Nut width

menamestom · January 2014

Curious what nut widths people prefer. My S&P is 43mm i think, but it feels very cramped coming from practising on my yamaha silent guitar (as you would expect). That guitar is 48mm and feels perfect for fingerstyle. So just weighing up my options:- just accept they are different and adapt accordingly (in all honesty it doesn't take that long), seek something with a wider nut or is it possible to increase string spacing a noticeable amount on an existing guitar? Has anybody moved to a different guitar for a wider nut and it been worth it? Seems the options are limited unless you go custom.

ChrisMusic · January 2014

Not just nut width, but also neck width at the body join and bridge spacing, which is important for the feel for finger style with the picking hand.

ICBM · January 2014

Try a Martin OM-21. Not cheap, but not super expensive either. It's a model with a wider string spacing and 45mm nut - not as wide as a classical, but a steel-string with a nut any wider feels odd (at least to me).

I had one, and it's the best-sounding acoustic I've owned apart from my Gibson Dove, but I prefer narrower necks and I really couldn't get comfortable with it. Sold it to a good friend who is a proper classical guitarist, and it's perfect for her.

bertie · January 2014

never ever understood the "wider nut width is ideal for fingerstyle" thing - complete load of bollocks IMHO - neck width, it either suits you or it doesnt............ regardless of what "style" you play................ that my experience.........in only 40 years of fingerpicking anyway

neck profile is far more important

must be a sausage finger thing I guess

wrinkleygit · January 2014

my arthritic pinkies prefer 1.75" (44.5mm) width, together with a fairly thick neck (about 0.9"/23mm at first fret), taken me ages to find something that I feel comfy with after I fell in love with a '58 gibson lg1 in vintage & rare (bath), didn't buy it on the day & then scoured the west country looking for the holy grail ever since until I tried a martin ooo-28ec, blew part of my pension fund on it & haven't stopped playing it, string tension also makes a big difference to how a guitar feels, swapped the martin mec strings for newtone heritage classics 12's & made a great guitar even better, good luck in your quest.

menamestom · January 2014

bertie said:

never ever understood the "wider nut width is ideal for fingerstyle" thing - complete load of bollocks IMHO - neck width, it either suits you or it doesnt............ regardless of what "style" you play................ that my experience.........in only 40 years of fingerpicking anyway

neck profile is far more important

must be a sausage finger thing I guess

Probably some truth in that. I had a Tokia semi and sold that because it felt cramped, and that was a 41mm nut. But i played with a plectrum mainly with that guitar so it's probably just that and i've got sausages. I think also the tunes I'm trying are challenging my fretting hand into new positions which seems easier with more space, not much to do with my picking hand.

streethawk · January 2014

bertie said:

never ever understood the "wider nut width is ideal for fingerstyle" thing - complete load of bollocks IMHO - neck width, it either suits you or it doesnt............ regardless of what "style" you play................ that my experience.........in only 40 years of fingerpicking anyway

neck profile is far more important

must be a sausage finger thing I guess

String spacing at both ends is important for fingerstyle. Wider nut implies you'll have more space, but we all know it's not that simple.

bertie · January 2014

streethawk said:
String spacing at both ends is important for fingerstyle.

why tho ? important to you as a player yes, but I not for a specific style.......... thats what I dont get/agree with.

I can sort of understand you might been a bit more space at the bridge........if you're not used to using anything but a pick........but the nut end, either suits you or doesnt ?!?!

I guess having always finger-picked - even before I used picks - I maybe dont see the issues others have

ICBM · January 2014

I've always finger-picked too. (Still never use a pick.) It's more the neck size and/or the string spacing being too big that's a problem for me. I have small hands and I just find anything too big uncomfortable.

I know it's no excuse though since the classical guitarist friend I mentioned earlier has smaller hands than me and she doesn't seem to have trouble with one of those...

streethawk · January 2014

bertie said:

streethawk said:
String spacing at both ends is important for fingerstyle.

why tho ? important to you as a player yes, but I not for a specific style.......... thats what I dont get/agree with.

I can sort of understand you might been a bit more space at the bridge........if you're not used to using anything but a pick........but the nut end, either suits you or doesnt ?!?!

