Neck stenosis and loss of dexterity, suggested guitar size?

[rmsstrider]

60 years old and have some stenosis and arthritis in neck which hurts more when I play my Martin dread. Gets to a point where my fingerpicking is not in perfect control and I resort to simple strumming. So I was thinking of changing to a smaller body size so my right shoulder isn't lifted up so much. It is an uncomfortable position for me now. I am using a thumbpick so I don't drop my pick. Any suggestions on body size to try.? I play mostly blues, and folk, think Guy Clark. John Prine, Ray wylie hubbard, and basic blues. I usually play for about an hour or so every day for my own enjoyment. Any guitar advise appreciated in advance.

[Kyle76]

If size is really the issue, and volume is not because you're just playing by yourself, why not drop down all the way to a parlor? They're making some good ones these days, according to many folks here. I don't have specifics, but someone should chime in.

[Blueser100]

Sorry to hear about your physical discomforts. I reluctantly gave up all my full size dreads in favor of smaller body styles. I now mostly play my Martin dread jr, a slightly scaled down version of the dread, and a 00 sized Martin CEO7. I used to miss the deep bass of the fuller sized dread but not so much any more. I play for personal enjoyment mostly and I don't experience the shoulder muscle pain I used to.

[mrjop1975]

I am sorry to read about your arthretis in your neck, and how it is affecting your playing as a result.

I own a fleet of guitars, as you can tell by my signature, but the ones I play a lot when I get home from work? My parlor guitars. I work in a factory (Dart Container) and am worn out and stiff from work. The parlors get pulled out a lot so I can sit down and play on the couch. I can highly recommend the 3 I have a lot.

Another one to look out for is Kindred (the US branded version of Sigma that is owned by a German company) and there vintage series that slotted headstocks. They have a 14 fret in addition to a 12 fret. http://media.wix.com/ugd/79adfd_923e...41ad801a56.pdf is the link to there catalogue. They do not have an awful lot of dealers here in the States, so the best bet would be to contact them. I've emailed them before and they were quite friendly and quick to respond.

Whatever comes of all this, be well, and keep us informed as to what ultimately happens.

[Nor'easter]

I'd go to a oo, deep body Martin, like the Jeff Tweedy. I really like that guitar but can't bring myself to pay over 2 K for a Richlite fingerboard!

[rmsstrider]

Would I be correct in assuming that a wider neck, 1-3/4, and smaller body, help with fingerpicking and shoulder/neck strain?

[devellis]

Try out a bunch of guitars, form OM-size on down. A good OM has a whole lot of sound. Going even smaller, I've found that some guitars in the Gibson L-00 or Martin 00 configuration can also have a surprising amount of sound and more bass than I would have expected. I think the key is to find ones from good makers. The "boutique" builders and the Martin Authentic series are good examples of guitars that can be small in size but not in sound. And they are very comfortable.

Check out deep-bodied models, as well. But pay attention to how they feel. In some cases, a deeper body may offset the comfort advantage of a smaller span across the lower bout. See where various configurations put your arm and shoulder and what feels comfortable. Try to spend more than just a few minutes with the instrument if possible, to see how it feels after some time.

I know a lot of players don't like this idea, but I find that playing sitting down, rather than with the guitar hanging from a strap in a standing position, is a lot more comfortable. That might be worth trying too.

Given some patience, I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will be considerably more comfortable than a dreadnought. And for the stuff you like to play, I don't think you'll feel that you're sacrificing tone to an appreciable degree if you shop carefully.

Best of luck with feeling better and finding a guitar that works for you.

[dneal]

Originally Posted by rmsstrider

Would I be correct in assuming that a wider neck, 1-3/4, and smaller body, help with fingerpicking and shoulder/neck strain?

I have right shoulder mobility / pain issues. The width of the lower bout is one factor, but you should also consider the depth of the body and width of the waist. The neck width doesn't matter much to my shoulder.

My 12 fret 000 (Froggy H12) has a 15" lower bout. The waist is about 9" and the body is 4.25" deep. Playing in a "normal" position (guitar on my right leg) gets painful in about 15 minutes.

I picked up a Brook Taw, which also has a 15" lower bout, but the waist is slightly narrower (about 8 3/4") and slightly further from the tail block (which moves the wide part of the lower bout backwards slightly. It is also about 7/8"less deep. I can play it for 30 minutes.

I have a Larrivee Parlor (13" lower bout, 8" waist and just under 4" deep), which I can play indefinitely without pain.

The point of all that is to illustrate all the dimensions that affect your shoulder, and it's not just an issue of switching to an OM or Parlor. Having a guitar with a "Manzer wedge" could be the solution while keeping a larger body.

If I play any of those guitars in a classical position, I can play pain-free pretty much indefinitely. That (or one of the "neck up" devices) might be a different solution to your problem.

There's also a tonal price to pay when going to a smaller body. The Larrivee sounded thin and boxy, to the point of sucking the joy out of playing it. I had a luthier work the braces, and it's much better; but I wouldn't want it as my main or only guitar. It remains my travel/knockaround/couch/beater. Mainly you're going to lose depth of bass and see an emphasis in the G and B string mids.

There are some pretty good compromises in the small-body range though, but they're not cheap. I'd put the Froggy P12 I used to own up against anything. They're somewhere between an 0 and 00 in width, with an elongated body. The Goodall "parlor" is similar in dimensions and tonal awesomeness (and I think there's still one in the classifieds). They're both tonally rich with a full bass.

[Cibby]

I'm 61 will be 62 soon and have similar problems. I don't have complete feeling in my right arm and middle to small fingers of my right hand.It's very painful and my cervical discs are degenerative 2 of the discs have moved forward slightly. I can't finger pick and use a larger pick held by my thumb and first finger in sort of an awkward position. I found smaller acoustic's more difficult to hold. With my D18 I can rest my forearm of the right arm on the side of the dread. I am 6ft 2in. So smaller bodies don't fit me real good. There are days I can't play and when I do play I have to put my D18 down often to change positions. It is a challenge but have no plans to stop as I have played since I was 12 years old. For you whatever helps you play try . I've had 2 operations but doubt I will have another. Just keep tying to find ways to keep on playing .

[Ramesses]

If you play sitting then maybe you could just switch dreads? Martins have a pretty wide waist that makes them sit up a little higher. If thats the case, maybe try a Taylor 14 series or a Martin GPCPA they're pretty comfortable sitting guitars while still being large.

[stephenT]

OO would be my suggestion. I'd stay away from a deep body guitar, the amount of depth at the lower bout is a big deal for neck and shoulders. This is the direction I've gone. I like parlors and O size but the OO just fits better.

[Howard Emerson]

Do you sit or stand when you play?

If you sit, do you play off your right or left leg?

HE

[handers]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Do you sit or stand when you play?

If you sit, do you play off your right or left leg?

HE

.


Exactly. Try getting used to classical position, guitar on left knee and spine straight and relaxed. A good teacher may help u as much with sitting position as a new guitar will

Hans