Guitar questions

[Michaelga]

So I've purchased a couple of guitars to try something different (I currently play bass). I purchased a Seagull acoustic guitar with a 1.72" nut and a Stratocaster with a 1 11/16" nut. I've been practicing chords, but my big fingers are making it difficult to play chords without muting some strings by mistake. It's definetely easier to play the acoustic, although I'm still struggling. I'm strongly considering purchasing either a 1 3/4" or 1 7/8" Superwide neck. Does anyone else have experience with trying to play chords with big fingers? Would you recommend the 1 3/4" or the 1 7/8" nut. That's a pretty big jump. I've read some people find it uncomfortable because the neck can get too wide. I was visiting my cousin and he had a classical guitar. While there was more room, I still had difficulty because the neck is flat and instead of having my fingers come straight down onto the strings, they were at an angle which also muted the strings. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Michael

 

[mayfly]

Quick question:  are you a P-Bass person or a J-Bass person?  The different neck widths of these two basses will help us guide you.

 

[Michaelga]

My basses have had P-bass neck widths. Both of my 5-string basses have 1 7/8" nuts.

Michael

 

[stratamania]

More than anything I think is, it is getting used to a guitar and the techniques that are needed which will seem different to a bass.

 

[mayfly]

I'd go with the super-wide.  Get one that you could easily sell if it does not work out for you (easily sell -> no strange options - like a scalloped neck or something )

 

[DaveT]

As a bass player with fat fingers I played guitar in open tunings with a bottleneck for years.
Then I bought a 1.75" wide Superwide Warhead neck with the standard thin profile and a Tele Thinline body.
What a delight!
If I had known I would have done it 40 years ago.
Just do it, roasted maple with no finish, frets and inlays of your choice.
I now use a BC Rich Mockingbird for open tunings, the worthless old Tele copy is retired.

 

[Michaelga]

As a bass player with fat fingers I played guitar in open tunings with a bottleneck for years.
Then I bought a 1.75" wide Superwide Warhead neck with the standard thin profile and a Tele Thinline body.
What a delight!
If I had known I would have done it 40 years ago.
Just do it, roasted maple with no finish, frets and inlays of your choice.
I now use a BC Rich Mockingbird for open tunings, the worthless old Tele copy is retired.

1.75" or 1.875"?

 

[DaveT]

As a bass player with fat fingers I played guitar in open tunings with a bottleneck for years.
Then I bought a 1.75" wide Superwide Warhead neck with the standard thin profile and a Tele Thinline body.
What a delight!
If I had known I would have done it 40 years ago.
Just do it, roasted maple with no finish, frets and inlays of your choice.
I now use a BC Rich Mockingbird for open tunings, the worthless old Tele copy is retired.

1.75" or 1.875"?

1.875" with the 16" radius over the whole neck, not the 10" to 16" compound radius. I would have used a flat fretboard if it was an option.

It is a big neck, you almost certainly don't want anything thicker than the 'standard thin' profile.

I chose black sharkfin inlays.

You get to choose whatever you think will work best for you and look best to you.

 

[pirate]

How long have you been learning guitar? I only ask, because for me, it is an exercise in muscle memory that just takes time and making buzzing poor chords for quite a while when you change too fast was normal. Moving your fingers into position SLOWLY over and over, from one chord shape to another is the way to go IMO. You will also find the muting of certain strings on some chords won't be a big deal. I thought I'd never be making barre chords, but again, they come with time.
I started with guitar, play  more bass now, though still play both, but have the 1 11/16" necks on my tele builds, 10-16" compound, and I'm fine with those. Although on electric, it's 90% power chords, so far easier. My acoustic is a Rainsong, and I think it's 1.75"? But not certain, but for fingerstyle it's fine, and easy over time to finger the chords properly.

 

[Michaelga]

I've only been playing a couple of weeks. The main thing I see is that when I'm holding down the strings, my finger tips are thick enough where they stop some of the strings from ringing. I want to get wit a teacher and see if they can help me with the technique. The 1.75" but on my acoustic is definitely easier to hold te chards. The strat is really difficult for me to hold the same chords.

Michael

 

[DaveT]

You need a wide neck.
Watch some really good guitarists on YouTube. They ALL have long spindly fingers!
The fat-fingered ones are playing blues.
I can play things on the wide neck that I have never been able to do on the usual electric guitar narrow neck.

 

[stratamania]

You need to work on technique if you have only been playing two weeks.

 

[Ric Moore]

The fat-fingered ones are playing blues.

So the ones that play the blues are not really good?

 

[Ric Moore]

This is an interesting thread for me since I’ve been at it for a little more than 3 years and still think my fingers are too fat between strings. You’ve probably played bass longer than I’ve played guitar. I’ve found that it’s more technique than anything for me. Best advice I got was to not try and manhandle the neck. I have a tendency to press my fingertips down with too much pressure trying to get clean tone and that just makes it worse. All tensed up and not ready for smooth chord changes.

I agree that more time finessing that’s neck will help you a lot.

 

[DaveT]

The fat-fingered ones are playing blues.

So the ones that play the blues are not really good?

Heavens no!
But I would like to see them playing something more - what word to use?
Flamenco, or some other classical guitar stuff, some Joe Satriani or Zappa or see them getting their fingers around what Bill Harkleroad played in The Magic Band.
About 10 years ago a guitar mag had the tablature for an arrangement of Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition.
Being an ELP fan in the old days I had a go at it. Impossible on a standard electric guitar. And that is what finally set me on the road to getting a wide neck.
Then last month I discovered Rickenbacker do wide neck guitars too!

 

[Logrinn]

The fat-fingered ones are playing blues.

So the ones that play the blues are not really good?

Heavens no!
But I would like to see them playing something more - what word to use?
Flamenco, or some other classical guitar stuff ...

Here you go. Andres Segovia - known for his ”fat fingers”

[youtube] https://youtu.be/YZEUjDoji3Y[/youtube]

 

[Michaelga]

You need to work on technique if you have only been playing two weeks.

Yes. I need to practice and take some lessons before I spend anymore money.

Michael

 

[stratamania]

You need to work on technique if you have only been playing two weeks.

Yes. I need to practice and take some lessons before I spend anymore money.

Michael

That is definitely a good idea.

 

[DaveT]

The fat-fingered ones are playing blues.

So the ones that play the blues are not really good?

Heavens no!
But I would like to see them playing something more - what word to use?
Flamenco, or some other classical guitar stuff ...

Here you go. Andres Segovia - known for his ”fat fingers”

[youtube] https://youtu.be/YZEUjDoji3Y[/youtube]

Yes, fat fingers indeed and they look to be fatter than mine!
Now, can we ask him nicely to try that on a Telecaster please? (except we can't of course...)
And can the spindly-fingered amongst you post a video of you playing it on a Telecaster?

 

[DaveT]

I'm going to leave it there before we get far too deep into this!