Heritage H-535, it's supposed to be the same neck profile but it ain't. The Gibbo is much softer at the shoulders of the board. It took me a little while to work it out, but I did.
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.