When Bigger Becomes Smaller!

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I have mentioned that my left arm hurts when I play guitar.
Hopefully Shoulder Replacement [not arm LOL] will help relieve the pain.

I have discovered that I can play my Guild 8 sting Baritone with a 27" scale length, longer without pain, than I can a smaller guitar.
WHY???

The baritone is usually capoed up 2 to 3 frets, to get it into my vocal range.
This of course shortens the scale length.
The shorter the distance that I have to reach the less pain I feel in the shoulder.

I have also lowered the tuning on my other guitars to D# for the same reason.

 

[walrus]

That's interesting! Great news!

I had to go to an F-30 from a dread size Guild, but that was for RIGHT shoulder pain!

walrus

 

[GGJaguar]

Glad you found a solution that helps!

 

[Br1ck]

Sometimes it is change that works. It puts stresses on slightly different spots. I have thumb issues from hard flatpicking over decades. I slide my pick toward the joint and get relief. It doesn't need to be a lot.

 

[Bill Ashton]

While the style I will refer to is not a Guild...although might well apply to an Orph...a G#%$&n J-45 style, while considered a dread, is actually a little smaller than the square shoulder variety, and might offer relief to those afllicted, while still providing a good bass. In my case its an H & D, but much easier for me to play long term than a big dread or jumbo. With the right tonewoods selected, it will rival the venerated "D-28."