For Pittpastor string specs and guitar comfort.

Rayk

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In speaking with Pittpastor I mentioned I’d take some measurements.

In doing so I found out that wow ! there’s more to guitar comfort then just scale length and nut widths along with string spacing . Yeah I know “ Body shape and size and neck shape “ Duh !!!

Ok so I mentioned in Pitts thread on the Arcos series that the two most comfortable guitars as far as playability are my Blueridge dread and the guild F47 followed by the Cv-1

My F212xlce and my Custom build a little harder but now I’m scratching my head why ? The 12 string is a no brainer wide neck and huge boby .

Let me mention this to , I play all my acoustic guitars with the lower bout on top of my right leg , maybe it’s because of my fat belly but I’ve been playing that way forever .

Let’s get the specs on my guitars , I’m a little surprised because there all pretty much the same !

The thing that varied a bit was string spacing at the nut.
I just used a American standard tape measure so nothing exact .


Guild Cv-1
Nut - 1 3/4
String width at nut over all - 1 1/2
String width at bridge over all - 2 1/8
Scale length - 24 3/4

Guild F47 GSR
Nut - 1 11/16
String space at nut over all - 1 7/16
String spacing at bridge - 2 1/8
Scale length - 24 3/4

Blueridge BR180 A
Nut - 1 3/4
String width at nut over all - 1 1/2
String spacing at bridge over all - 2 1/4
Scale length 24 3/4

Ben wilborn custom
Nut - 1 3/4
String spacing at nut over all - 1 1/2
String spacing at bridge over all - 2 3/16
Scale length - 24 3/4

String spacing between strings varied slightly between models and between each string a tad this way or that except on the custom .

Ok so now what makes one guitar easier to play then the others when their all so similar?

On my custom I was thinking it was a long scale and thought that’s what Ben told me but it’s not so that throws out my reasoning with that excuse lol

Some chording just seems harder to get my fingers on the strings like the neck is much wider then my other guitars but they should be about the same less thickness .

Hey I know let’s measure again lol
Neck widths from nut to 12 fret
Neck thicknesses from nut to 10th fret just before the heal build ups.

Cv-1
NW - 1 11/16” - 2 3/16 “
TH - 7/8 - 1”

F47
NW - 1 11/16 - 2 1/8 “
TH - 7/8 - 1”

Blueridge
NW - 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 “
TH - 13/16 - 15/16 “

Custom
NW - 13/4 - 2 1/4”
TH - 13/16 - 13/16 “

K so bodies yeah , I ain’t measuring them lol

I find it all kind of interesting I guess in my case body measurements factor the most but yet the F212xlce
Gives me issues at the nut more so then up the neck witch is obviously wider ?

On my custom it’s the opposite so now I’m all confused ! Only thing I can put together is chord patterns , different tunings different guitars and boby shape ??

You folks are up ! I’m going to record :)
 
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adorshki

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Guild Cv-1
Nut - 1 11/16 String width at nut over all - 1 1/2
String width at bridge over all - 2 1/8
Scale length - 24 3/4
Hate to say it buddy, but, you sure about those bolded specs?
Thought CV-1's had the 1-3/4 nut but 25-12/ scale.
From this Musician's Friend listing:

"FEATURES
Body style: F-40
Top: spruce
Bracing: spruce
Back: indian rosewood
Sides: indian rosewood
Bridge: Madagascar rosewood
Neck: mahogany (bolt-on)
Fretboard: Madagascar rosewood (12" radius)
Width at nut: 1-3/4"
No. Of frets: 21
Scale length: 25-1/2"
Hardware: nickel
Machine heads: Gotoh 500 open-back tuners
Finish: high gloss (nitro-cellulose lacquer)
Unique features: patented graphite neck-block bolt-on neck system, dual locked graphite neck reinforcement tubes, spruce braced top, abalone dot position inlays, Madagascar rosewood bridge pins with abalone dots, bone nut, streamlined compensated bone saddle, multi-lam ivoroid bindings and end-strip with red and black accent lines, contemporary guild rosette of Madagascar rosewood, ivoroid and red and black accent lines, tortoise shell pickguard, factory installed forward strap button with internally braced support, vintage script mother-of-pearl guild headstock logo, contemporary mother-of-pearl guild headstock shield
Case: includes C4516 deluxe hardshell guitar case
Strings: Guild L350 phosphor bronze, gauges .012, .016, .025, .032, .042, .053"

Ok I know the string spec is wrong because by then Fender'd dropped D'Addario who put the .025G I'm always on about, in their sets of the L350's.



Guild F47 GSR
Nut - 1 11/16
String space at nut over all - 1 3/4 String spacing at bridge - 2 1/8
Scale length - 24 3/4

Methinks you cobbled up a template and forgot to edit the scale specs for these 2 F40-bodies.
Also, How can you get a 1-3/4 string width at nut on a 1-11/16 nut?

