Dilemma: Super Guitar but Neck Width Too Wide/Hand Physiology

Chauncey Gardner

Hi folks.

Dilemma. Thoughts/opinions welcome.

I have a high end hand-made guitar based on specs of Gibson L00 Superb sound but the neck is just too wide at the top nut and up the neck.

My regular "go-to guitar" is a high end Yairi 00028, neck suits me a lot better.

After a brief play, I keep on putting the L00 back in its case as my hand and knuckles hurt.

Both guitars sound great in their own ways.

Dilemma, the L00 sounds great/superb, but will I need to keep playing it as my main guitar for my hand to adjust to playing it? Or is my hand (probably) just too small and would I be better off letting it go and upgrade to another guitar with 00028 specs?

Specs Gibson Yairi

Top Nut 48 mm 42 mm

Width 1st fret 78mm 68mm

Width 6th fret 80mm 70mm

scottser

It's more concerning to note that playing it causes your hand to hurt. Do you stretch or warm up your fingers, wrists and hands before you play? How long do you practice for? If you do warm up your hands and it's still painful to play then personally I wouldn't keep it.

Chauncey Gardner

Thanks Scottser.

I don't intentionally warm up fingers and hands before playing, but there's never been an issue with not warming up with the smaller necked guitar.

I normally play an hour or so a day, just noodling and nothing too complicated with regards to scales and lead work. I'd be a finger picker/rhythm player. Some days 2 or 3 hours, picking guitar up and down. But I can go a few days and wont play. Been playing a lot of years.

Some stuff I can play on the smaller necked guitar, is just impossible for me to play on the wider necked guitar, for example if I have capo on 4th fret, and then I try to play a barred F chord, my hand just cant make the stretch and the knuckles are piling up against each other, just physically cant be done and play it right.

The Gibson L 11 is well known for having a generous neck, but I accept that this adds to the tonal quality.

I've rationaslised keeping the L11 as it sounds superb with open tuning, when capo'd or not, BUT some things are for me, seemingly not physically possible. I think I might let it go and upgrade to another guitar with specs that suit my hand. It's an exceptional guitar, every bit hand made by an Italian violin maker.

Giblet

You really have three options

1: Suddenly become used to your guitar

2: Sell it (or put it on a wall)

3: Get a trusted luthier to adjust your neck.

3 is not as crazy as it seems, there are fantastic luthiers. I would recommend John Moriarty at archtop.ie, just to even talk about the job. He builds amazing guitars.

martinedwards

shaving the neck is a possibility.... but will likely cost a lot..... and destroy the value of the instrument