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Old 04-16-2010, 04:08 PM
cke cke is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tone Gopher View Post
I've enjoyed the banter regarding scale length and now find myself thinking overmuch about nut width.

I've large hands (most XXL gloves are too small) and have owned guitars with nut widths from 1 5/8" (Gurian) to 1 3/4". At the bridge, I've found that 2 1/4" is too narrow, 2 3/8" is too wide (Bourgeois "Martin Simpson") - 2 5/16" is where I think I need to be for that aspect.

I spent decades playing my Gurian guitars and never gave it much thought. I knew I had large hands and always accepted that whatever guitar I played would probably seem small in that regard. Crowded fingertips were (and remain) a way of life.

In a time where 1 11/16" seems the norm for dreads and such, 1 3/4" seems spacious in contrast.

What are the limitations of going too wide? Why are there not more "finger style" guitars with a "standard" of 1 13/16"???

Thanks.
I started as a young boy on a classical - 2" nut. You Tube has scads of vids with tiny children playing classicals with huge stretches and playing beautifully. I am a big guy with largish hands. I love the 1 3/4 nut, cramp up whenever I spend time with 1 11/16.

Still play classicals too.

"Why are there not more "finger style" guitars with a "standard" of 1 13/16"???" Market forces is my guess, but many better makers will provide it.
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