Fingerpicking vs Nut Width

[AndrewG]

Neck width or string spacing doesn't matter to me at all; whether it's 2" classical or 1 11/16", 1 3/4". It's just a matter of a couple of minutes adapting.
Neck profiles however I'm extremely fussy about; skinny necks (Taylor), are out, as are hard 'V' profiles such as Martin's 'modified v'. The fatter the better for me! I have fond memories of my old '84 D-28 which had a lovely big, full neck.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Finding the right proportions for yourself s very personal, like underwear.

As can be seen lots of opinions, many contradictory.

In my experience, it takes time and thought to find the right proportions, and standard stuff simply doesn't suit everyone.

Like my pants.

I don't need to know about your pants!

[RobT]

Howard Emerson's post is on the money. I have large hands and long fingers and anything less than a 1 3/4" nut, 2 and 3/16 at the saddle and a moderate C profile is not comfortable. If I have to spend any amount of brainpower focusing on my left hand fingers other than where the finger should be placed it is wasted energy e.g. I own one guitar where the high e where the mfg beveled the fret edge too far back. For someone else it might work but for me I have to worry about falling off the edge of the fret and its a distraction.

For steel strings I have one minimum set of dimensions, for nylon it is another. I didn't reach these conclusions arbitrarily. I know what works best for my style of playing and my body. Your mileage may and most likely will vary.

[bufflehead]

I won't consider a guitar without a 1 11/16" nut. But there's an upside to this: taking the pledge never to purchase a guitar without a 1 11/16" nut is a wonderful solution for GAS.

[Rosewood99]

I think it's unwise to make any generalizations. The size of ones hands might affect how sensitive or not sensitive you are to different nut widths or spacing.

[justonwo]

I think if you aren’t playing the guitar because it feels uncomfortable, it’s probably not the guitar for you. Make sure you give it some effort, though. It’s not trivial to adjust to that size if you’re used to 1 11/16”. But if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work. Don’t force yourself.

[cdkrugjr]

So the answer seems to be, "Everyone has their own unique preference for nut width, scale, and string spacing. Consequently there are no hard and fast rules other than 'Hey, if it works for you, it's right.' "

You know Usually these sorts of discussions involve some good IPA and a lot of bragging...