Neck width

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Acoustic Al

All good points. Going to change the strings this weekend so newest guitar has same gauge. I didn't think of neck shape (duh) probably combo of all. I'm sure I can adapt. The guitar sounds awesome, but getting through the initial cramping is a Bi@ch. I read a thread about soaking your hands in hot water before playing to loosen up, might try that too.

Hi A-Al

Never thought of a warm soak. It might help.

I know when I taught and students switched, if they learned to play more relaxed, it helped.

The interesting thing was at every lesson I played each student's guitar (to see if things needed adjusting or repairs), and handed them mine. This often meant they they went from their 1¹¹⁄₁₆" nut to my 1¾" (1¹²⁄₁₆") nut and they didn't even notice. They loved playing my guitars and often switched without issue when they upgraded guitars.

I also placed my guitars with reliable students to take care of for me while we vacationed (often 4-6 weeks at a time) and I gave them permission and gear to play it at their church, school, etc. while we traveled.

I personally have a harder time when playing fingerstyle dropping back to a 1¹¹⁄₁₆" width fingerboard than the other way round. I feel the differences. I find myself focusing on fingerings instead of music for a bit.

When I play electric it doesn't even phase me, but I'm not playing the same style of music on electric I do on electric. The different techniques when playing electric backing/lead versus fingerstyle

[1Charlie]

I have noticed that it is easier for me to transition to a wider neck (1 3/4) from a narrower one than vice versa.

As I age, and have time to play more, my fingertips appear to be widening. I can still play guitars with a 1 11/16 nut, but only if the neck profile is fat. Otherwise, I struggle not to mute strings inadvertently.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

- and that's why I prefer 1-11/16", 1-5/8" if I can get it...

fairy-nuff Steve, but what kind of style do you play?

[AZLiberty]

I have guitars from the same manufacturer with 1 11/16 and 1 3/4 necks and can't tell the difference.

Methinks it also might be neck shape.

Then again, I can transition from 6 to 12 string without any issue. I do have problems with my wife's classical, but that's over 2".

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

...fairy-nuff Steve, but what kind of style do you play?

Pretty much everything - pick, fingerstyle, Nashville hybrid (pick-&-fingers), cross-picking, chord-melody, lead, rhythm, in a variety of genres - and as long as the guitar is properly set-up I have no issues. IME it's all a matter of technical refinement: violinist Itzhak Perlman has mitts that would do credit to a WWE Smackdown superstar, and I've never heard of him demanding a cello-width fingerboard to compensate for either physique or age - and back in the late prewar era when archtops were considered virtuoso solo instruments (there was a whole school of "classical archtop" that flourished at the time) as well as Big Band comp boxes, Epiphone (along with their erstwhile competitor Martin) was producing guitars with 1-5/8" (or narrower, in the case of some Epis) necks. FWIW I own a few 1-3/4" guitars - Avalon, Rainsong, a couple 12-fret Martins - but with the exception of the Rainsong (mine's an early-2K's N1 neck with a shallow soft-D profile - easier, but not ideal), unless I need "that" sound in a particular setting they get the least play time...

[L20A]

I play guitars with different neck widths along with a 12 string and a mandolin.
It takes a little time for mussel memory to kick in but after it does, changing from one instrument to another posses no problems for me.

I do have days however, that anything that I play can cause some pain in my hands and shoulders.

Getting old sucks.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by L20A

...It takes a little time for mussel memory to kick in...

Getting old sucks.

Approximately two hours, last time we ate them - the "memories" lasted for almost a week...

You're right about getting old...