What a difference a sixteenth makes

Dave Hicks · #1 05-05-2021, 07:26 AM

My wife got a Baby Taylor to learn guitar (so far, tuning and intonation seem fine).

I've never really played a 1 11/16" neck (nut, really), but it's a lot harder to keep my short, pudgy fingers out of each other's way. (I'm used to a Taylor 414 with 1 3/4" neck.) The short scale feels pretty good, though.

How easy do you find it to be when switching neck widths and scale lengths?

D.H.

Zexxor · #2 05-05-2021, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Hicks

My wife got a Baby Taylor to learn guitar (so far, tuning and intonation seem fine).

I've never really played a 1 11/16" neck (nut, really), but it's a lot harder to keep my short, pudgy fingers out of each other's way. (I'm used to a Taylor 414 with 1 3/4" neck.) The short scale feels pretty good, though.

How easy do you find it to be when switching neck widths and scale lengths?

D.H.

My fingers don't like it at all. They really hate classicals nowadays. And playing a 1 5/8" would really make them angry. 1 3/4" makes them pretty happy.

ghostnote · #3 05-05-2021, 08:08 AM

I have to say that it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it does some other folks. My typical MO is to play one guitar for a couple of weeks, so when I do change to another one, there's a couple of minutes of sloppy chording or flubbed notes until I get acclimated. After that, it's not an issue. (I should note that I'm also playing electrics all the time, too, so I'm used to switching necks) I never consider nut width when buying a guitar - one less thing for me to worry about.

SBakerman · #4 05-05-2021, 08:14 AM

Had this problem recently with switching between a Recording King 12 fret ROS 626 and my (new to me) Taylor 712ce.

The low "E" was a lot closer, it's getting better, but I still have the muscle memory of the RK in my mind.

Skip Ellis · #5 05-05-2021, 08:54 AM

Makes absolutely no difference to me. It takes me about 10 seconds to acclimate to a different width. My Tele and Brook are 1-11/16" and my Martin 000-18 is 1-3/4". Just ordered a new Brook Lyn that will be either 1-3/4" or 1-13/16" (haven't decided for sure, yet). I've also owned steel strings that are 1-7/8" and classics that were 2"+ and had no problem with any of them. Consider a world in which you could only have one guitar and no way of measuring the nut width or bridge spacing - would you adapt and play or just quit because those measurements were not to your liking?

ChrisN · #6 05-05-2021, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBakerman

Had this problem recently with switching between a Recording King 12 fret ROS 626 and my (new to me) Taylor 712ce.

The low "E" was a lot closer, it's getting better, but I still have the muscle memory of the RK in my mind.

I have a RK RPC 16 C, with a spec'd nut width of 1 3/4, but which measures to just shy of 1 13/16. I go back and forth with Taylors, with the same noticeable result.

ljguitar · #7 05-05-2021, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Hicks

My wife got a Baby Taylor to learn guitar (so far, tuning and intonation seem fine).

I've never really played a 1 11/16" neck (nut, really), but it's a lot harder to keep my short, pudgy fingers out of each other's way. (I'm used to a Taylor 414 with 1 3/4" neck.) The short scale feels pretty good, though.

How easy do you find it to be when switching neck widths and scale lengths?

D.H.

Hi David
All my current acoustic's nut are 1¾"…except for my Recording King which has a 1¹³/₁₆" nut (⅟₁₆" wider). It's been this way for over 15 years now.

Both the Strat and Tele are 1¹¹⁄₁₆" and I have zero issues switching, mostly due to the fact I play differently on them. Different styles of play.

reeve21 · #8 05-05-2021, 09:51 AM

My left hand is fine with either of the 2 common widths (long, narrow fingers).

My right hand is fine with either, but some fingerstlye stuff is easier on 1 and 3/4--but with acclimation the narrower width is ok, too.

My guitar teacher has short, pudgy fingers compared to mine. But his stretch is much longer. He also plays and teaches bass, electric, classical, banjo, mandolin, dobro and a few others. So apparently it is the craftsman, not the tool that matters the most

Dave Hicks · #9 05-05-2021, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi David
All my current acoustic's nut are 1¾"…except for my Recording King which has a 1¹³/₁₆" nut (⅟₁₆" wider). It's been this way for over 15 years now.

Both the Strat and Tele are 1¹¹⁄₁₆" and I have zero issues switching, mostly due to the fact I play differently on them. Different styles of play.

The narrower neck is what puts me off a bit on my ES125, which otherwise I like a good deal.

Going back and forth between 25.5", 24.7" and now sub-24" scales is not a big deal, though. I used to take lessons with a guy who played a Tele with humbuckers, a set neck, and a mahog body with maple cap. I asked him why he didn't just get a Les Paul, and he said he couldn't abide the scale length. He's got finer tolerances than me, I guess.

D.H.

fitness1 · #10 05-05-2021, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Hicks

I've never really played a 1 11/16" neck (nut, really), but it's a lot harder to keep my short, pudgy fingers out of each other's way. (I'm used to a Taylor 414 with 1 3/4" neck.)

I'm in the short and pudgy club too...

Do yourself a favor and don't play anything with a 1 13/16 nut - may end up costing you a lot of money.

I just can't play anything more narrow anymore, or less than 52mm in the classical world.

Saddle spacing is just as important for me - 2 5/16 or 2 3/8 on steel and preferably wider than 58mm on classical.

Muavbucks · #11 05-05-2021, 09:58 AM

It’s quite easy for me when I switched from the C shape with 1 3/4” nut width to a chunky thick Martin neck with 1 11/16”, or 1 3/4”(a bit wide for me up the neck). But from 1 3/4” c shape taylor down to 1 11/16” c shape taylor.. not so much. Too small for me. I kept touching other strings. I guess it has to do with the string spacing as well. The advantage was I can play faster on that neck if that’s what you need. Because the strings are closer.

donlyn · #12 05-05-2021, 10:00 AM

What a difference a sixteenth makes

My guitars' nut range is 1+11/16" to 1+12/16" for 6 string and extends to 1+7/8" for 12 string. No problem with any, but I think I like the 1+11/16" width the best (on J-200).

Don
.

jaymarsch · #13 05-05-2021, 10:05 AM

I currently own and play guitars with a range of nut widths, neck shapes and scale lengths. I find that a modified low oval with a 1 and 23/32nds nut width is the sweet spot for me. I used to own a crossover with a 1 and 7/8ths nut width but I don’t find that to be comfortable for me these days. Even 1 and 13/16ths is beyond what I prefer. I play all of my guitars regularly so switching between 1 and 11/16ths and 1 and 3/4ths isn’t a big deal.
Best,
Jayne

AndrewG · #14 05-05-2021, 10:29 AM

I don't have a problem at all. All my guitars have varying nut widths and neck profiles, and I started playing at a time when these details weren't even considerations (early 1960s), and they remain inconsequential to me. If a guitar feels, sounds and plays good, it is good, and that's all I need to know.

raysachs · #15 05-05-2021, 10:43 AM

I play a lot of electric and acoustic, so I don't have much problem going back and forth between sizes down near the nut. But as a relatively new fingerpicker, I need all the help I can get up near the bridge, so wider string spacing at the bridge is HUGE for me on acoustic. And wider spacing at the saddle usually goes hand in hand (literally) with wider spacing at the nut, so my acoustic is 1.75" and 2 5/16" which suits me for anything I need to do with an acoustic. But for strumming and using a plectrum, I don't mind skinny necks, although I like a bit of depth and some level of "V" in the neck shape. So, I'm plenty picky, just not about nut width.

-Ray