I guess having always finger-picked - even before I used picks - I maybe dont see the issues others have

If you want open strings to ring out when you're fretting funny shapes at the nut end, then you want plenty of space between the strings, no? I use the flesh of my fingers to pick so string spacing at the bridge end might be more important to me than if I used my nails.

But come to think of it, you're probably right. Picked arpeggios should be no different.

Guitarists talk some bollocks!

bertie · January 2014

streethawk said:
If you want open strings to ring out when you're fretting funny shapes at the nut end, then you want plenty of space between the strings, no? I use the flesh of my fingers to pick so string spacing at the bridge end might be more important to me than if I used my nails.

But come to think of it, you're probably right. Picked arpeggios should be no different.

Guitarists talk some bollocks!m

my first response was "dont you want every (intentional) string to ring out" regardless of what style tho ? The requirement for (intentional) clear and "ringing" notes should be genre agnostic........................... then went on to read the rest of yer post........... so , yeah.

The23rdman · January 2014

I have a Recording King with a 46mm but width which, if I'm honest is a touch wide for me with the V profile. I do like a slightly wider but for finger style though as it just feels more comfortable and generally means a little more room at t'other end.

bertie · January 2014

but why?, why "for fingerstyle" thats my point/question. How is fretting for fingerstyle any different to any other "style"

thats the bit I just dont get (not obvious is it !!

)

VimFuego · January 2014

nylon string, classical guitars tend to be wider at the nut as (at least IME) nylon strings vibrate a lot more and there's a risk of getting a string to vibrate against a fretting finger. I've found the difference at the bridge end between steel or classical guitar to make no nevermind.

EDIT: I actually find it harder to fret some stuff on the wider nut width of a nylon strung.

ChrisMusic · January 2014

bertie said: but why?, why "for fingerstyle" thats my point/question. How is fretting for fingerstyle any different to any other "style"

I'm with bertie on this, cue quizzical look....

bertie · January 2014

VimFuego said:
EDIT: I actually find it harder to fret some stuff on the wider nut width of a nylon strung.

exactly

bertie · January 2014

perhaps "better for fingerstyle" is a euphemism for " better for those with sausage fingers"

wordy · January 2014

just thought I'd add that string guage seems to make a difference, to me at least.

I like the sound of thicker strings, but sometimes it seems that little bit more cramped.

Phil_aka_Pip · January 2014

On the "for fingerstyle" subject.

If I'm playing single-note stuff, I'm usually more interested in muting strings other than the one on which I'm playing, especially with "high gain" electric sounds. I deliberately allow the underside of the fretting hand fingers to mute the higher strings, and I mute the lower strings with the palm of my picking hand.

Otherwise if I'm picking my way through a chord I have to be careful not to foul the string I'm picking "now" with the fingers that are fretting the strings either side of it, and if I want the notes to run into each other I also need to be careful not to choke one off once I've played it.

When I'm playing fingerstyle then all the strings in any combination are required to ring loud & clear which IMO requires different disciplines in the fretting hand. I find it easier to achieve on a wider neck.

@bertie does this make sense or is it still BLX?

bertie · January 2014

Ive just read another of your posts in the other thread........I was about to update my reply..........but I will here

Extremes - if you prefer or are used to very narrow or very wide then thats going to make a difference.

I think your situation is slightly different in that you're mechanically used to a very narrow board, and only 1 particular style, for quite while. - this obviously can make a difference. So Id say, you have a technique problem more than a finger board problem - BUT because of this, a wider board may help you - simply because of your technique - make sense ??

I play many styles on many guitars with varying width boards, and none of em exclusive to a particular type - so I'm used to "mix and match" hence my original comments

tonyrath · January 2014

I play fingerstyle on classical - Martin D15 Yamaha Mike Stern and Ibby Jazzer all with different widths

Classical is great for picado runs but other techniques can be used. Since studying flamenco I can play most fingerstyle techniques on electric including 4 finger tremelos and scales at speed

Fretting does not bother me as I can do full jazz shapes on a classical

VimFuego · January 2014

tonyrath said:
Fretting does not bother me as I can do full jazz shapes on a classical

been thrown out of more that my fair share of guitar shops for doing that.

ICBM · January 2014

Playing rockabilly with distortion on proper jazz guitars has that effect too

.

(And sounds great, for what it's worth…!)

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