Fingerstyle on 1 11/16

[KPV]

How many of you regularly play fingerstyle on a guitar with a 1 11/16" nut? I've owned a few 1 3/4" guitars and don't deny the difference, but spread across 6 strings is only an extra 1/16", or .0625". I also play fingerstyle on electric and the spacing is even less.

I'm just curious how many folks are comfortable with the 1 11/16" for fingerstyle.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by KPV

How many of you regularly play fingerstyle on a guitar with a 1 11/16" nut? I've owned a few 1 3/4" guitars and don't deny the difference, but spread across 6 strings is only an extra 1/16", or .0625". I also play fingerstyle on electric and the spacing is even less.

I'm just curious how many folks are comfortable with the 1 11/16" for fingerstyle.

I recorded 5 songs on my first CD, 'Crossing Crystal Lake', with a 1954 Martin 00-18.............Thousands of other people deal with 1 & 11/16" all the time, no problems.

As I've mentioned several times prior to this: Nut width has less to do with comfort than neck shape/depth and ultimate string spacing.

HE
http://www.howardemerson.com/

[Ryler]

Though I only have 1 3/4, I would do great on 1 11/16. My hands are tiny, though. And yes to string spacing. The previous owner had the e strings respaced to be the slightest bit wider when I bought my 00 used, and I put in the old nut and felt immediately more comfortable with narrower spacing.

[Glennwillow]

I have 1 11/16", 1 3/4" and even 1 13/16" and play fingerstyle on all of them. I have the most trouble with 1 13/16; the other nut widths don't seem to have much of an effect on me. I think I'm just used to them.

Regards, Glenn

[Cue Zephyr]

Me. Currently looking for a wider-necked guitar. Preferably 1 3/4" or more. Really liked the Seagull Maritime SWS Mini-Jumbo I tried the other day, it has a 1.8" neck width at the nut.

[RP]

Me and my two Takamine New Yorkers (EG416S)....

[Rick Jones]

I do get annoyed fingerpicking my yamaha with the narrower nut, but only since I got other guitars with 1-3/4 nuts, before that I never thought about it, and I think if I went back to just the Yami I'd readapt.

[Broadus]

It's not so much the nut width and string spacing at the nut that is as much an issue to me as the bridge string spacing. I use flesh-only in my fingerstyle attempts, and if the guitar has 2 1/8" bridge string spacing, with my poor technique I'm much less clean than with 2 1/4". 2 3/16" is okay, but 2 1/4" is preferable to me.

Bill

[Frederico]

I also found net width may not play such significant difference as I previously thought. I own and play Taylor 816ce and Larrivee L03r, both spec's are 1 3/4". In the past week I played Martin D-28 and HD-28 at store and found them more easy and comfortable than the two I own. Both Martin's are 1 11/16".

I wonder if the neck shape and string spacing plays a role here Anyone compare Martin's to Taylor's and Larrivee's?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by KPV

...I'm just curious how many folks are comfortable with the 1 11/16" for fingerstyle.

Hi KPV…
I’m flexible, and play friend's guitars with 1 11/16'' nut width guitars weekly.

But when I’m trying to fingerstyle on a 1 11/16'' fingerboard, I’m having to watch my fingerings and wrestling with the instrument instead of just letting it flow.

I have to bend with 2 fingers as opposed to 1 finger so I don't ride up under the adjacent string, and depending on the arrangement, 3 & 4 note clusters at or above the 12th fret get really cramped (and often muffed or muted). Most of my technique is less clean due to lack of finger space.

I have a Strat which I apply the same techniques to, but I don't play fingerstyle songs on it, so that is really a different animal. It is really an accompaniment instrument or lead, not a solo fingerstyle song instrument in my hands.

My 3 main guitars - all with 1 3/4'' nut width - are just easier to play.

And my 12 fret 000 with the 1 7/8'' nut and 2 3/8'' saddle is very comfortable. My style relaxes even more and I don't end up fighting the fingerings...though I do miss the cutaway and don't try to play much above the 15th fret on it...life is full of compromises.

[Long813]

I've only had slimmer necked guitars up till my new arrival (so soon) and I have never had an issue with finger picking. I do find the wider string spacing much easier/comfortable though as there is more room 'to breathe' in a sense.

[Fatstrat]

Alot of the old 1970's vintage Japanese builts are 1 3/4. And can be had as pawnshop buys pretty cheaply. But IMO don't let cheap price fool you. IMO some of these $150. guitars are on par in quality w/the $500.+ Chinese builts. Keep an eye out for an old Epiphone FT series. Many of them were 1 3/4. And pretty decently built guitars.

Originally Posted by KPV

I'm just curious how many folks are comfortable with the 1 11/16" for fingerstyle.

When you're in the mood for 1 3/4" you can always tune down and use a capo! Or just leave the tuning where it is and capo a few fret up, which of coarse changes the key... but that's ok.

[ewalling]

I find I can manage fingerstyle comfortably within a range of 1 11/16" - 1 7/8". 2" I can manage, but not comfortably.

[banjar]

Originally Posted by jrporter

Me and my two Takamine New Yorkers (EG416S)....

Which one is you?