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#1
04-03-2008, 12:23 AM
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Neck sizes!! I have small hands...
Hi all,
I am new to playing the guitar and I'm about to invest in my very first one! I have small hands though, and I would like to know a good size neck for me. Is 2.0-2.5 inches pretty small for a neck? Any advice will do! Also...any suggestions for recommendations on brand or type would be great! -jn0 
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#2
04-03-2008, 12:31 AM
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Quote:
NEcks are generally measured at the nut and at the bridge. A pretty standard nut width is 1 3/4". Pretty standard bridge width is 2 1/4" What complicates the issue is that guitars also come with different neck profiles. Some are fat and shaped like an oval. Some are skinny and shaped like a "D". Some can be "V" shaped. Some are "C" shaped. All affect how the neck feels. Which is "best" for you? Nobody can tell but you. Get out to a guitar store and play sample as many as you can.
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"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean,
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#3
04-03-2008, 12:41 AM
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I have small hands too!! I am pretty fussy about neck profile and nut width.
Like what Jeff said, not only the nut width plas a part, the neck profile is very important too. Up to day, I have only like the neck profile of my Doerr, my friend's Ryan and Olson. Amazing neck profile but out of reach for me. 1 11/16 and 1 3/4 are the more common nut width. You have to try it before you know whether it fits you well. Go and play some guitars!!!!!
__________________
Ongoing: 1998 Yamaha APX6A 2007 Webber Roundbody Eng/Coco 2013 Martin 000-45ECM 2018 GS Mini Walnut Kostal German/Braz Gone to a better place: 1999 Applause guitar (Given away) 1997 Taylor 912ce Cindy 2005 Jeff Yong JJ Euro/Macassar 2006 Doerr Legacy German/Madagascar 2009 Simon Fay OM Redwood/Koa Omega GC on order 2011 Collings OM2H 2013 Collings 0-42G 2003 Olson Cedar/IRW
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#5
04-03-2008, 06:59 AM
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Daisy Rock.
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#6
04-03-2008, 07:14 AM
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Quote:
First of all, pardon our being so rude and not welcoming you to the group! Welcome and your questions are most important around here. Please make yourself at home. Everybody here remembers when we started to play, and the questions we had...and lots of them! In standard sized steel string guitars, the two neck widths are 1 11/16'' and 1 3/4'' (1 12/16'') even when the body sizes are smaller or larger. These two sizes are the common ones you will find without dropping down to child sized instruments. Two inches would be quite a bit wider (and is a normal size for nylon string guitars). Two of my students have the smallest hands I've encountered in teaching for over 30 years, and one of them is probably my best student...certainly among my top 3. She is amazing, and plays a full 1 3/4'' neck without difficulty. The profile of the neck (how thick it is) is just as important as the how wide it is. Do you have any friends who play who could go looking for guitars with you? Do you have local guitar stores? Again, welcome to the group.
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Baby #1.1 Baby #1.2 Baby #02 Baby #03 Baby #04 Baby #05 Larry's songs... …Just because you've argued someone into silence doesn't mean you have convinced them…
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#8
04-03-2008, 08:21 AM
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I also have small hands, but have done okay playing guitars with necks like baseball bats.
The width at the nut should not bee too much of a factor for you and becomes something more like personal preference as you get used to a particular width and string spacing. I tend to be partion to 1 11/16". But to get off on the right foot, I would look for a guitar with a slender neck front to back -- one that is easy to get your hand around -- and easy for you to fret strings. Overall ease and playability will be more important for you starting out than the width of the neck. Developing good left hand technique, with your thumb back behind the center of the neck -- will also help.
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#9
04-03-2008, 08:23 AM
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jn0,
Another welcome. I've found Larry's words to be true. Nut width and neck profile are quite subjective things among guitarists. Seagull necks have been called "chunky," but some folks with quite small hands love them. My hands are on the smallish size, but I can't say that the size of a guitar neck affects me that much one way or another. Find the guitar with the sound you like and have it properly set up, making sure the action is low but with no fret buzz, and I suspect your hands will adjust to the neck. Best, Bill
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