You play the string spacing, and not the overall nut width.
That said (for the thousandth time), I have small hands but prefer a 1-13/16" overall nut width on a steel-string.
One other thing to consider in a discussion based on nut width and perhaps comparing classicals, which just get going at 2"; that is, distance between the edges of the strings. Nylon strings have a much larger diameter than steel-strings, and so you need to consider more than the center-to-center distance with each string. You also need to consider how much space is between each string, which is the edge-to-edge distance from string to string.
It may be that Proctor is right, and I have often said that there are several ergonomic choices that are available with a custom-build, but not used at all by manufactured guitar builders. This means the average player never gets to lay their hands on something that might be really advantageous to them!
I don't have one to measure here, but I'll bet that the string-edge to string-edge distance on a 1-7/8" steel-string (with "normal" E to E spacing for that overall width) is *greater than* the string-edge to string-edge distance on a 2" wide nut nylon (even considering the low E and A strings on the steel). I'll bet the 1-13/16" steel is more like a 2" nylon in this one regard.
Just one man's perspective...
Last edited by Larry Pattis; 04-16-2010 at 04:54 PM.
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