Neck width preference

[George Henry]

I have been playing guitar for well over 50 years. Like most, I started out on guitars with necks of 1 11/16", which is pretty standard for steel strings. Somewhere along the line, I encountered necks of 1 3/4", then 1 13/16", then 1 7/8", and finally 2".

Although I have only average size hands, I find that I like wider necks better than narrow, as long as they have the right shape, which for me is a mild V. I really find squarish or D shapes to be unacceptable, no matter the width.

I really enjoy my Gallagher with it's custom 2" wide neck. It simply has the right shape. And I like the extra room I get for both chord work and picking. Going back to my wife's 1 11/16" Martin seems confining.

What's your preference?

[TBman]

I like low profile necks which all my guitars have. My Seagull has the widest neck (aside from the cheap classical). It too has a low oval and I play it to stretch my hand and work on my technique. If I can play something on the Seagull it only gets easier to play on the other necks.

1 11/16th is just a tad narrow for me for some things, but is perfect for slide. For general purpose playing 1.75 or 1.72 is my preference. I can make barre chords just a bit easier on 1.72. I'm not sure if that's actually due to width or my familiarity and experience with that width. For finger style 1.75 seems just right.

[jpbat]

After à 2" period, I came back to 1 7/8", and even 1 3/4", when I realized that it's not only the width, but the profile. My hands are more comfortable with V necks. I cannot play a long time my guitars with C or D profile without some discomfort or even pain.

To sum up : 1 7/8" V neck for me. Large and thick.

[Tico]

My 8 guitars have a good range of neck widths and shapes.

I just adjust to whatever I'm using and play music.

[Silly Moustache]

I've told this story here many times: Like probably everyone else here, I played on 1 & 11/16" nut widths because I didn't know there was a choice actually, there wasn't much of a choice). I got into bluegrass and wanted to do hammer ons and pull offs which I found difficult because of the space restriction on the neck of my D-35 but just about managed.

Then I foolishly replaced my D35 with a Martin J-40 which, I guess, had an even more shallow neck profile - so skinny neck width wise and depth wise and was very difficult to play. I was opening for a guy called Isaac Guillory and mentioned this issue and he lent me his Martin D-35-S - 12 fret dread with 1 & 7/8" nut width and my problems were solved ....but how to find a guitar in the UK with such a neck?

The search went on for three years until I found my Collings DS2h (12 fret dread) with a 1 & 13/16" nut width going to a 2 & 3/8" string spacing. This is ideal for me - not because I have big hands or long fingers (no to both, but i DO have rather flat fingertips.

Later I discovered that guitar neck shapes changed radically in the early '30s when the Martin and Gibson offerings were changed to have skinny necks to be rhythm instruments - they assumed that everyone would want to just play chords in dance bands, and skinny necks were what tenor banjo players liked because they usually "killed" at least one string.

Obviously some can work wonders on a rhythm neck (1 & 11/16" ) but most/many, if they try, will find a wider neck more comfortable (unless they are just strumming chords perhaps).

1/16" width can make a difference and 1/8" a lot, and neck profile and depth is also an important factor - I love Bourgeois guitars but they are unplayable for me.

Just remember folks - There IS a choice!

[macmanmatty]

If I had 2" wide neck it would have 7 strings and the 7th string would be a D2 note. For 6 strings though 1 3/4" to 1 13/16" is fine. No less than 1 3/4. I have played a 1 7/8" nut and it was ok too.

[Kerbie]

1 11/16." Don't own anything else.

[mercy]

I just read if I can but had to log in for this one. I play fingerstyle only but am not a pro or near one. I few years ago I discovered I like wider nuts and a mild V profile. But for rhythm work I have found that narrower nuts work better. I wish I still had my Martin 000-18 but it would never get played.

[Dru Edwards]

I prefer 1 3/4" but I can switch back and for the 1 11/16" with no issues.

[brencat]

Santa Cruz D/PW and OM/PW mod-v neck shape nails it for me. Those necks have a 1 3/4 nut, 2 3/16" string spacing, a slender taper to the 12th, and a neck profile that is on the thicker side depth wise (top to bottom) and with sufficient mass in the shoulder to brace my thumb. It's a thicker neck overall than the Martin MLO/PA neck, but virtually identical in taper. Perfect!

[roylor4]

I don't play nearly as cleanly on a 1 & 11/16ths guitar, so I no longer have one - except for a lam beater parlor my wife bought for my birthday. I'll never get rid of it because it was a gift from her.

1.75" or a bit wider for me. I also prefer chunky neck profiles. I can play a well set up thick neck for much longer with less fatigue than a thin one. Doesn't matter if it's an acoustic or an electric, thicker necks just work best for me.

I'm afraid to make the foray into 1 & 13/16ths or more. I think it would spoil me and make me wanna change my lineup too much.

[Dave T]

I play classical guitars (but not classical music) these days and am most comfortable with a 2" width at the nut. For a number of years I tried to find a steel string I would be willing to keep and the only ones that were acceptable, in terms of nut width, were those with 1-7/8" specs.

That seriously limits your choices as many makers don't even offer a neck that wide (Bourgeois mentioned earlier is an example). I'm once again thinking of trying to find a steel string and the hunt is on but I will very likely end up back at the nylon stringed classical as the only guitar that works for me.

Dave

[mickthemiller]

I have guitars with 1.69, 1.72 and 1.75 nut widths. They all have very similar string spacing at the nut. That's the reason I find them all easy to play. String spacing at the nut is far more important than nut width. Not all nuts are cut alike.

[dhodgeh]

Started with a 1-11/16. Thought that was a bit narrow, so I migrated to 1-3/4.

Tried another guitar with a modified V neck and spaced at 1-11/16 and had problems with numbness in my fretting hand with that guitar. Got rid of that one.

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across this D-28 with a 1-11/16th neck. Normally I would have shied away from that width, but this was a marvelous instrument that had the tone so I spent about four hours in Guitar Center playing that guitar. I had (and continue to have) no problems with numbness, so I went ahead a bought it.

I do find that I have to work at playing clean with that width of neck. Even though the difference is only 1/16th, it is noticeable. But I think that extra effort has helped me when playing my 1-3/4 neck guitars.

D