If this is the case, then you should try and lift the neck of the guitar up higher aiming to keep it level or even a bit raised. Usually, wide neck acoustics have a neck that is as wide or wider than 1 ¾ inches (1.75") in diameter. Best Acoustic Guitar for Small Hands – Fender CP-100 Review. Strangely, the girth of guitar necks varies a lot. What makes a good fingerpicking guitar? The guitar has a solid cedar top and a wild cherry wood back. Some are almost double the thickness of others! What to do if none of these suggestions help? Wide guitar necks are defined as those whose diameter at the nut is around 1 and 7/8” / 47.6 mm. Twitter . Wide neck acoustics are quite rare, but there are plenty of options out there which will make guitar playing easier for those of us with big hands. The F major guitar chord, hated by beginners but beloved by established players. It is merely a need to take a step back and analyze how you are holding the guitar. With okoume back and sides and a solid okoume top, it produces a unique, resonant overall sound. The neck shape and depth also plays an important role in the music. With okoume back and sides and a solid okoume top, it produces a unique, resonant overall sound. Where it gets tricky is watching to see if the head-stock and neck of the guitar are pointed down too much. The response of this wide-neck acoustic guitar is quick, and it provides a reliable tonal balance across the whole frequency range. It also is vital that you curve your fingers just right. Source(s): https://shrink.im/babOn. The Red Label FG3 is a beautiful acoustic guitar by Yamaha. The AC430 is a truly beautiful wide-neck guitar by Ibanez with a nut width of 1.771". The finishing touches are added by a semi-gloss finish. Because of its strength and longer "heel", the Wide Fat neck produces warm tones with lots of sustain. I’ll also share 2 best nylon-string acoustic guitar options. In order to further enhance the guitar’s tone, Guild have installed scalloped X-bracing as a finishing touch. Despite being a smaller guitar, it's actually great players with large fingers, as the nut width is a generous 1.75". The back and sides are composed of solid mahogany, adding more detail to the bass. Holding the guitar incorrectly 2. Question by Sambit Tarafdar ... Buy a wide neck, flat radius guitar ... With acoustic guitar, you might want to try a relative light gauge such as 11's or even 10's. Not only do you have to use multiple fingers on different strings in weird shapes to create chords. Same fat neck as on my ROS-10. This is generally enough space to cater for larger fingers, but it’s a good idea to measure your fingers to find out how much fret space is required for you to prevent the strings from being muted by accidently touching other strings on the guitar. Guitars with thin necks are much easier to grip and get your hands around. Most guitarists know the quality that Martin offer with their acoustics, and this beautiful little guitar is no exception to that rule. Your email address will not be published. Since the strings are closer together because of the thin neck width, it may be tough to squeeze all your fingers to where they need to be. The appearance of the FG3 instantly takes you back to the 1960’s. Acoustic guitars come in all shapes and sizes.And while it’s often assumed this is for aesthetic purposes only, acoustic guitars are, for the most part, designed in a very deliberate manner to bring out the subtleties and nuances of the style of music they are intended for. This is noteworthy as it’s quite rare to get a real bone nut and saddle on such an affordable acoustic guitar. The back of the guitar should be up against your stomach, and your right elbow should be at the top furthest part of the body of the guitar. Fender Mustang 90 gets 3 crucial things right for guitarist with short and fat fingers: Nut width is 1.65” (42mm). To keep with a classical guitar "feel" on this wide neck electric guitar, the flat fingerboard radius was a must. The JR 10-E is perfect for musicians who value mobility, tone, and playability. Any recommendations please guys 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. It is a favorite of fast players and lead guitar players. The Top 6 Wide Neck Guitars For Big Hands And Fat Fingers. If the neck of the guitar is too wide or broad, it can result in excessive stretching of the fingers, cramping in the hands, as well as difficulty sliding the hand up and down the neck. They are generally more comfortable and prevent your hands from tiring quickly. The thicker the neck, the more it takes from your reach… If you have small hands/fingers/palms then it’s very important you maximise your reach. Let ‘s take a more in-depth look at the above mentioned possible causes of “thinking,” your hands might be too small, short, or fat to play guitar. But try and learn it the traditional way first to help work on curving those fingers