Steel String with Classical Neck & Spacing Features?

[michaelm101]

Coming from classical guitars as a child, and then a Lemon Grove Taylor Jumbo 12 (1 7/8" nut) after coming back to the guitar, I've grown accustomed to wider necks. I've strung the 12 with 6 strings, but this heavily built guitar doesn't vibrate enough with only 6.

I have a few 1.8s, but they don't feel quite right and stifle my playing.

Are there any steel-stringed guitars that will more closely emulate what I'm familiar "width?"

Thanks in advance!

[sdelsolray]

There are some that have 1.875" width at the nut, a higher fingerboard radius (16" or higher), a scale length of 25.6" (650 mm) and a similar body shape (00 and some concert models) that approach a standard classical guitar (2+" at the nut, no fingerboard radius, 650-665 mm scale and various small/medium body shapes).

[fitness1]

As you search be aware of the fact that part of the equation is the space between the strings...classical gauges are much wider than steel, so for me a 1 7/8 nut on a steel string feels a lot like a 52mm nut on a classical, other than the radiused neck.

Blueridge BR341/361/371 would be something to consider - they are all 1 7/8. The 1.8 guitars you have are slightly less wide than a typical 1 13/16 nut.

[Wade Hampton]

There used to be a classical guitarist in Anchorage who played custom made guitars with classical nut widths but steel strings. He had a six string and a twelve string.

As I wrote, his were custom made guitars, and I suspect that you’re going to have to take the same route if you want steel strings with a classical nut width.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[pagedr]

The Gibson F-25's made back in the 60s had 2" nuts and flat boards to emulate a classical guitar. They usually aren't too expensive either (speaking in terms of vintage Gibsons here).

[Cri75!]

What about strung a classical guitar with the john pearse folk? They are low tension, so same tension as a sets of regular nylon strings one. The sound is not of a pure steel strings, but it is more steel sounding than nylon sounding.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by pagedr

The Gibson F-25's made back in the 60s had 2" nuts and flat boards to emulate a classical guitar. They usually aren't too expensive either (speaking in terms of vintage Gibsons here).

Good point - I had forgotten about those.

The ones that I’ve played haven’t been the most musically versatile or sonically impressive guitars I’ve ever had my hands on, but it’s not as though I’ve played a wide sample of them: I’ve only played two or three.


Wade Hampton Miller

[hubcapsc]

My Martin D-28 Authentic 1931 had a v-e-r-y wide neck.

James Taylor talks about his Olson having a real wide neck and
compares it to almost being like a classical...

-Mike

[TRose]

There is an old thread with a list of guitars with wide(1&7/8-48mm) nuts.
Here’s a link:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=186657

Hope this helps.
Best,
Tom

[blindboyjimi]

As someone with 2.05” classicals to a 1 11/16” dreadnaught, I’d also recommend 1 7/8” nut VERY lightly built guitars that require 11-52 strings so the tension difference isn’t extreme. My 1964 00-21NY is very similar to my classicals in size, feel, and volume with similar input.

Otherwise , the closest you can get will be going vintage. The original Gibson/Kalamazoo Hawaiian style guitars had flat fretboards and 1 15/16” nuts (raised but you can easily lower them). When these are converted to “Spanish” most luthiers will radius the fretboard and intonate the saddle, but very few will file down the neck so many are still 1 15/16” although many shops will insist they are 1 7/8” to attract steel string players. The downside is that most were built without truss rods and are very thick necks so end up both very thick and very wide and therefore difficult for most people to play.

[Benjo]

In the seventies Ralph Towner worked with Guild to have them Build him a 12 string with a classical neck width I wonder if that was ever sold in a mainstream model.

[michaelm101]

Originally Posted by Cri75!

What about strung a classical guitar with the john pearse folk? They are low tension, so same tension as a sets of regular nylon strings one. The sound is not of a pure steel strings, but it is more steel sounding than nylon sounding.

I bought some Thomastik Infeld KR116 'Classic S' strings for an experiment, but haven't strung them up on one of my classicals yet. I now have an excuse to get another "experimental" classical... :-)

[joejessal]

I’ve got a 2008 Huss & Dalton 00-SP with a 1 7/8” nut. It’s a 12 fret with a slotted headstock. Has 24.9” scale and strung with 12-53 Straight Up Strings. It’s very easy to play. Just a wonderful sound. It must have been a custom order because that models standard spec is different. Gook luck with your search.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by michaelm101

Coming from classical guitars as a child, and then a Lemon Grove Taylor Jumbo 12 (1 7/8" nut) after coming back to the guitar, I've grown accustomed to wider necks. I've strung the 12 with 6 strings, but this heavily built guitar doesn't vibrate enough with only 6.

I have a few 1.8s, but they don't feel quite right and stifle my playing.

Are there any steel-stringed guitars that will more closely emulate what I'm familiar "width?"

Thanks in advance!

Hi, the original Martin 12 fret 0,00, 000 and dreadnought designs had 1.875" nut widths. The dread and the 000 were standard scales - 25.4" and the 00 and smaller 24.9".

I believed that they replicated these with the VS series (Dread was reduced to 1 & 3/4")

Collings replicate these very well albeit with 1.8125" nuts.

For a lesser price but still well built is the Eastman E10/"20-"P" (they mean size "0") and 00, which are very good instruments! but with 1 .8125" nuts.

These are my smaller guitars :

These are my dreads :

Martin have .... finally ... realised the demand for 12 fret 0 and 00 guitars with their 012-28 and 0012-28 - which should be good, 1.3125" nut but the string spacing seems wrong at 2.25"

Hope this helps.

[MThomson]

There's also this one off https://www.taranguitars.co.uk/available if you're looking for something unusual.