Fingerstyle and Struming

[Richard_H]

Originally Posted by abelville

String spacing at the saddle. Thanks, I'm leaning toward the ooo-18.

If you really want wide string spacing, get an Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500RCCE.

The string spacing is HUGE (the V neck is also HUGE - both in width & depth).

It has a unique body shape - smaller than a dread or jumbo, but still fairly large. It also has a cedar top with a solid rosewood body.

It's an ideal guitar for anyone that uses fingerpicks.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by DukeX

Taylor GA model.
Martin 0000 model.
Larrivee "L" model.
Anything similar.

+1. I'd be happy with any of those, and I have a couple of GAs.

[handers]

Originally Posted by jim1960

I've never owned a guitar on which I couldn't do both and be very satisfied.

Many guitars do both well.

[biotechmgr]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

I am another player who always does both on every guitar, but I think it depends on both your technique and your needs/expectations.

A dread with 13's is not my idea of an ideal fingerstyle guitar because I don't use a ton of RH finger pressure. Someone who strums like they're trying to take a weeks worth of work aggression out on the guitar will no doubt overdrive a small guitar with a cedar top.

An OM would be idea, but I have no problems strumming my 000.

Agree for me, it's 12s as I use fingertips not nails.

[Brucebubs]

If you're a 100% dedicated fingerstyle guitarist the answer is no.
If you're a 100% dedicated strumming guitarist the answer is no.

If you play a variety of styles the answer is yes.

[Glennwillow]

Some people are very heavy hitters when it comes to strumming. Those players typically do not want scalloped bracing or a flexible, responsive top, like I do.

I do use a flat pick at times, but I am mostly a finger picker. I find that I need a fairly responsive top on a guitar before I am comfortable playing a guitar. So I very definitely want a responsive top and typically scalloped bracing.

I have never liked the responsiveness of a straight-braced D-18 or D-28. I need scalloped bracing or less flexible bracing like that on a D-35.

When I use a flat pick, I use it fairly lightly and so the responsive types of guitars that I own work well with that. But if someone wants to do aggressive flat picking, the kind of guitars I choose are not going to work well. They are too soft, too flexible.

So for me, no. Any guitar isn't going to work for both strumming and finger picking. I choose first, a guitar with the responsiveness to work well for finger picking. And then I adjust how I use a flat pick to fit this kind of guitar design.

- Glenn

[zephystar]

Is your wife reading this? If so, then for sure you need a different guitar for each style