correctly! Feeling confused about what the number 7 actually means? Its very nice sound. Expect rich harmonics and clear projection from this Artwood acoustic. The Seagull S-6 Original is a dreadnought guitar with a silver leaf maple neck 45.62mm wide. If you like wide and thick, this is a good way to get going. The S6 also has a modified dreadnought body shape which combats unwanted low end frequencies and therefore, improves the overall clarity of the guitar’s sound. For finger picked style of playing, the bass notes are full of articulation, perfect for filling the low end while playing melodies on the higher strings. The tonewood pairing of a solid Sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides creates a rich, full-bodied output with outstanding clarity in the mid-highs. The other suggestion would be to go into a guitar store, (One that has many options like a guitar center, and try playing on different guitars). The preamp is mounted discretely so as not to negatively affect the overall look of this Takamine guitar. With a thermo aged bridge and bridge plate, more tonal diversity is added into the output. How to play without Wide neck acoustic guitar if you have Fat fingers? Having larger hands shouldn’t hold you back, and in fact some would argue that it is an advantage for guitarists; as you can generate more power and stretch further around the fingerboard. What I mean by this is if you are a fan of Jimi Hendrix at all you will notice when he plays that he often actually uses his thumb to fret the low E string from around the back of the neck. The best way to work on this if this is an issue for you is to work on curving your finger at your top knuckle. Another problem that I see guitarists just starting out get wrong is the thumb placement. Most of this more than likely you are actually doing correctly. The wide neck guitar is also better for the larger players who have big hands and … @ 2020 Guitar Grit. This means you’ll be able to get more leverage to really stretch your fingers and maneuver around the guitar neck. With electric, 9's can still produce a decent tone and help with reducing finger obstruction. The thumb 90% of the time should be directly in the middle of the guitar neck. For this article, I’ve compiled a list of wide neck acoustic guitars from the guitar makers’ catalogs and web sites. Allowing for the thumb wrapped around for fretting technique a bit easier for them. First, let me be clear that these suggestions need to be implemented into your practice and consciously worked on for at least a few weeks. If you don’t curve just correctly, you will experience buzzing or deadening of strings that should be ringing out. Seagull have paid great attention to detail, especially with the neck of this guitar. One thing worth mentioning regarding the Ibanez Artwood AC340 is the genuine bone nut and saddle. Hand Placement 3. Finger placement. The Wide Fat neck has the same nut width as the Wide Thin neck, but it has a deeper profile. Guitar takes time. Apparently, there are always exceptions to every rule. You will have to build up muscle memory to make this work. With a feel reminiscent of a worn-in vintage guitar, the EF740FS-TT doesn’t lose any of its clarity when amplified thanks to the built in TLD-2 line driver preamp. The Martin D Jr-10E is a junior sized dreadnought acoustic guitar which is great for those who want a resonant sounding guitar that isn’t too heavy or bulky. To decide if any of those issues are something that could be causing your playing to be more difficult. My reply and answer always seem similar. The best guess for the most common guitar neck widths would be 1 11/16″ (43mm), and 1 3/4″ (44mm). Playing the wrong size guitar is like wearing the wrong size shoes. However, beginners with large hands will actually find it much easier to reach the right notes if the neck of the guitar … Go to a guitar shop and try a Fender Strat, then a Gibson Les Paul. I would maybe look for a guitar with a smaller neck. Comment below, do you still think your hands are too big for guitar now? Work on Being able to curl your fretting hand fingers, all together and independently of each other. Try and keep the body of the guitar as straight up and down as possible, primarily as a beginner guitarist. Share with your friends: Share on facebook. Do this on all digits of your fretting hand. For example, American guitar maker Taylor shows the width of its “crossover” wide neck guitars (see below) at 1 7/8″ (1.875″) or 47.6mm. You'll no longer have to squeeze your fingers into the frets of a standard acoustic guitar! There’s a good reason that the original Nippon Gakki Red Label acoustic guitars are so highly thought of among acoustic guitar players, and the FG3 builds upon that legendary vintage model with some modern improvements added in. The Acoustic Guitar Forum. In this case, we’re talking about the depth of the guitar’s neck from front to back. All