1 3/4" nut width necks - mandatory for fingerpickers?

[archiestone]

Is there some rule that says you need a guitar with a 1 3/4" nut width neck to properly fingerpick?
I learned to fingerpick on a 1 11/16" neck and it works fine for me. I tried the wider width and, while I was able to do it without issue, I don't feel any great compunction to change. Granted I do not have particularly fat fingers, so maybe 'anatomy is destiny' in this case.
Thoughts?

 

[adorshki]

Funny you should mention that 'cause I do a fair amount of classical style right over the fretboard between the heel and the soundhole. For me the issue is actually chording close to the nut, not picking, I notice it on my F65 which actually has a 1-5/8 nut. I would have thought the bridge spacing would be more of an issue. I have small hands but it is a little easier on my dreads (1-11/16). I'm guessing that for most folks, yeah, the slight extra clearance is preferable, but 1-3/4 would probably be a little too wide for me..

 

[Ridgemont]

As an FYI, I have narrow fingers. This is great because I struggle with this question on a regular basis. I bought my GAD 30 for the string spacing both at the nut and the bridge. I like to play finger style with my bare fingers (no finger picks) so I thought I would need some extra space to get my fingers in between the strings. I have recently had the pleasure of playing a few F30s (1 11/16 nut) and have found no problems with my fretting hand, however I am not quite sure about the string spacing is at the bridge. I have played some guitars in the past with very narrow string spacing at the bridge (2 1/16), and this has not allowed me to get my fingers in between the strings. While both the spacing at the nut and bridge contribute to the string spacing, I have found it difficult to play finger style on guitars with narrow bridge spacing. Of all the guitars I have tried, I have run into the least amount of problems with a 1 3/4 nut and 2 1/8 to 2 1/4 bridge spacing.

 

[adorshki]

Funny how perfectly a D25 fills that niche, eh? Gosh, you don't think they might have actually PLANNED it that way, do you? :lol: Along with that extra 64th of action height at the 12th fret for those of us who like to fingerpick bareback style? I mean really who'da thunk there's that many of us out there? Must be a '90s thing.... "D25--the flattop that plays like a classical with all the crispness of steel"

 

[cjd-player]

1-3/4 is certainly not mandatory. I find it more comfortable for left hand fingering while finger picking, and several of the folks at the Acoustic Guitar Forum would agree. But there are also many who use the 1-11/16 nut.

Chris Proctor - a national fingerstyle champian, actually prefers a 1-7/8" nut. I got to play his guitar briefly several years ago, and the extra spacing was nice.

 

[Scratch]

I fingerpick just a bit and have become quite accustomed to the 1 11/16 spacing on most 6-strings. I purchased a CV-1 for the 1 3/4 spacing after hearing that it is a more convenient and easier to fret neck. The CV-1 you recall had so many issues, but now out of the shop, it is quite the player. The F40 body and 1 3/4 combo is incredibly comfortable. The 1 13/16 spacing on Guild 12ers is also comfy IMO...

 

[Frosty]

Is there some rule that says you need a guitar with a 1 3/4" nut width neck to properly fingerpick?

Nope.

I learned to fingerpick on a 1 11/16" neck and it works fine for me.

There you go!

 

[killdeer43]

Nope.
There you go!

Frosty said it all rather succinctly.
There are no hard and fast "rules" and whatever feels good for you should be good enough. I've been comfortable fingerpicking 1 11/16 for almost 40 years and I enjoy the 1 3/4 of my Masterbilt, too.
I fingerpick my twelve string and it's 1 13/16, I believe. No problem.

Plus, we don't need no stinkin' rules! :wink:

Joe

 

[Graham]

Both my GF-60 and F-47CE have a 1 3/4 nut and they're fine by me. Most of the trouble I have I put down to technique. Usually when I form a G chord I end up muting the A string, not on purpose just because I'm still sloppy with it.

 

[killdeer43]

Both my GF-60 and F-47CE have a 1 3/4 nut and they're fine by me. Most of the trouble I have I put down to technique. Usually when I form a G chord I end up muting the A string, not on purpose just because I'm still sloppy with it.

Graham,

Do you form your G with 1, 2,and 3 finger or with 2, 3, and 4?
Curiosity rules! :?:

Joe

 

[Graham]

Both my GF-60 and F-47CE have a 1 3/4 nut and they're fine by me. Most of the trouble I have I put down to technique. Usually when I form a G chord I end up muting the A string, not on purpose just because I'm still sloppy with it.

Graham,

Do you form your G with 1, 2,and 3 finger or with 2, 3, and 4?
Curiosity rules! :?:

Joe

2, 3, 4

Leaves the one for some embellishment.

 

[killdeer43]

2, 3, 4
Leaves the one for some embellishment.

Now there's a set up for someone to pounce on, but of course, I wouldn't touch it! :lol:

Joe

 

[Paddlefoot]

I find that there are more issues than the actual nut width that make a guitar perfect for me. I fingerpick more than flatpick but the neck width doesn't really affect the right hand for me. I have a Martin D-18 that has the vintage throughslotted bridge and saddle and a pin spacing of 2 5/16. That extra .065 in. is nice but not a deal breaker as far as enjoying the guitar. The same guitar has the 1 3/4 vintage vee neck the same as another Martin OM I have . The dred feels like a honkin' big neck and that guitar is up for sale. The OM feels just perfect and gets played all the time. If you look the two necks over the back vee is different and the edges of the fretboard are rounded different. The string spacing on the nuts are different too. If you space the strings evenly across the nut on the centerline of the strings you end up with less actual space between the bass strings compared to the treble strings. I messed with this a lot on my first Guild D-35 because my fat fingertips were always touching a string I didn't want muted on that slightly less than 1 11/16 neck. I finally got the E strings so close to the edges that you could hardly play the darned thing for touching the high with the inside of your hand or rolling the low E off the board. If you can find a Good luthier to make slight changes to the nut I find the 1 11/16 is just fine but on some 1 3/4 necks if things are not just right it is as bad or worse that having too little space between strings. All of the late Westerly and Corona Guild I have played seemed to be just about perfect. They have a little higher frets too which I think makes a big difference. I have a hard time with those old fretless wonder style setup.

 

[bluepen]

I, and others, have had new nuts cut to spread the strings out to 1-3/4". Works great for me on my Tacoma D-50BS.

I think that I will now never buy a guitar with 1-11/16 unless it has the extra spacing beyond the low and high E's so that I can spread them out.

As usual, it's all personal preference.