OOO more comfy than Dread.....

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Everton FC

My dreads never bothered me physically. The shape of my Alvarez is much different than my Seagull, and much heavier. When reaching for a dread, I grab the Alvarez, only because it's spruce vs. cedar.

I've simply fallen in love with the physical size, shape and ease/comfort of the smaller sizes. Nothing "physio" in my preference.

I love my dreads too - got four of 'em. But as I've lost a lot of weight and muscle tone during the cancer treatment after effects last year, I've developed what many complain of here.

[imwjl]

A 14 fret 000 (Santa Cruz labels it OMS) has been my acoustic GAS killer. The comfy part is everywhere - how my hands and ears like it and not just how it is on my lap.

The scale length seems to warm it in a nice way. I know Santa Cruz' OM pre-war and modern OM tone and feel. My aging hands can play it longer. If you know the more common OM models, this has bass and articulation of notes between the two. It must be popularity of their superb and popular 00, 12 and 13 fret models that explain the OMS being a custom order.

It's been easier for this to be my main guitar because it has some growl and less nasal tone than other 14 fret 000 I've tried.

[Speedwagon]

Originally Posted by WindChaser

I’m glad I read this thread. I’m 6 ft 2 in, 175 pounds, and 34 years old, and my right shoulder blade area has been hurting recently after playing on my dreadnought for even 20 minutes. I used to never have this problem until a few weeks ago. I’m going to try and work on my posture and see if that helps.



For those who find the dread uncomfortable, where does it hurt? Mine is on the outer edge of my right shoulder blade and into my right trapezoid. It even hurts right now after a good nights sleep.

My pain is where the scapula meets the humerus and is due to bursitis I developed after playing football and wrestling in high school. There have been times when I have been unable to lift my right hand above my head at the shoulder. Playing a dreadnaught only aggravates this issue.

[Alan Carruth]

For those who can consider a custom, even a little bit of 'wedge' can go a long way to increase comfort in a big box. It's easy enough to do that many makers will incorporate it at no, or only a small, added charge. As far as I can tell, a 1" or 1-1/2" difference in depth between the treble and bass side makes no real difference in the sound; you make the treble side deeper and the bass shallower, so the box volume stays the same, which is most of what sets up the low-end response. It does, however, make playing a Dread about as comfortable as an OM.

For anybody who's concerned about the need for royalties, Smith patented the wedge idea back in '68, iirc. It didn't catch on at that time, so Linda Manzer didn't know about it when she re-invented the concept on Matheny's 'Pikasso'. She had a bit of a priority debate going with another maker for a while, and promoted the idea of the 'Manzer wedge' more as a way of claiming credit than anything else. She certainly does deserve some credit, as the idea has stayed discovered since then, but it was 'in the air' so to speak, and in fact Smith beat her to it.

[Mad Rose]

Since I play at home, sitting down, for about 10 years now, dreads became too awkward for me. I traded a HD-35 in for a Martin OM Juber. It has all the power, tone & comfort I need. So much so, I got another one, plus a custom 000-28H. I Still have a Martin J-65M, but it lives in the closet now, not seeing any playtime.
Luv the sound of a Dread, but just they’re just not for me any more....

[doublescale1]

In the last 12 months I have sold both dreds and picked up a Martin 000-18 and a Tayloe 322ce (similar body size to a 000). Dont miss the Dreds at all. I realized that whenever I play out, I'm plugged in, so the relative volume of the guitar body is meaningless to me. Besides, I don't play bluegrass so a loud Dred is not what I even remotely need. When I practice at home, they sound plenty loud enough, just fine in fact. The smaller bodies are so much more comfortable to play, and I really like the shorter scale.

[waveform]

I never played a 000 until recently (have a dred) and loved it. I, like a few other folks here, have shoulder issues and the thing plays like a dream siting down. Im not lazy but sitting down is necessary sometimes.
There are a few Martin 000-28 guitars on reverb for around $1500, seems like a cheep way in.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

For anybody who's concerned about the need for royalties, Smith patented the wedge idea back in '68, iirc. It didn't catch on at that time, so Linda Manzer didn't know about it when she re-invented the concept on Matheny's 'Pikasso'. She had a bit of a priority debate going with another maker for a while, and promoted the idea of the 'Manzer wedge' more as a way of claiming credit than anything else. She certainly does deserve some credit, as the idea has stayed discovered since then, but it was 'in the air' so to speak, and in fact Smith beat her to it.

Oh, yes, it's definitely an important subject with Ms. Manzer. A number of years ago, after a Healdsburg Guitar Festival I was sitting and talking with a male guitar builder at the San Francisco airport, both of us waiting for our flights, when Linda Manzer came and sat with us. Within two minutes she had steered the conversation to her "invention" of the "Manzer wedge" and how some other guitar builder on the East Coast* was trying to claim he'd thought of it before she did.

She went on at GREAT length, let's leave it at that. We were left in no doubt whatsoever of her feelings on the subject. It was one of those situations where I tried a couple of times to gently steer the conversation to other topics, only to have her firmly steer it back until she'd had her (rather exhaustive) say...


Wade Hampton Miller

* Not Smith, but a builder whose last name starts with the letter C.

[pandaroo]

OOO is more comfy and that is what I used to own only but I always long for bigger bolder fuller tone and my preference for tone is what has led me own mostly dreads. I’m only 5”6’ and i play sitting with my dreads. Can’t help it, they sound too good to put them down.

[fatt-dad]

I'll see your 185# and add 2". That's right, I'm not fat at all! 6-5" and 185#. Father in law gave me a 1930 L1 about 30 years ago. Prior to that it was my FG-180 - another non-dread.

About 17 or 18 years ago, I thought I'd head to the best of the best! A brand new HD-28V! Bought it for sure. Really didn't play it, so I traded it towards my 000-28 Norman Blake. Love that and have never looked back.

My ultimate landing zone was the OM28A. Yeah, I'm okay being tall and playing small. Then again, I do love playing my mandolin!

f-d

[ii Cybershot ii]

I never knew dreads were less comfortable until I joined this forum

[mickthemiller]

You can't get a 000 to sound like a dread, pity!

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by ii Cybershot ii

I never knew dreads were less comfortable until I joined this forum

Then the scales fell from your eyes, you had a Road To Damascus experience, and you heard a voice from the sky saying: "Cybershot! Get up! Get thee hence and get thyself a smaller guitar!!"

Yep. Pretty typical experience for first time guitar forum participants....


whm

[Tico]

Comfort, like beauty, is in the eye (or in this case, the arms) of the beholder.

000 is more comfy to some.
00 is more comfy to others.
0 is more comfy to others.
Dread is more comfy to others.

Etc.

Next some may feel one size is the most comfy, but would never buy one because they prefer the sound of another size.
Slippery slope.
Next, if the largest number of responders feel size X is most comfy to them, that does not make those who find other sizes most-comfy wrong ... for them.

Such is opinions.

That leaves me wondering whether: "000 more comfy than dread?" is lacking as a question or thought since it implies there is one universally-true answer.
But it is all fun to discuss.

[blacknblues]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Then the scales fell from your eyes, you had a Road To Damascus experience, and you heard a voice from the sky saying: "Cybershot! Get up! Get thee hence and get thyself a smaller guitar!!"

Yep. Pretty typical experience for first time guitar forum participants....
whm

...and so I did, but have recently come full circle as well and purchased my first Dreadnought size guitar in 40 years. I really missed the ‘boom’ of a dreadnought and started playing more with other folks. Smaller sized guitars just won’t cut it when playing with other dreads.