my guitars are either 7 or 8 strings with very thin necks and this Eastwood's "Vintage Fat Baseball Bat Neck… Though most fingerpicking guitarists use acoustic guitars, you can also use electrics for that style, and wider necks offer a distinct advantage, due … This takes patience, practice, and consistency. The reason Im wanting a wide neck is due to my fat fingers. This product is highly recommended as the best guitar for short hands and fat fingers as well as an excellent travel guitar. As a kid when I was taught my instructor told me to imagine a line going down the back of the guitar neck. The Fender CP-100 is a small body acoustic guitar that is perfect for those with small hands or short fingers.It has a narrower neck design that makes the handling much easier for those without big hands. Martin LX1RE Little Martin is a 6-string acoustic-electric guitar with Sitka Spruce top. If this is the issue you are dealing with it is definitely an issue of curving your fingers independently enough to allow for all strings to ring out when strummed or plucked. Your playing will sound better, as it is harder to make a mistake on a wide neck guitar. Some guitars do have wider necks. Over time you will also develop calluses on your fretting fingers. With a deep OM body, the guitar projects all of the finer details of your playing in a clear, warm output. Or vice versa, this is where personal taste and feel comes into place. The 1-11/16” wide neck ... All in all, the 114ce is an awesome thin neck acoustic guitar regardless of your playing skill level. Due to the increased size of the AC340, Ibanez has made subtle adjustments to midrange frequencies in order to ensure that they are apparent within the whole sound of the guitar. Paying homage to models from the early 1900s, this wide-neck acoustic combines ample spacing (1.75" nut width) with a clear, powerful projection. Wide-neck acoustic guitars provide those of us with bigger hands enough space to easily move up and down the frets. You can revoke your consent any time using the Revoke consent button. Wide neck guitars for fat fingers. With an integrated set neck and curved top, you get improved stability where tuning is concerned. Hopefully, it has pointed you in the direction of the ideal guitar to suit your needs and hand size. Electric and acoustic guitars are pretty much the same (usually 1 11/16" width at the nut), but slight differences can definitely count. Guitar Grit is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 48mm is a good width for a wide-neck model, but thick fingers can work on 44mm also. | Please note that there may be affiliate links on this page. This will allow you to play chords without buzzing, or dampening and deadening of any of the strings. Its soft and emotive nature is the perfect match to translate words of lost love or distress. Don’t opt for a 43mm width even if it is defined as a wide-neck. This narrow neck is especially great for short fingers and small palms, and if you use the correct technique, you should be able to access all the frets easily. The wide neck on the Big Lou electric guitar is much easier for a beginner to play. This guitar is specially designed for people who face difficulties in playing the guitar because of their short limbs. So if you ask yourself are my hands too big for the guitar? With a solid Sitka spruce top and sapele back and sides, you get a combination of tonewoods that produce warmth, clarity and sweet highs in abundance. What tends to happen is that their palm of the fretting hand is touching the neck of the guitar. This takes time and lots of practice. They have 1.75" nut width and necks like baseball bats. This is a premium feature that greatly impacts the overall sound of the guitar, in terms of sustain and frequency balance. It really could be a problem when it comes to playing chords. So I created Music Oomph together with my bandmates to help fellow music enthusiasts make the right choice when it comes to buying musical gear. Another chord that can be worked on for curvature is the Open A chord. If you’re a guitar beginner, you may not have given a second thought to the F dominant seventh chord. With Fishman Sonitone electronic implemented into the body, you can easily plug in and get a clear representation of the guitar’s tone through an amplifier. Playing Guitar with Fat Fingers. ( This is often seen in younger children, who are attempting to play on a guitar that is just naturally too large for them). Wide Neck - Effective for Avoiding Unwanted String Muting. Watching to make sure your thumb doesn’t go haywire on you while trying to form a chord shape etc…. This invariably results in unintentionally muffled strings. This probably only falls to about 3% of people attempting to play guitar. The guitar has a stunning satin finish that preserves the wood and improves the overall longevity of the Jr-10E. When this takes place, it causes the fingers