Electric guitars for big hands?

[Juan_Banjovy]

Over the years I've settled for buzzing or dead strings while playing electric guitars designed for MUCH smaller hands than I have. Now, I'm officially tired of it.:sick: I can do a bar chord with 3 fingertips on the second fret. That would be my "A" chord on a wider neck. Anyone know who might make a budget electric for big mits? I considered the 12 string Strat minus 6 strings. Or a 7 string Ibanez with a 6 string bridge & nut but the pickups are 7 pole. Been Googling all morning for solutions & the Strat 12 looks like the best option so far. Dean also makes a cheap electric 12 but I didn't want a hollow body. This is a "backburner" idea for now, maybe this summer. I'm shopping for an acoustic 12 now & hope to afford one by March.

[trpullen]

I have fat fingers too. I can't play some of the RIC 12 strings but frankly, years of work on my Strat has helped fix my technique to the point where I can make it happen.

One of the best mandolinists I have ever seen live had fingers like Bratwursts. Played like the wind....

Just practice and you will overcome it.

[HereIGoAgain]

Fender necks are known to be narrow. Yes, you can adapt, but if you want something more comfortable, try something with a 1-11/16" nut width. Gibson necks are like that.

If you like Dean, the Hardtail and Hardtail Select are superb guitars with Gibson-like necks. Also, my Shecter C-1+ has a 1-11/16" nut width.

PRS has a neck called "wide fat" that you might find comfortable. Just get a luthier to take off the "heel from hell."

[PastorSteve]

You didn't say what you're playing now. If it's a Fender then call Fender, Mighty Mite or Warmoth (the last two make licensed Fender replacement parts) to see if they have a wider neck profile. If so, it's an easy installation.

If you're playing a different brand, call them for the same.

[Bob Womack]

Carvin necks are pretty wide.

[Juan_Banjovy]

You didn't say what you're playing now. If it's a Fender then call Fender, Mighty Mite or Warmoth (the last two make licensed Fender replacement parts) to see if they have a wider neck profile. If so, it's an easy installation.

If you're playing a different brand, call them for the same.

It's an Epihone SG with a 1.68" nut width. I've also got a single humbucker B.C. Rich Warlock that feels similar.

[HereIGoAgain]

It's an Epihone SG with a 1.68" nut width. I've also got a single humbucker B.C. Rich Warlock that feels similar.

Okay. 1.68 = 1-11/16". To put this nicely, you're not going to find many wider necks available on regular production models. Rick Turner once said that he sometimes makes a Model 1 with a 1.75" nut width, but get ready to pay ($$$$) and wait *clock ticks and tumbleweeds roll by* if you want one of those.

You could also find out what guitars Buckethead and Paul Gilbert are playing. Buckethead is 6'4" according to IMDB, and I've been told that Paul Gilbert is very tall as well. Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues plays a strat on occasion and a Gibson ES-335. In vids of him, the 335 looks the way a tele would on a normal-sized guy. Hayward has no problem getting around on either neck.

Maybe Pullen is right. Work on refining the technique in the meantime.

[John M.]

I play an Epi Elitist Chet Atkins (now the Country Deluxe) that has a 1 3/4" nut. Kind of a niche guitar, but a really good one. Most Gibsons these days are 1 11/16". Vintage spec Fender are pretty close to 1 5/8" (often 1.650").

An easy way is to build yourself a parts guitar - from somebody like USA Custom or Warmoth, you can get up to 1 7/8" nut width with any cut or depth up to 1". You'll get a nicer finished product than modifying a 12 string. You can save yourself a lot of money on finish if you use something like ReRanch spray can nitro. You might also watch ebay for a finished body - there are typically tons of tele and strat bodies.

[imwjl]

My PRS has the "wide fat" and it's no way wide like my 1.75 Larrivee and Martin, but it does seem to have a larger radius than some electrics and my small skinny hands find it smaller to handle than my US Tele and I think it's due to scale length.

That said, the PRS neck is an easy to play neck.

Good luck.