CA GX, wide neck/narrow neck comparison?

mikealpine · #1 06-12-2014, 01:29 PM

Hi all,

Anyone have experience with both of these? Looking for the one that is most similar in feel to a Taylor 6 or 8 series. None nearby to try, so I'd appreciate any input into how you feel about either of these necks.

Thanks very much,
Mike

slewis · #2 06-14-2014, 11:59 PM

I lean toward the wider neck in most of my guitars, and was looking about two years ago for a CA GX wide neck. A guy at the local dealer tried to talk me into buying the narrow neck they had in stock -- of course he did -- because apparently at that time, and maybe now, the wider necks were harder to find. I ended up ordering my GX from another dealer and am very very happy with it. Far more versatile, I'd think, since it works better for a wider range of styles than the narrower neck (fingerstyle, strumming, cross picking, leads, etc.). As for comparisons to Taylors, I'd check their specs on line to see how their neck widths compare. That'll tell you a lot right there.

mikealpine · #3 06-15-2014, 06:58 AM

Thanks very much for the info. I did check the specs, and the Taylors are 1 3/4", though I think they are a thinner, especially further up the neck. I play more electric than acoustic these days and want to use this to practice some scales, leads, as well as strumming and occasional finger picking. I just checked specs on other guitars and I think my issue might be more radius than width. I had a Taylor electric with a 1 11/16 neck and 15 radius, and couldn't get comfortable. I have the same thickness on a Strat, with a 9 1/2 radius and love it. Based on the 14" radius of the CA, I think I agree that the 1 3/4 is the way to go.

Thanks again!

slewis · #4 06-16-2014, 05:16 PM

You're right, Mike, that there are other aspects of the neck that can make a difference for anyone -- the radius, the thickness, the string spacing within the overall nut width, etc. As another thread mentioned lately, it's amazing how some of these tiny differences from one to the other can make a big or at least significant difference in the feel and playability. So one's own hands are the best judge -- but yes, I'm a firm believer that the wider neck is a more versatile neck. Good luck!

mikealpine · #5 06-18-2014, 01:08 PM

Well, after some discussion with the folks at Artisan, and based on what I want to play on this guitar (as a mixture of practicing my electric guitar work and basic strumming), as well as playing around with my various electrics last night, I decided on the 1 11/16s model. I'm purchasing through them, with an option to return the guitar within 72 hours after receiving it should it not be a good fit. I had some nice offers from folks on here with GX models with a wide neck (including a trial offer), but again, given my plans for this guitar, I ultimately feel the narrow neck makes more sense. It will arrive on Friday, barring unforeseen delays. Thanks for your input!! I'll report in as to how it works out.

Ted @ LA Guitar Sales · #6 06-18-2014, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Well, after some discussion with the folks at Artisan, and based on what I want to play on this guitar (as a mixture of practicing my electric guitar work and basic strumming), as well as playing around with my various electrics last night, I decided on the 1 11/16s model. I'm purchasing through them, with an option to return the guitar within 72 hours after receiving it should it not be a good fit. I had some nice offers from folks on here with GX models with a wide neck (including a trial offer), but again, given my plans for this guitar, I ultimately feel the narrow neck makes more sense. It will arrive on Friday, barring unforeseen delays. Thanks for your input!! I'll report in as to how it works out.

Mike, did you return the Emerald X20OS already or are you planning to A/B the two before you make up your mind?

mikealpine · #7 06-18-2014, 09:01 PM

Ted, I returned the Emerald. I'm sure I will like the GX, once I nail down the neck width. I like a larger guitar, as long as there are some ergonomic features, like the contours in back. I didn't want to hold the X20 for too long because it wouldn't have been fair to The Emerald dealer. That guitar is pretty hard to come by, and he had a deal waiting if I wasn't going to keep it, and I knew it pretty quickly. I think I made the right choice with the neck, and we'll see in a couple of days. Artisan offers a 72 hour "audition" so if that doesn't work, I'm out shipping both ways and can then look into a used 1 3/4" neck model. There are more of those available than the narrow neck.

Ted @ LA Guitar Sales · #8 06-18-2014, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Ted, I returned the Emerald. I'm sure I will like the GX, once I nail down the neck width. I like a larger guitar, as long as there are some ergonomic features, like the contours in back. I didn't want to hold the X20 for too long because it wouldn't have been fair to The Emerald dealer. That guitar is pretty hard to come by, and he had a deal waiting if I wasn't going to keep it, and I knew it pretty quickly. I think I made the right choice with the neck, and we'll see in a couple of days. Artisan offers a 72 hour "audition" so if that doesn't work, I'm out shipping both ways and can then look into a used 1 3/4" neck model. There are more of those available than the narrow neck.

Well three days should certainly be enough time to know if it's for you or not, good luck!

mikealpine · #9 06-19-2014, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

Well three days should certainly be enough time to know if it's for you or not, good luck!

Definitely enough time. Thanks Ted.

slewis · #10 06-20-2014, 03:22 PM

I bet you'll love that GX, Mike -- even if it has the narrow neck!

I guess I didn't mention it, but I also got mine through Artisan and they were very good to work with. Let us know how it goes!

mikealpine · #11 06-23-2014, 10:26 AM

Well, I wanted to love the GX, but I don't, and it is going back. First, the guitar is too warm for my tastes. It is rich, full, loud, lush...but needs to be brighter (for me). And I'm not proud to say that I'm having some trouble with the fretting barre chords where the third string is pressed by the index fnger, such as an Fm at the first fret; it's a lot of work to fret cleanly. Maybe if I had the wider neck, a fleshier part of my index finger would hit it...I don't know, but this one doesn't work. I don't have this issue with my other acoustics, a Takamine that seems to have the same width and my Stehr that is 1 3/4". Another issue, at least to my hands and eye is that the action seems to be fairly high at the upper frets and it appears that the neck has a bit too much relief, but there's no truss rod so I can't test that theory. The theory is that the necks don't lose their positioning or flex (or however they spin it) so you don't need a truss rod, but that also means you're limited in how you can dial the guitar in for yourself. The barre chord issue is more of a challenge the higher up the neck I go. I wouldn't mind making that adjustment, at least to test, but I can't. So the guitar is going back. I thought about an Ox, because I'm told the Raw finish is a brighter sounding guitar, but I may run into the same issue with neck relief. I like the ergonomic back of the guitars, but not at the expense of being able to adjust playability. CA may not be a viable option for me.

tdq · #12 06-23-2014, 11:06 AM

If you get a chance, try 80/20s on the GX before you send it back. I wasn't 100% sold on my GX at first, but after a fair bit of experimentation the John Pearse 80/20s gave it that zing you might need. I now swear by them for it.

mikealpine · #13 06-23-2014, 11:46 AM

Artisan suggested the same thing and would have let me keep it another day if I wanted to experiment. However given my discomfort with barre chords on this neck, I decided to send it back. I want to have a truss rod just to do the fine tuning for my playing comfort. If the warm sound of the guitar was the only issue, I definitely would try your suggestion. Thanks for posting it!

mchalebk · #14 06-23-2014, 12:23 PM

Could the nut have been cut too high?

Doubleneck · #15 06-23-2014, 01:02 PM

You have been around the block. Emerald and CA are no's. I think you would like the brighter sound of Rainsong but the full neck may be an issue. It's certainly not a Taylor type neck. How about a Blackbird Lucky 13? I played one earlier this year and its new voicing was quite nice. No truss rod however.