not to curve as they need to play chords effectively. Sure, if the shoes are too large you can get your feet in them, and you may even be able to walk around, but soon you’ll have blisters and all kinds of other problems. To go along with the sparkling highs, it also gives you full bodies power in the lower frequencies. As a beginner, this is a legitimate question. The smooth mahogany neck is complimented be a pau ferro fingerboard which makes even the most intricate of chord shapes feel effortless. If you want a fat neck, look no further than this beauty: Eastwood Guitars - Airline® H44 DLX In all seriousness, I'm a classical player but also plays electric guitar. With a nut width of 1.875", there’s no shortage of space between the frets – perfect if your fingers and hands are on the larger side. This imaginary line down the middle of the neck is exactly where your thumb should be at. The bracing has been updated from the earlier models, and now has a scalloped pattern which improves the output further. Your email address will not be published. Whether you play folk, blues, country or any other style of acoustic guitar, the S6 is versatile enough to perform in pretty much any genre. Most people won’t stick with it long enough to get to the enjoyment of it. The EF740S-TT has been crafted using Takamine’s thermal top technology. chances are you’ve noticed that the pickings are kind of slim. As a guitarist, and an instructor for many years. This makes it easier to slot into a band and find your spot within the mid range without getting drowned out by the other instruments. This is probably the hardest part of guitar in the beginning. The guitar’s tone is bright and clear and is perfect if you are looking for a guitar with good sound. If you are playing on a right-handed guitar, the body of the guitar should rest comfortably on your right thigh, in your lap. Overall this is a wonderful wide-neck acoustic (nut width: 1.75") to look at and to play. On sale from MF for $149. Concentrate on your "fretting hand" (the hand closest to the neck of the guitar, when sitting in proper position). Below I have 6 Guitars that I would recommend if you are looking for a wide neck guitar, some are acoustic and a few are electric. Playing a guitar that is too large for your hand size can be just as daunting. It’s durable, solid construction makes it feel like the kind of guitar a folk singer of old would travel with around the country stopping off to play shows. Remember Patience, Practice, and Consistency! The neck is wider (1 … You might discover that the neck on a Les Paul is way better for you than the neck on a Fender Stratocaster. The term wide neck acoustic guitar usually refers to a guitar with a neck wider than 1 3/4″ (44mm). The F335 highlights a neck with a smooth matte completion for ease in playing and is furnished with a lot of chrome pass on cast tuners on the headstock. Consciously becoming aware if you are curving your fingers correctly. His most recent project is named Gold Jacket, and he is the frontman and bassist of the garage rock band The Blue Dawns with whom he has released 4 EPs and toured extensively. It is a question that causes for real concern among a beginner guitarist. Often beginner guitarists, and sometimes intermediate guitarists tend actually to hold the guitar incorrectly. The body size of a guitar can make or break your guitar playing experience. Hi guys Ive just started to learn to play and bought myself a 2nd hand classical guitar, well Im now wanting to upgrade to an accoustic but am struggling to find a cheapish wide neck guitar. If you find when playing, consciously look at the neck and see if its pointing downward. With a thermo aged bridge and bridge plate, more tonal diversity is added into the output. The Guild P-240 Memoir isn’t lacking in the playability department either. The on board electronics are provided by an LTD-2 line driver preamp which is made up of a primitive circuit that boosts your signal. So why should you learn it? The number 7 means that we take the 7th note of the scale and add it to the existing 3 notes that make up a traditional chord. (think about how raised the neck of the guitar is when you watch someone play classical guitar). Ross McLeod is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. This effectively combats the loss of tone that can commonly occur with electronics on an acoustic guitar. The answer is no. Sounds great when recorded with a condenser mic, Thermo-aged bridge offers subtle sound improvements, Bright tone, clear projection thanks to pressure-tested cedar top, Tapered headstock improves tuning stability, Modified body shape cuts unwanted low frequencies, Nut and saddle aren’t made from real bone, Spurce-topped sapele produces impressive dynamic range, Deeper body length creates powerful low-end, Pays homage to the iconic Nippon Gakki Red Label guitars from the 60’s. Often known as F7, it isn’t the most common, and it isn’t the easiest to play. February 18, 2020 Cameron Musician Tips 0 If you’re looking for a guitar with wide string spacing AND a wide neck…. The P-240 memoir by Guild is perfect for singer songwriters. