Wide Necked Guitars - Guitars101

Drak_nyen · 02-07-2005, 06:28 AM

Hi,

I am a guy with quite large and thick fingers and as such find playing some guitars a bit of a challenge because when fretting chords I keep in catching the strings beside it with the edge of my fingers.
Its better since I started to actually get decent callouses on my fingers.

I have found alot of guitars taper as they go towards the nut and this is where I am getting most of the issues with fretting basic chords.

I can do power chords and barre chords and single string leads but I also want to get some rythmn work with alot of chord changes (akin early metallica & megadeth & Iron Maiden).

Can anyone recommend some guitars with wide necks and good spacing between the strings?

Cheers Everyone
Pete

**jimihendrix** · 02-07-2005, 09:16 AM

hey there....jimi hendrix and stevie ray vaughan both had monster hands...they both played strats...you'd be in good company...

a quick search of the internet shows that paul reed smith (prs) and carvin guitars both offer wide necks...but the prices...yikes....!!!

apparantly warmoth makes extra wide necks too...check them out here...

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm

good luck in your search...

Sixstringhotshot · 02-07-2005, 09:23 AM

How long have you been playing? It seems to me that this is an experience issue. I had the same problem when I started playing (my hands are 12" from pinky to thumb when I spread them out). Now that I'm a much better guitarist, and 5 years older, it seems to be much less of an issue.

Drak_nyen · 02-07-2005, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixstringhotshot

How long have you been playing? It seems to me that this is an experience issue. I had the same problem when I started playing (my hands are 12" from pinky to thumb when I spread them out). Now that I'm a much better guitarist, and 5 years older, it seems to be much less of an issue.

I havent been playing long (since november) so it may well be an experience thing is hindering my performance.

My hand span is just over 9 inches from pinky to thumb so thats not too bad but its just the thickness of my fingers I find the most difficult to overcome.

Drak_nyen · 02-08-2005, 01:14 AM

Has anyone ever heard of guitars made by a company called 'Maverick'?

I was at a gig recently and someone was playing one and it looked a really nice guitar.

Just wondering if people have played them and what they thought of them?

metalnick · 02-09-2005, 04:57 AM

Greetings my fellow Guitar Ogres. The Maverick X-1 got 5 stars from Total Guitar in a review they did. SOunded pretty good on their CD.

As to the hand issue, just keep playing until you get better. I had a hard time at first with the open chords. I'm a really big dude, and had a lot of problems at first. Then I got better. By practicing. Every day. Until my fingers hurt and bled. Then I kept going.....

Keep practicing. You'll get it eventually. Ibanez makes some really comfortable necks, like the Wizard necks on the RG series. Hope this Helps.

"I AM an OGRE!!!!!"-Shrek 2.

Drak_nyen · 02-07-2005, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimihendrix

hey there....jimi hendrix and stevie ray vaughan both had monster hands...they both played strats...you'd be in good company...

a quick search of the internet shows that paul reed smith (prs) and carvin guitars both offer wide necks...but the prices...yikes....!!!

apparantly warmoth makes extra wide necks too...check them out here...

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm

good luck in your search...

I must say I am quite suprised by that because the couple of strats I have played have all had really thin necks on them and I had some trouble playing them..

Yeah I had pretty much put the PRS & Carvins out of my initial price range because of their price.

formulaet · 02-09-2005, 09:33 AM

My man...........The Ibanez Wizard neck or the tad thicker Wizard II are the 'Bomb'!!!

Good luck on your journey!!

Peace, FormulaET

slimshady842 · 02-09-2005, 07:25 PM

I know a lot have realized I envy Brian May, but his guitar is abnormally wide.

The replica takes on the original width of his guitar and is 45mm at the nut and is slightly wider at the 12th fret.

strat78 · 02-09-2005, 07:47 PM

I think what allot of people fail to mention about wide necks is not that the strings are farther apart but that there is allot more "deck" so the high and low E strings don't fall off the edge all the time. As soon as I have the cash I'm getting one of those extra wide Warmoths for this reason alone! Love Brian May too!

Drak_nyen · 02-10-2005, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slimshady842

I know a lot have realized I envy Brian May, but his guitar is abnormally wide.

The replica takes on the original width of his guitar and is 45mm at the nut and is slightly wider at the 12th fret.

Brian May is a great guitarist. I have loved Queen since a very young age and loved Brian Mays guitar work. Very nice.

I have seen his signature guitar but never had the pleasure of picking one up.
It is one of the guitars I am hoping to have a look at and play as I go around the guitar shops.

mark_007 · 02-10-2005, 07:14 AM

hell ya, i love my ibanez. i have 2 RG1570 1 JEM 1 rgt42 !however the rg-1570 is my little bitch ..