I hope yours does, too. If you feel you might benefit from trying a slightly smaller guitar, many of my students love the Taylor GS Mini. If you have to "hulk" around the body of your instrument it is probably going to make life very hard while playing. Do guitar come in proper sizes for adults in general, or is it only in extreme cases that people use smaller guitars, such as for children? My fingers are too … You could also mute the E string with your other hand. rev 2020.12.4.38131, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us. Or, if you are accustomed to classical guitar string spacing, but regular guitars are too narrow. Thin vs. thick electric guitar necks. I just revoice and/or refinger chords to make them comfortable. For proper guitar neck care be sure tocheck out the best fretboard oils and how to use them! Is my guitar neck too big? Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. (9:20)AdmiralPiett: Intensify firewall security! You see guys like Jimi Hendrix do it, but your thumb is supposed to stabilize the fretboard by providing support for your fingers to fret by pressing against the back. What physical adjustments can I make for this in playing it. It indeed does have a sort of classical guitar tone, as the shape would suggest. Concentrate on your "fretting hand" (the hand closest to the neck of the guitar, when sitting in proper position). Even blood freezes in the winds of hell...and I hope it flips some skirts up too!- Brook. But, and this is the big problem, the guitar is just too big for anyone under 10. Are there any contemporary (1990+) examples of appeasement in the diplomatic politics or is this a thing of the past? Barre chords get easier to stretch, but harder to press down, and thumb grips get much harder. It doesn't really matter, it's just that in my experience people who limit the ways they can play in over classical rules tend to lack creativity. If your muscles aren't developed or coordinated enough, it'll be more difficult.But, wrapping your thumb around the neck like that isn't proper technique. By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. I have long felt that electric guitars, with their lighter strings, more appealing aesthetic, and instantly satisfying sound, are more suitable for beginners. From: SpyroNinja | #005How long have you been playing guitar? By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Service. I have a dreadnaught guitar but find it a little more cumbersome to play than my concert body guitars that have a narrower waist. This is why guitar stores are still the best place to buy a guitar. Why can't we use the same tank to hold fuel for both the RCS Thrusters and the Main engine for a deep-space mission? I see videos on youtube and the person's hand fully wraps around the neck playing a chord perfectly with the low E muted, but I'm completely incapable of doing this. Acoustic? Don't become discouraged by a guitar that makes it more difficult to play. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Or even easier, just not hit the E string? « on: March 12, 2013, 02:26:42 pm » I'be been struggling for weeks now with cramps and pain in my thumb while practicing chords (not just barre chords) and I couldn't figure out why, because I've played the bass for years, so my finger strength shouldn't be that poor. With that in mind, I almost never play a barre chord. It’s the smallest guitar you’re likely to encounter. Neck widths on an steel string acoustic folk guitar can range from 1 5/8" at the nut to 1 7/8". Affix the capo to the first fret and depress the high E string at the last fret (G string on a bass guitar), or where the neck joins the body (often the 17th fret on Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars). Feasibility of a goat tower in the middle ages? CptMellow 8 years ago #1. Keep playing the one you have while you shop for one that is more comfortable to play. Ideally, you'd have a guitar with a neck that's not too long, too wide, or too thick. How long have you been playing guitar? site design / logo © 2020 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. I commend you on your desire to learn to play guitar. You can choose, within reason, a scale length: most Martins are 25.5" long, while Gibsons are a little shorter at 24.7". Pickups and all bridge hardware get attached to the section that runs through the guitar ‘body’, which is basically wings that are attached to the top and bottom side. (You can refer to “Simple Guitar Repairs: How to Align a Bolt-on Neck” for more info on adjusting and tightening the neck.) Good luck on your journey to learning to play this wonderful instrument we call the guitar. Ukes are ideal for people who find normal guitars a bit too big eg. These may have the same scale length as a 14 fret but a longer body with a different orientation of the sound hole relative to the bridge. Introduction to protein folding for mathematicians. Body size? You're browsing the GameFAQs Message Boards as a guest. small children, adults with tiny fingers or people who just love the sound of a uke and/or don’t fancy carrying anything too big … Anyway, you're local music store should let you try out different guitar sizes, after a few hours of practice on the one you have, you'll be able to tell right away if another one had a better feel. The younger kids are, the smaller their hands and arms. On the other hand, you might find that further up the fretboard, the neck of your guitar becomes too wide or (more usually) too thick to grip the chords. How to know the size of a classic guitar? Spend some time raising and lowering the guitar to find what feels comfortable for you. This is a neat choice if you don't want to buy a whole new guitar. Although most of the extra space on a 41-inch guitar is added to the neck, the body tends to have a slightly wider base. Step 4: Now test the fit by fitting the neck inside the pocket. Small hands make it harder to span the frets, especially at the bottom of the fretboard where the beginner or "cowboy" chords live. I would like to branch out more into electric guitars. Big Lou guitars are made specifically for bigger folks, thus they have a 1- 7/8" nut width. You can find these used for less than $400 and new for under $500. Here is an example of some of the different shapes you might find on a full size acoustic guitar either in a standard 14 fret or 12 fret configuration. How should we think about Spherical Harmonics? This can cause the strings to buzz over the first five or so frets. I've talked about scale lengths before.Now it's time to talk about neck thickness. "despite never having learned" vs "despite never learning", what does "scrap" mean in "“father had taught them to do: drive semis, weld, scrap.” book “Educated” by Tara Westover, Differences in meaning: "earlier in July" and "in early July". Just another take on dealing with the difficult chords. A more aggressive 400-grit paper will also work, but be cautious. I don't think using proper technique to avoid hurting your fretting hand is the same as limiting your creativity, nor do I think adhering to method that suits you best is going to put some kind of cap on your creativity. I personally prefer a C shaped neck as I have smaller hands. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. My hands are probably smaller than average simply because my height is 5'6", but not to the point that it seems impossible to play these chords crisply. In layman’s terms, this means the middle of the fingerboard is higher than the headstock and body end. Why can't my thumb mute the low E? There are definitely different sizes of adult acoustic guitars. How do I know if my acoustic guitar is too big? Electric? This simply involves a neck that runs the entire length of the guitar, from head to tail. Further difficulties in playing may come from factory strings, which can be over-stiff, or a poorly set nut or bridge, which are the locations where the strings rest at the top of the neck and below the soundhole. The previous commenters are giving useful information, but as an amateur acoustic guitarist with small hands, I think the critical issue is not the size of the body, but the width, depth, and length of the neck. When it is very low it is easy to press the strings down to touch the fret; when it is too low the strings will buzz when you play. Too often I’ve seen necks that someone sanded with 220-grit paper and created a big mess. The top guitar has its neck bolted on as normal but, for whatever reason—maybe the neck pocket was routed a little too low or the neck was made a little thinner than normal—we can’t get the action down to where we want it. Martin Neck Shapes One cool trick is to play with a capo on the first or second fret. On my acoustic guitar I am completely incapable of playing a chord that requires the low E to be muted. There are also full scale acoustics that have a neck that joins the body at the 12th fret instead of the 14th fret. Excuses excuses, practice more and post a video if you're really positive. New guitarists often try and keep the palm of their hand flat against the back of the neck of their guitar, which creates awkward angles for their fretting fingers.This invariably results in unintentionally muffled strings. Or is it more realistic to depict it as series of big jumps? That’s why there are different guitar sizes on the market. My son is 6, and his guitar teacher wants me to buy him a 4/4 guitar! This is a split board - You can return to the Split List for other boards. This is part of the guitar buyers guide series, everything you could possibly need to know about the neck of your guitar, talking about the Scale Length, Guitar Neck Profile, Guitar Fretboard Radius, and your Frets. Some folks like the big boomy bassy sound of a dreadnaught. They can have a C shaped neck or a D shaped neck or a V shaped neck. The saddles won’t go any lower. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/Viewtiful_Justin/Understand-Panda.jpg. This guitar has a beautiful bright tone that cuts through in the best way. A stiff neck is key to promoting high-end and sustain, but far too many instruments have weak necks due to low-quality materials and poor construction methods. Thickness is the wild card: there is no way to predict how a given guitar's neck will be shaped except to try it out. But I've wondered if it's possible I simply have too big of a guitar. How can I get my cat to let me study his wound? Far too often do we guitar teachers see people who are only able to hold on to their axe by the neck because the rest of the guitar isn’t pressed against them, and is … The biggest determining factor for how easy a guitar is to play is the 'action' - distance from the strings to the neck. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I don't recommend going straight into modifying the workmanship on a guitar but nice, flexible strings are a must. You might want to visit a local music store that carries a large variety of guitars and just try out as many as you can. In answer to your question, guitars come in all manner of different shapes and sizes - even among what is considered a full sized or full scale guitar. Neck-Thru. I'm familiar with string instruments having played viola for 6 years, so my question is somewhat asking if guitars are more like violas where they fit to many different sizes, or if they're more like violins where there is pretty much a capped full size that most everybody uses past a certain age when they grow tall enough. In addition to different body sizes, full size guitars also come with different neck profiles, widths and thicknesses. It only takes a minute to sign up. Why not just stretch your index so it mutes it? How to compose an acoustic guitar chorus? I would stick with the smaller waisted body styles (like the grand concert or the auditorium 000) though if playing comfort is important to you. It's slightly larger than a 3/4 size guitar but has a very full sound and comfortable neck profile. You can also choose nut width, and anything wider than 1 3/4" at the nut is going to be harder to play. User Info: CptMellow. Because of this, the tone created is deeper and more resonant. Travel or gig size guitars can still have a very full sound and there is no "benefit" to having one size or shape, it comes down to personal preference. Is my guitar neck too big. I personally prefer a C shaped neck as I have smaller hands. Is it realistic to depict a gradual growth from group of huts into a village and town? How do we know that voltmeters are accurate? How to install guitar strap buttons and strap locks. So say that I buy a neck and the heel is too big to fit the neck pocket. Indeed, many players do prefer a very straight neck, but in certain