I almost said Guild never put a 24-3/4" scale on an F40-shaped guitar when I remembered just in time they did, on the early (pre late-'94) version of the F65ce, for one.
But I think all the "regular" F40 versions had 25-5/8 or 25-/12 scale.


You folks are up ! I’m going to record :)
See me when you get back, 'k?
:glee:
 
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geoguy

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Ray, perhaps I'm misunderstanding something, but how can the F47K's nut width be narrower (1 11/16) than the string spacing at the nut (1 3/4)?

(oops . . . looks like Al asked this while I was typing)
 

Rayk

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Ugh to many ups and downs with the tape .
The cv is a 1 3/4 nut , strings are 1 1/2


Ok think I fixed it lol

Stewmac say scale is dirived by measuring from the inside of the nut to the middle of 12th fret then double it .

I get 12 and 3/8’s which equals 24 3/4 they go on to say that bridge is set back a little farther to help intonation and harmonics . Bridge set back maybe 1/2 inch .
.
 
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Rayk

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Hate to say it buddy, but, you sure about those bolded specs?
Thought CV-1's had the 1-3/4 nut but 25-12/ scale.








Methinks you cobbled up a template and forgot to edit the scale specs for these 2 F40-bodies.
Also, How can you get a 1-3/4 string width at nut on a 1-11/16 nut?

I almost said Guild never put a 24-3/4" scale on an F40-shaped guitar when I remembered just in time they did, on the early (pre late-'94) version of the F65ce, for one.
But I think all the "regular" F40 versions had 25-5/8 or 25-/12 scale.
:glee:

Ok your right Al I interpreted the measuring details wrong . It said to the center of the 12th fret and I took as to the center between 11&12 th fret but it’s to the fret itself after I duh saw’d the pic tor duhhhh which I hadn’t seen lol

So all the scale lengths bump up above . Now you folks need to push harder if I’m to stay on my toes , ouch ! How do those ballet dancers do that , not trying that again so yeah keep me on my feet ! That’s much more comfortable.
 

JohnW63

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My fingers really don't seem to notice neck differences. I can tell my Yamaha SLG has a wide neck, and so does my 12 string. My Ovation Legend has a more narrow neck and move of a V shaped neck, so thumb reach arounds are easier. Other than that. I have no idea what my specs are, but...I have the means to find out and post the data.
 

Rayk

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My fingers really don't seem to notice neck differences. I can tell my Yamaha SLG has a wide neck, and so does my 12 string. My Ovation Legend has a more narrow neck and move of a V shaped neck, so thumb reach arounds are easier. Other than that. I have no idea what my specs are, but...I have the means to find out and post the data.

Basically I’m curious to know what specs makes it feel comfortable to play . I have no doubt that this will vary widely like throwing a dart from the nose bleed section of a football stadium into the field of preferences below . Haha

Since some members have been discussing things like stiffness , hard to play , or hand fatigue etc .
 

adorshki

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Basically I’m curious to know what specs makes it feel comfortable to play . I have no doubt that this will vary widely like throwing a dart from the nose bleed section of a football stadium into the field of preferences below . Haha

Since some members have been discussing things like stiffness , hard to play , or hand fatigue etc .

I think 3 most important factors in descending order are:
1: Action height
2: Neck profile
3: Nut width
4: How big are your hands?
I put profile at #2 because 10 years ago my D40 felt like it had a higher action than my D25.
But a comparison showed 'em at identical just over 6/64ths on bass E at 12th fret.
A couple of weeks later, I noticed one night that the '40's neck was significantly fatter than the '25's. Up until then I really hadn't realized how much profile affects "feel".
And since then I've seen members mention they can compromise on ideal nut width if the neck profile's good, but rarely the other way 'round.
Funny thing too, as my hands get less exercise and a bit older and stiffer, I'm starting to prefer the D40's profile for certain things.
 

Rayk

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I think 3 most important factors in descending order are:
1: Action height
2: Neck profile
3: Nut width
4: How big are your hands?
I put profile at #2 because 10 years ago my D40 felt like it had a higher action than my D25.
But a comparison showed 'em at identical just over 6/64ths on bass E at 12th fret.
A couple of weeks later, I noticed one night that the '40's neck was significantly fatter than the '25's. Up until then I really hadn't realized how much profile affects "feel".
And since then I've seen members mention they can compromise on ideal nut width if the neck profile's good, but rarely the other way 'round.
Funny thing too, as my hands get less exercise and a bit older and stiffer, I'm starting to prefer the D40's profile for certain things.

Yeah I agree neck profile is a factor , I find I can play different ones fairly well but not a fan of V necks . My past Epi masterbilt has a slim D profile neck and it was fast as well as comfortable.
 
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