OOO more comfy than Dread.....
 

But then I watch Molly Tuttle with an old D18 and think, “perhaps I’m a 6’1.5” winey little malcontent”? I’m still thinking about it. Am I alone in thinking this?

000 vs dread
 

As the 6' 2" owner of a great little 000 I can tell you that they definitely are.

Molly plays standing up most of the time. Seems that that negates most of the discomfort of playng a big guitar.

Hateful, I can honestly state that I’ve never ONCE thought of you as a 6’1.5” whiny little malcontent.

As for the comfort of playing a Triple O as opposed to playing a dreadnought, the Triple O is definitely the better design from an ergonomic standpoint. No question about it. Regardless of how tall or short the player happens to be.


whm

Up until about 2 years ago all I had ever played is dreads. Then I got my first OM/000 sized guitar. I will not likely ever buy another dread. The sound and the ergonomics are better. IMHO

The pain in my shoulder left me no choice but to leave dreads. My Martin 000XAE sounds good enuff for me.

OM's and 000's rule the roost in my home. Yeah, MT is great and I have seen her and other women of small stature handling dreads and super jumbos with ease.

Molly Tuttle has neither 16" arms or a 50+" inch chest (not to mention my ever-expanding, middle-aged waistline).

For this George Costanza/Newman shaped guitar player, anything over a OM is uncomfortable. :D

Same here...I hardly even realized there was anything but a dread. Went to a 000 and a GS Mini and liked the smaller yet one even more (even if it didn't have all the nice voice of the 000).

+1. So much more comfortable than others I've owned. Even though my OM is on the small side of the OM range, I love the OOO the most. For some reason I'll never understand, it is also louder.

Cincy

Before anyone throws stones, I realize some people have real physical limitations that make larger guitars uncomfortable.

That said, I'd be willing to be that 90% of the "uncomfortable Dreadnaught" complaints could be solved with better posture. I've been around musicians (mostly Bluegrass and Country) all my life and no one, not a single person, I know has ever stopped playing a Dreadnaught when the got older. They just don't.

Personally I have various shaped guitars and other instruments. I have never found Dreadnaughts uncomfortable. All the shapes feel a little different, but I adapt pretty quickly.

To me dreads are just too big to be comfortable for me. I am a small guy but had always played dreads, other than my classical. Getting my single O, OOO and GA I am now hooked on the smaller bodies. Not just for comfort, but for the less boomy sound. The smaller bodies are great for fingerpicking and are much easier to sing over without a mic.

I bought a 000-18, and sold it because it just didn't project like I wanted a Martin guitar to...and was planning to get a D-18 or HD-28, until I spent some time at the music store playing a D-28 they had, and realized that at the age of 59, I was developing some pain in my shoulder that would probably hinder my playing a dread for a long time without discomfort.

I then picked up and played a used OM-28EC, and decided I had found what I really needed...with a better (for me) neck, and ordered a new 2018 OM-21. I love it so far. Much more comfy, and has the Martin "growl" and volume I like.

Like some have said, Molly plays standing up a lot...and she's young, so the big dread body probably doesn't bother her. However, I've seen several pics of her lately playing a couple of Huss & Dalton OM's too!

I'm a big guy (6'2") and also find dreads too big for me. I can play them seated for a decent amount of time, and if someone handed me one no problem, but much prefer the smaller bodied instruments. For example, my acoustics are two classical guitars, a GC Taylor, and a Parlor Rainsong. However, I do most of my playing sitting down and that makes a HUGE difference. I have no problem playing a dread comfortably when hanging on a strap (although I would likely wear it a bit lower to compensate).

Another smaller person w/ dread example I always think of is Nancy Wilson. She is always playing that D-35 with no issues; however, she does wear it quite low (although maybe that helps with those Rockette-style leg kicks she does on stage :).

Later
Rob

I'm only about 6', but my arms are shorter than the "average" six-footer. I really prefer all of my smaller than dread size guitars -- that's all I have. To each, his own. Play what you love to play on an instrument the size you love playing.

6’3”, 185 lbs here. Long arms. I never play my dread anymore because it’s just less comfortable than other options, and honestly I don’t need the extra power that a dread might give me. I even prefer my 00 to my OM for the same reason. I’ve got an 0-size on the way now, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that stacks up.