Members cstime Posted November 29, 2003 Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 1 3/4" is a "standard" nut size, right? Is that considered a "wide" neck, or if I'm looking for a wide neck would I be wanting 2" or 1 7/8" or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members S~R~O Posted November 29, 2003 Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 Esta~ban:D necks can be smaller than 1 3/4 1 3/4 to 1 7/8ths it what a lot of players like .. I't's up to what feels good for you it can be a V neck shape and fat or shinny it can be a shallow neck fat or shinny amd Let us not forget String spacing that means a lot on Neck playability also... Just some Food for Thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LittleBrother Posted November 29, 2003 Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 1-11/16 - fairly narrow but nice feeling. Many builders use this on some models. It's comfortable but hard to get room for fingerpicking. Takes some focus. If you have huge fingers and hands then it's pretty much a strummer. Most electric players that go acoustic flock to this size until they know better. Some people with tiny hands love these. 1.725" (I think?) - There's one size stuck here in the middle that Gibson and others use that is about a 32th or so wider than the first neck and I guess buys you a little more room. My new Santa Cruz specs said it was 1-3/4" but when I got it this was the size. It's just a tiny bit smaller than 1-3/4. I have come to like this size alot. Nice compromise. Alot of J-45 Gibsons have this width. 1-3/4" - Nice size for all styles in my opinion. You can do it all with this neck but some people whine that it's too wide before they ever give it a chance. If the neck shape on the back of the neck is not a little beefier this one feels alot wider than it really is. Bottom line this is a great neck size for country blues IMO. 1-7/8" whoa now we are getting into a wide feeling neck but its a dream for fingerpickers with big hands. My advice is to play these before you spend 3K. An example of a fantastic guitar with this neck is the Santa Cruz slot headed Slope-Dread 12 fret. God is that a fantastic guitar but has that wide neck. Those are the sizes I see out there and know a little bit about . Just remember the back shape of the neck that fits in your palm has alot to do with how you percieve the neck. A properly shaped large neck can actually be more comfortable in your hand in some cases than a small thin neck. It takes a real master builder to get that neck shape right so a wider neck doesn't feel wide. A last point is the string spacing back at the bridge is important too for fingerpicking. When you try examples in stores make note of what you like and dont like. Sometimes you just have to own them for a while to tell. The right neck can make you play alot better. My .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cstime Posted November 29, 2003 Author Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 Holy heck, guys! Not even 15 minutes after I post my question there are two awesome responses (you must be a lightning fast typer, LB - and isn't it past your bedtime?)... this is a forum that could easily spoil a guy. Crazy that an eighth or a sixteenth of an inch can make such a big difference. Is 1 7/8" a standard size? Something any of the major manufacturers would make on at least some of their lines? Scanning quickly through Larrivee and Taylor's sites it looks like 1.75 is pretty much the standard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jack R Posted November 29, 2003 Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 All the Seagulls, except the little Grande (which is 1.72) are 1.8". 1 7/8 = 1.875. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cstime Posted November 29, 2003 Author Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 So about halfway in between a 1 3/4" and a 1 7/8"? A 1 4/5"? Cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LittleBrother Posted November 29, 2003 Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 No problem I just got home from a gig. Winding down and about to hit the hay. Larrivee used to make the 03 series OMs with 1-11/16 and I owned one. They were sweet but tiny necks. They went to 1-3/4 across the board about a year ago if I recall. 1-7/8" is a standard size but I guess all four of those are standard sizes. I am sure there is a long complex history of these specifications with Martin, Gibson and hundreds of other builders present and past. I just know what I see when shopping. Yes, thousands of an inch make a huge difference. Alot of people dont realize just how little amount of wood is on the back of that neck. When you see a guitar neck in a luthiers shop without the fretboard applied it almost looks like it's a defective neck because there is so little wood there. You could just snap it over your knee. Then when the fretboard is glued on it looks bigger. Then it looks normal when the strings are on. So a very tiny amount of thickness or width makes huge difference. I also find that where your thumb rolls over the fretboard can be sanded or tapered a little. How can I say this ? They soften the sharp edges and then shape the back of the neck so your hand is more ergonomically correct when playing. The monitor is the most important part of your computer right now and the NECK is the most important on a guitar. IMO. Nite Pal, LB P.S. Dont forget the radius of the fretboard too. That's crucial too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orsino Posted November 29, 2003 Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 One very important thing to consider is that 1 3/4 nut width must go hand in hand with a wider string spacing at the saddle. It is almost a given that when you talk about 1 3/4 vs. 1 11/16, the real benefit for fingerstyle is in the eventual increase in spacing as the strings reach the bridge. This isn't always the case though. Although on the video I posted about the GO Travel Guitar I focused on the 1 3/4 nut width , the GO is 2 1/2 inches width at the saddle and the Baby Taylor is 2 inches. The 1 3/4 nut on the GO and the 1 11/16 on the Baby expand into a huge difference at the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members S~R~O Posted November 29, 2003 Members Share Posted November 29, 2003 Yup,... Huge !!!!.......Differences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretmess Posted November 30, 2003 Members Share Posted November 30, 2003 Takamine EAN 30C has 1 7/8" nut and slot head. Nice electronics and best pickup of all. Nice price and spend a couple hours on the action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EvilHippy Posted November 30, 2003 Members Share Posted November 30, 2003 Think of this, can heck really be holy?....just a thought... ~EH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nylon rock Posted December 13, 2003 Members Share Posted December 13, 2003 For classical, 1 15/16 is just right. 2 1/4 is way too much. You wouldn't think 5/16ths would matter, but it is night and day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nylon rock Posted December 13, 2003 Members Share Posted December 13, 2003 One more thing, I tried a Lowden classical when browsing in Amsterdam a few months ago, and it had a camber or something like that, where the fretboard is not flat, but tapered somewhat, and I really liked that feel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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