#1
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Our fingers are so senstiive!
I mean, really. The difference between a 1 11/16 nut and 1 3/4 nut is 1/16th of an inch! That's tiny. Yet it feels different. It's amazing!
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When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down, “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. —John Lennon |
#2
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You are, of course, correct.
Same thing for string spacing at the saddle, and neck profiles, and, of course 10 thousandths of an inch can be too high or too low when it comes to string action!
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#3
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I agree. I notice string spacing differences even more. 2 3/16" feels too tight, 2 5/16" too wide, 2 1/4" is like Goldilocks' porridge - just right! I'm the same with neck shape/carves.
Another thing I'm noticing more and more as my fingerstyle playing improves and matures is just how the tiniest amount of dynamics and tone shaping is achieved with individual finger pressure and/or position changes. A string is a little too hot? Pluck just that one lighter. G string too boxy when capo'd there? Pluck that string at a slightly different angle. Annoying sympathetic vibration and tone on that string over there? Mute with adjacent finger. Things that I never would have even considered a year ago. Now I do it on the fly. |
#4
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Funny thing is that I just don’t care about any of it. I have played now for over 50 years. I have played a number of instruments ranging in size from mandolin to upright bass. I might notice the difference between nut sizes and scale length but it won’t affect my performance noticeably.
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#5
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I notice the spacing in 11/16 allows for some real subtle string dampening using adjacent fingers.It's a technique.
I also like the luxury of the 3/4 when i want strings to ring out...but adjacent string dampening becomes more of a stretch. subtle,as the op says,but significant.Different technique. |
#6
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I wonder just how much difference this makes to a beginner? Yes there are definitely some measurements which will frustrate them (string height unplayable, small nut for big, beefy fingers) but in general I wonder if small differences like a 1 11/16 vs 1 3/4 nut makes a difference?
I’m thinking that these things will just lead to confusion for someone starting out.
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Taylor 214e Taylor GS Mini-E Walnut & Koa Kentucky 505 mandolin Ome Wizard banjo Deering Eagle II Openback banjo Full Time RVer mainly in California & Arizona |
#7
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I have one guitar with a 1 11/16" nut...but only because that's the way they built the D-18 in '62. I manage just fine but it is a much bigger difference than seems possible at 1/16"...you're right!
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Jim Dogs Welcome......People Tolerated! |
#8
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I'm fairly easy to please where string spacing is concerned; obviously there are extremes, but 1/16th extra (1/32 each side), on a nut is insignificant to me.
Action, however, I'm very fussy about-I don't measure anything but adjust until it feels right, and I get the right balance between comfort and tone. I also can't get on with skinny necks; the fatter the better. My ideal is the Fender '51 Nocaster baseball bat. I once owned an '84 D-28 with a good chunky neck, but it seems consumer tastes have changed since, and necks today veer toward the shallower profile. |
#9
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Quote:
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#10
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#11
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The most significant thing I have found nut width and spacing aside is scale length. I have some very nice guitars that I no longer play due to the increase in tension something in later years I find affects my hands a great deal. spacing and width I can adapt to on any guitar but not the added tension of full scale.
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#12
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Absolutely. My 1.8 inch Seagull is vastly different than my ordinary spaced J45. Like 2 different instruments.
I need to get a nylon cutaway though, the strings are either bashing my nails in or busting up my fingertips. The high E is like a cheese slicer. Now I finally realize why DiMeola is touring with a nylon string guitar now. |
#13
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Well, I disagree. I hated my first guitar because the action was too high and I knew nothing about setups for the first 30 years of playing. I only learned about setups when I joined AGF. A bad setup can discourage new players, a lot.
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#14
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I am loving my J-15 with the shorter scale length and the minor difference at the nut. Both my Martin and Yamaha are 1-11/16" at the nut and the little bit of difference of the Gibson makes it much more enjoyable for me to play.
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Gibson J-15 Martin MMV Yamaha FG 800 |
#15
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Quote:
We need all kinds now don’t we?
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