Guitar Fit

[The Bard Rocks]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

I'm not going to post (again) the post of miniature children playing dreads without issue. I believe this is a 21st Century (internet-caused) "issue". I've never played an uncomfortable guitar. All one has to do is change position to a different hold position to make any guitar workable regardless of fret board, nut with, string spacing..... When all you had was the guitar to try and buy you did it and made it work. Now that everyone has unlimited choices - some people continue to seek and are never satisfied. You can wear a strap and change your technique and position even when sitting. I believe half the issue is too many people don't exercise and work on full range-of-motion and therefore are stiff, possibly sore and let's not forget overweight which makes some movement/positions difficult - so, it's not the guitar. Plenty of old country porch pickers did absolutely fine when pretty much all there was, was dreads. Little Jimmy is a great example.

I used to feel that way (and I also felt a bit lucky too), then I played one, sort of a high end super jumbo, must have been over 17" lower bout and deep-bodied. I loved what I heard and after 15 minutes, knew I wouldn't last 1/2 hour.

[Birdbrain]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

Plenty of old country porch pickers did absolutely fine when pretty much all there was, was dreads. Little Jimmy is a great example.

But that's not a dread in the photo, it's a Jumbo. I'm not quite that short, but I love Jumbos, and despise dreads. Th waist measurement makes all the difference.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Birdbrain

But that's not a dread in the photo, it's a Jumbo. I'm not quite that short, but I love Jumbos, and despise dreads. Th waist measurement makes all the difference.

Well I guess I have to then......... Are you shorter than a kindergartener?

korean-guitar-children-800x445.jpg

I don't think this guy is all that tall either.



Where there's a will.........

[rjathon]

Thank you all for responding. I am all arms and legs with large hands but you help me see that I need to quit looking for that perfect fit and just get to playing.

Russ

[tinnitus]

Just surprised my adult daughter with a Fender FA-135CE (acoustic/electric) for her first guitar for Christmas. She loves it and plays every day. Physically, she's a very capable athlete, just not very big. At 5' tall with small hands, many dreadnaughts might prove rather cumbersome for her to reach around, so I selected this specific Fender for its slightly smallish "concert" body size. A really good fit.

I've been playing for 50 years and like the feel, action and tone a lot. With a cutaway body, Piezo pickup, decent tuners (super important to me), and built-in electronic tuning display, I feel we got a great value for her first guitar. If she outgrows the capabilities of this one anytime soon, my work is done. She can graduate to her next guitar based on her own preferences, which may/may not justify spending more on something fancier.

[Nick S]

Violin players, piano players, and woodwind players, for example, come in all shapes and sizes.

Nick S.

[musicman1951]

Originally Posted by Nick S

Violin players, piano players, and woodwind players, for example, come in all shapes and sizes.

Nick S.

1/8 size violin, 1/4 size violin, 1/2 size violin, flute with bent headjoint for beginners, alto sax for elementary - not bari sax.

The idea that someone is playing an ill-fitting instrument doesn't seem like a great justification for anyone else to do the same.

Sure, anyone can get music to come out of any instrument. The question might be why in the world would you want to if a better fit were readily available?

[Nick S]

Sorry. I meant adult players.

[WordMan]

Originally Posted by rjathon

Thank you all for responding. I am all arms and legs with large hands but you help me see that I need to quit looking for that perfect fit and just get to playing.

Russ

I’m 6’3” with catcher’s mitt hands...and I have found over 40+ years of paying close attention to what works for me, have focused on smaller guitars, 000, a parlor and a couple of 3/4 sized Gibsons from the 50’s.

Formulas just don’t work for guitar. But always get what you have set up properly!!

[Twitch]

There's almost limit to what constitutes a comfortable sized guitar! His is huge, hers is tiny!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcM38tVNu_Y