Used to 1 11/16" neck-any tips for getting used to my new 1 3/4' guitar?

[Montesdad]

For the time being, put any 11/16" guitars in the closet and just play the 3/4"

When it starts to feel natural to you, then revisit your others on occasion.
You might find out with the shape of your hand and fingers, you're a 3/4's kinda guy

I can't really play an 11/16" any more as it feels cramped even for my narrow fingers

[littlewing1208]

Lots of conflating nut width and saddle string spacing in this thread.

[Bruce Sexauer]

I have a great set of Swarovsky's I got in a guitar deal.

I also have a dozen guitars I play pretty regularly with a variety of necks including classical at 54mm and flamenco at 49mm in addition to multiscales and short and long scales, solidbodies and archtops. It seems little to nothing to change back and forth and I find it difficult to understand neck width as a deal breaker. I also play violin, mandolin, and double bass. That may seem unusual, but I know many other with similarly broad skills. I say just play it.

[semolinapilcher]

Play on! When I bought my Taylor jumbo it took me a while to get used to the neck. I didn’t realize that but width was a thing. (I just knew classicals had huge necks.)

My Texan is 1 5/8; the Collings is 1 11/16; the Taylor is 1 3/4 as is the terz.

Each has its own sound and its own feel. Play on!!

[NotALuth]

It’s more of a mental thing than a physical one!

Look at a 1/16 division on a ruler, then look at the size of your hand and the size of your fingertips in comparison, then ask yourself “can I really not cope with such a tiny change?” ( when you have already mastered playing the guitar in the first place and you almost certainly never knew what any of it’s dimensions were nor cared).

[flaggerphil]

Keep playing it.

[N+1]

There is no one answer to this problem - in my own experience, it seems that everything depends on the player, and the particular neck profile, and ... a certain 'beyond all measurement' mysteriousness.

Most of my guitars are 1 11/16", and that's how I like them. But in 2015 I had a special deal on a Taylor 810 and bought it on the assumption that I would get used to the 1 3/4" nut. I haven't. Every time I pick it up and start to play, the neck feels clunky. It's a great guitar, and it sounds magnificent, but I don't believe I will ever learn to love it because it feels such a handful.

That's the bad news. Now the good. Last year I bought a 2011 Taylor 914ce. It fit me like a glove from the start - so much so that I never even wondered what the nut width was. When I discovered it was 1 3/4", I boggled. Ah, well then, it must be a different neck profile - well, apparently not. I'm told that the neck is identical to the 810. But it just feels so utterly different - as if perfectly made for my left hand.

For what it's worth, I still persist with my 810 in the hope that one day I'll get used to it. After all, it does sound fantastic, so there's plenty of incentive. But it hasn't happened yet.

[IndyHD28]

I will admit to not being experienced with a wide variety of necks but we are talking about 1/16” here and at the nut only. That is a tiny difference.

I would think the profile of the neck width and its taper would be more of an issue than a tiny fraction above the first fret.

[N+1]

Originally Posted by IndyHD28

we are talking about 1/16” here and at the nut only. That is a tiny difference.

'Only 1/16"' ... yes, but everything depends on context. I think of the huge differences in playability that depend on mere thousandths of an inch in the setup of a guitar: nut slot height, relief, saddle height etc. By comparison 1/16" is enormous. In terms of playing 'feel' these tiny distances make such a large difference. And the subtle differences in neck profile must often involve variations smaller than 1/16", but can make a huge difference to the 'feel'.

[RagtopGT]

I'm literally a couch player (hacker actually)...that's where I sit and just strum primarily.

I do OK strumming my smaller bodied OM and 1-3/4" nut on the couch. I really would like a dread, but regardless of nut width I'm all thumbs and tire quickly.

I discovered that switching seating positions to a slightly higher, more rigid chair, a dread is more comfortable than on a couch, but it's a little easier with a 1-11/16 nut than the 1-3/4" width.

I'm convinced that because of the larger body size and more upright seating position, the angle of my fretting wrist changes and my fingers seem to get a little more arch on the more narrow nut.

Sounds crazy but it's the only thing I can figure out.

[Godders]

It didn't even occur to me that guitars have different nut widths before I started reading this forum. Hence it was never an issue.

(I now know that I have guitars ranging from 1 11/16" through to 2").

So I'm very much in the "don't overthink it, just play" camp!

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Montesdad

I can't really play an 11/16" any more as it feels cramped even for my narrow fingers

So here's how the debate seems to shape up on AGF. Someone who prefers a 1 11/16" nut is instructed to suck it up and get used to it. After all it's only a 1/16" difference. Meanwhile, someone who prefers a 1 3/4" nut gets away with complaints, such as above, that a smaller nut is just too cramped to play. What happens, at that point, to the argument that it's only a 1/16" difference?

[grasser]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

So here's how the debate seems to shape up on AGF. Someone who prefers a 1 11/16" nut is instructed to suck it up and get used to it. After all it's only a 1/16" difference. Meanwhile, someone who prefers a 1 3/4" nut gets away with complaints, such as above, that a smaller nut is just too cramped to play. What happens, at that point, to the argument that it's only a 1/16" difference?

I was just about to say the same thing. I haven't seen many posts telling 1 3/4" lovers to suck it up.

As a long (but skinny) fingered guy who much prefers 1 11/16 nuts, I'm a little hesitant to spend $2K or more on a guitar I might have trouble playing. I wonder if I could rent a newer Martin for a month to see if I could actually get used to it.

[Christian Reno]

First, why did you get a guitar with a wider nut than you are comfortable with? This issue comes up a lot with some having a driving need to convince others that a certain nut size is the correct size. Then there are those who point out that neck profile is a contributing factor (of course.) I’m surprised someone hasn’t yet brought up Muriel Anderson’s small hands playing a wide nut. Maybe I missed it.

If your hands are small (subjective descriptor) and/or you use thumb-wrap chords, stick with 1 11/16. There are many other good reasons to stick with what you are comfortable with. I personally like 1 ¾ for most styles, but prefer 1 11/16 for Travis style. My hands are not large - roughly the same size as Chet Atkins (yes, I went to the Guitar Center with the hand prints in concrete and compared.) Shake hands sometime with TE if you want to get a feel for large hands.

For whatever reason you have made the switch, the answer to getting used to the nut size is the same as the answer to any other question regarding familiarity with anything new.

[grasser]

I don't know why the OP got the guitar he did, whatever model it is, but I can say with respect to Martin, the recent changes have left 1 11/16" lovers in the lurch. I like all the changes but the wider nut.