Electrics with 1.75” nut width? Electric fingerpickers?

[Jimi2]

So I’m interested in playing more fingerstyle electric stuff but my Strat’s narrow neck is less than ideal, so I’m wondering what is out there that would be more comfortable. I’m not in a position to buy anything at the moment, but just thinking about it. Also, any blues/folky fingerstyle players worth checking out?

[Jaden]

You might want to try putting together a partscaster with specs you like, otherwise, for example, the Eric Johnson Stratocaster has a wider/ flatter 12” radius which many find provides significantly more breathing room on the fretboard for fingerpicking. There’s a new release, the ‘54 “Virginia” Strat under his name, kind of a dream guitar for some folks.

[PaulHintz]

All the Eastman electric guitars I’ve looked at had 1 3/4 nut width.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Jimi2

So I’m interested in playing more fingerstyle electric stuff but my Strat’s narrow neck is less than ideal, so I’m wondering what is out there that would be more comfortable. I’m not in a position to buy anything at the moment, but just thinking about it. Also, any blues/folky fingerstyle players worth checking out?

Hi Jimi,
My Warmoth Tele build has a 1.75" nut with a boatneck V profile, and my slab Strat build has a Superwide Warmoth neck that is 1 & 7/8".

It was the best thing I ever did. They're both strung like my flat top with .013-.054 except for being nickel wound for the magnetic pickups.

There are very limited wide neck standard model electrics out there, so don't waste your time looking when you can have your cake and eat it too.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

[pdidmh1]

Jorma Kaukonen is mostly a finger picker. Also Mark Knopfler.

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Hi Jimi,
My Warmoth Tele build has a 1.75" nut with a boatneck V profile

Regards,
Howard Emerson

Mine too!

Agreed, best thing I ever did to that guitar.

[David Eastwood]

Rickenbacker 650 and 660 series guitars have 1.75" nuts.

Not exactly easy to find, particularly the 650, of which only the 'C', or Colorado, variant remains in production - but they do exist.

[Jimi2]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Hi Jimi,
My Warmoth Tele build has a 1.75" nut with a boatneck V profile, and my slab Strat build has a Superwide Warmoth neck that is 1 & 7/8".

It was the best thing I ever did. They're both strung like my flat top with .013-.054 except for being nickel wound for the magnetic pickups.

There are very limited wide neck standard model electrics out there, so don't waste your time looking when you can have your cake and eat it too.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

Wow, 13s huh? They must sound amazing. Well, with the ease of swapping out a strat neck, maybe I could just have a wider neck put on? Two things though-what about adjusting bridge spacing and aligning with the pickup poles? Sorry, stupid question, but would this be viable or would I have to build a new guitar from the ground up?

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Jimi2

Wow, 13s huh? They must sound amazing. Well, with the ease of swapping out a strat neck, maybe I could just have a wider neck put on? Two things though-what about adjusting bridge spacing and aligning with the pickup poles? Sorry, stupid question, but would this be viable or would I have to build a new guitar from the ground up?

It's a great question. You would need to make sure you have "F spaced" pickups, which accommodate guitars with many vibrato systems. For example, I put a Seymour Duncan non-F spaced humbucking pickup (standard pickup) in a Partscaster with a Fender vibrato that I assembled and the low E and A strings don't align under the strings.

So, rather than the nut width you need to look at the bridge spacing. Even if you swap out the neck for a 1 3/4" nut width you still have the same spacing at the bridge/vibrato, correct? In that case you don't need new pickups assuming you have stock pickups on your Strat. Does this make sense?

[Jimi2]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

It's a great question. You would need to make sure you have "F spaced" pickups, which accommodate guitars with many vibrato systems. For example, I put a Seymour Duncan non-F spaced humbucking pickup (standard pickup) in a Partscaster with a Fender vibrato that I assembled and the low E and A strings don't align under the strings.

So, rather than the nut width you need to look at the bridge spacing. Even if you swap out the neck for a 1 3/4" nut width you still have the same spacing at the bridge/vibrato, correct? In that case you don't need new pickups assuming you have stock pickups on your Strat. Does this make sense?

I think that does make sense. My Strat is a bit of a weird one- it’s an Ed O’Brien (of Radiohead) model with a sustainer in the neck position. Actually sounds good for normal strat tones though. No idea if the pickups are f spaced, or his changing things would affect the sustainer....

Is string spacing adjustable at the saddles on a normal strat bridge or no?

[Jimi2]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Hi Jimi,
My Warmoth Tele build has a 1.75" nut with a boatneck V profile, and my slab Strat build has a Superwide Warmoth neck that is 1 & 7/8".

It was the best thing I ever did. They're both strung like my flat top with .013-.054 except for being nickel wound for the magnetic pickups.

There are very limited wide neck standard model electrics out there, so don't waste your time looking when you can have your cake and eat it too.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

Can you give me a ballpark figure on cost of getting a guitar put together?

[wrathfuldeity]

MIA Peavey Predator (strat) Reactor (tele) are my #1 and #2. Pawn shop and CL scores, 12" radius 2-piece maple necks with micro tilt. They are/were cheap and great diy mod platforms. Diy mods of locking tuners, bone nut, p/u's, shielding and blocked trem on the strat. Probably have $300-400 total in each git. Ime they play and sound comparable to a CS...I've sold off all other electric gits.

Gatemouth Brown

Albert Collins

Richard Thompson

Albert Lee

Chet Atkins

Dereck Trucks

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Jimi2

Wow, 13s huh? They must sound amazing. Well, with the ease of swapping out a strat neck, maybe I could just have a wider neck put on? Two things though-what about adjusting bridge spacing and aligning with the pickup poles? Sorry, stupid question, but would this be viable or would I have to build a new guitar from the ground up?

Jimi,
In the case of my Tele build the string spacing vis a vis the pickups is meaningless because I'm using Pete Biltoft CC pickups. They're bar poles going the length of the pickup.

On my flat-Strat, they're not lined up, and it's still inconsequential except for my ADD: They sound fine, but they're not pretty to look at.

In terms of string proximity to pole pieces, by the way, it's still negligible.

Finding a 'wide' spaced electric bridge/tailpiece for a Fender style instrument is almost impossible, so don't bother yourself with that detail. Plucking strings in a narrower configuration is still easier than fretting strings in a narrower situation, believe me.

The reality is that the extra 1/8" you would be adding (assuming your existing neck is 1 & 5/8") is will be negligible in terms of the pickup spacing.

Here's my Tele if you want to see the basic layout. I'm not going to embed the video because the same one is up on the Electric guitar page lower down under 'my tele build'.

https://youtu.be/RsPHe3bb-rs

Regards,
Howard Emerson

[guitararmy]

My Ovation VXT neck feels like an acoustic even though it's supposed to have a regular width nut. It seems like it would be good for fingerstyle, with a fixed bridge and a larger body reminiscent of a thinline electric.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Jimi2

Can you give me a ballpark figure on cost of getting a guitar put together?

Jimi,
I don’t have the receipts in front of me, but it was over $1200 for my Tele. My Strat was much less, and there is no reason you can’t get it done for less than $600, especially if you’re handy with tools and soldering.

My issue, as I’ve stated before, is that I KNOW what I want and DON’T CARE about traditional builds.

You WILL learn more than you can imagine if you do it yourself!

Best,
Howard