cases, though, players like to have just a little concave bow in the neck — with the fingerboard curving up if the guitar is lying on its back — to keep the strings from buzzing against the frets when you strum and to provide a natural curvature that matches their vibrational arc when you play. It’s higher (thicker) towards the body end of the guitar and tapers towards the headstock. From: OnslaughtOfGods | #002Why not just stretch your index so it mutes it? I have always mostly played bass and acoustic classical guitar because the neck is wide enough for my fingers to reach everything effectively. I have three but on all of them, the neck is too small for me to do much more than power chords. If I hold the guitar neck at about a 10 o'clock position, (or even higher), the cooperation of the neck and shape of the hand again comes into play, no pun intended... or maybe so. Most guitar neck shapes will be similar to these shapes. There is no crunch with an acoustic guitar. Make sure to be very accurate in the placement of the template and the routing of the sides because removing too much wood will make the pocket too big and the neck will not sit properly. Thanks for contributing an answer to Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange! I generally prefer a slightly thinner body guitar personally as it is more comfortable to hold and play. I have pretty big hands was playing a Mexican strat and a Epiphone Les Paul I just got a Agile Les Paul style 1 7/8 damn big neck guitar and I love it looks feels and sound’s great and easy to play. The new Vital synth is out (and it's free!). The only real downside to this guitar is that it does not have a big sound as dreadnought-shaped guitars do. These can make the strings too high and require more strength and accuracy to press down and also it can lead to unintentional muting of adjacent strings. But it is not the easiest instrument to learn to play because of the need to train your brain to get your hands and fingers to contort in very un-natural positions, not to mention tender fingertips against steel strings. A super tight guitar neck joint on a guitar may seem impressive, but you don't want them too tight. Neck size? If you’ve got some experience with a drill, installing a guitar strap button or strap lock on your guitar is a pretty easy job. You may also want to read this How to minimize the pain of learning to play guitar. Do I have to incur finance charges on my credit card to help my credit rating? I personally could not play barre chords on my acoustic until I changed the strings, my electric allowing me to hit barre chords much more easily. Neck widths on an steel string acoustic folk guitar can range from 1 5/8" at the nut to 1 7/8". The ukulele is a small Hawaiian guitar with four strings. Carve-out the pocket using a template and a router . Correctly Curling Fingers . In addition to varying shapes, acoustic guitars also come in varying depths. Here is a link to the Taylor Website GS Mini Page Taylor GS Mini. The whole guitar is placed in a chamber called a Plek, which simulates the amount of tension the strings will put on the body and neck and creates a 3-D model of the frets. You can't tell until you actually play one how well the neck is going to fit you. When the grit is too coarse, you’ll go right through the finish down to the wood, and if that happens, the neck will look and feel inconsistent. There are also full scale acoustics that have a neck that joins the body at the 12th fret instead of the 14th fret. They can have a C shaped neck or a D shaped neck or a V shaped neck. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. I'm currently building my 1st electric guitar, and I guess I eff-up a perfectly nice piece of wood. Baseball grip is stupid.Just wondering: what kind of music do you play and do you have any recordings? Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Guitar neck too thin?? Mine plays much better now that the neck is in proper orientation to the rest of the guitar. How to make rope wrapping around spheres? Music: Practice & Theory Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for musicians, students, and enthusiasts. How to align equations under section name, not numbering? The less-wide base on the body of a 38-inch guitar is designed mostly to … Once you have the neck in place, do a setup and readjust everything to specs. my guitar is a little too big for me The guitar I got in July, which I love in most ways, is, I've come to realize, about a half-inch too long in scale length and a bit too big in general for me. I am a beginner guitar player and understand that harder chords and barre chords take time to play well as I build hand strength, toughened fingers, etc. It is a very versatile instrument and can provide a lifetime of enjoyment at any proficiency level. How to minimize the pain for a beginning guitar student so they won’t give up before they develop calluses? Big Lou also sells just the neck of the guitar, that you can place onto your Stratocaster or Telecaster style guitar. Privacy PolicyCookie SettingsDo Not Sell My InformationReport Ad. Instant larger hands! Child with a too big guitar. The following are some of the most common neck shapes from two of the bigger acoustic guitar manufacturers. If your muscles aren't developed or coordinated enough, it'll be more difficult. If the guitar is tuned too low, the neck won’t have enough tension on it and could be over-bent. Some travel or parlor guitars have even shorter scale lengths, so that might help. One might avoid necks with a "V"-shape or a "C"-shape, and try necks that are advertised as "modern" or "fast" or "comfortable," all of which are code for "not as close to a baseball bat as we might have made it.". Many acoustic guitars are of the dreadnaught shape which is quite large. My favorite instrument has a scale length of 24.7" and a nut width of 1 11/16", and there are even guitars that go a little narrower, although most of these are electrics. From: excelerator3F | #007Chaosinferno825 posted...This. The neck depth (aka height of the neck) also tapers like the width does. Or even easier, just not hit the E string? Big Lou guitars. © 2020 GAMESPOT, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. I've played guitar for about eighteen years and I'm perfectly average size. They make electric guitars, no acoustics as of yet.