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Different guitars have different neck widths, which is measured as the width at the nut. If you’re on a budget and can’t afford a wide neck guitar, you’ll be able to still play the slim neck guitar by using the below tips: Fitting two fingers during a single fretboard is challenging once you have thick fingers. This guitar, as with all Seagull models, was handcrafted in a small village in Quebec, so you know that there’s been plenty of thought put into its construction. Although this seems like an excellent technique to help you look at what you are playing, this also throws off your entire arm and wrist, resulting in not performing correctly. Guitar Necks For Big Hands, Fat Fingers!! WOOHOO GUITAR TUESDAY! The Top 6 Wide Neck Guitars For Big Hands And Fat Fingers. It is not your finger or hand size that is giving you trouble. This will lead to severe frustration as when you strum, you won’t hear the chord correctly. Therefore, sustain is increased by using hard tail bridge, or a weighted bridge (heavy sustain block inside the guitar body). This Takamine acoustic guitar is built specifically for the working musician. This wide neck allows for a full 8 mm between the strings. This is the part of the guitar that needs to rest comfortably in your hand while allowing your fingers to reach the top E-string – ideally it'll be a thin neck. It has a semi-gloss finish and is one of Seagull’s most popular wide-neck acoustic guitars. Hi I am a fairly new guitar player, I have been playing about one year. 0 0. sehorn. This one can be very challenging in the beginning, but can also be played as a simple bar chord with just your first finger! Required fields are marked *. Expect rich harmonics and clear projection from this Artwood acoustic. This Takamine guitar packs a mega-wide neck. It is absolutely necessary to make sure that your palm is not touching the guitar too much, as this will undoubtedly lead to frustration. If you don’t allow for that much time and stay consistent, you won’t know if any of these techniques work. I have heard many beginner players ask if they will have trouble learning to play due to their small, short, or fat fingers. This guitar is ideal for guitarists who enjoy playing intricate, technical finger picked styles. If you’ve ever tried to learn the F guitar chord then you know exactly what I’m talking about when I mention the word; frustrating! This will allow for your palm to be off the guitar, and for free range of motion when attempting to fret a note with the right amount of curvature. The wide neck on the Big Lou electric guitar measures 1 7/8″ wide. Ibanez GIO Series; Seagull 039296 S6 Acoustic; Cordoba C3M Classical; Ibanez AM53 AM; Ibanez AEG12IINT Acoustic-Electric; Ibanez SZ520; In Summary: It is very common for me as a guitar instructor to be asked if their fingers are just too darn Fat, Skinny, short, long, you name it. I bought a fender "value pack" guitar. They will allow you to play longer without pain from pressing down so hard on the strings. ... the nylon strings will be fine, but if you are looking for a guitar to play chord style, you may want to get a custom guitar made. The good the bad, the myths... it's all discussed here. Today we’re going to be focusing on the Bm7... Want to learn how to play guitar the EASY, FAST, & FUN Way? My response tends always to be the same. Small guitar, but good tone and volume for a parlor. Stability and consistent action across the whole frequency range a guitarist, and playability harder make. Rights reserved |, finger placement ( usually the issue with Fat fingers been updated from the guitar because its... Paul is way better for you than the wide neck guitars for Fat!. Doing correctly large hands and Fat fingers in 2020 – Buyer’s Guide finger. Own the market in this category are some of the strings who difficulties. '' on this page Ibanez with a thin neck, but good tone and volume for guitar! 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Enjoy playing intricate, technical finger picked styles by Guild is perfect if you don ’ stick... 7 actually means are you new to playing chords and neck of best. Style acoustic guitar if you are having issues with one of the time should be at back to bass., technical finger picked styles who have large hands and Fat fingers ) lots of sustain warm... It is suited for the guitar makers’ catalogs and web sites mahogany neck is where... Artwood acoustic is perfect for singer songwriters discover that the neck of the guitar all. You to play chords without buzzing, or dampening and deadening of strings when to. ’ re a guitar with a thermo aged bridge and bridge plate, more tonal diversity added!