A 1/16th

[skinnerb]

2 1/4 vs. 2 5/16___________ Can anyone really tell the difference? A 1/6 spread out over a fingerboard seems too small to make an appreciable difference. I understand how sensitive hands are but still.....

[min7b5]

Originally Posted by skinnerb

Can anyone really tell the difference? A 1/6 spread out over a fingerboard seems too small to make an appreciable difference.

Yes. I absolutely feel a big (to me) difference.

[fantex]

I’ve been wondering the same thing. I currently play a Taylor with a 1 11/16 nut. I ordered a Larrivée 00-40 with a 1 3/4. I hope it makes a difference since I’m trying to play more finger style. A little more clearance will be nice.

[davidbeinct]

Yes and even more so at the bridge. I fingerpick and have sausages for fingers so I definitely notice the difference.

[Talk2Me]

Definitely noticeable. Whether it "bothers" you is a matter of personal taste.

[abn556]

Hand size has a lot to do with how you answer this question.

[Silly Moustache]

For me nut width is the most critical,
1 & 11/16" "rhythm" necks - no good, 1 & 3/4" at a pinch, 1 & 13/16" ideal.
Neck depth and profile also significant.
KString spacing - 2 & 1/4" no good, 2 5/16th Ok on short scale (24.875") , 2 & 3/8" ideal on standard scale (25.5").

These measurements may look strange to you 14 fret users, and this is why all my flat tops are 12 fretters.

[warfrat73]

Yeah, on paper it seems like it shouldn't matter, but it does. My CS D-18 has 2 5/16" spacing at the bridge, and if I haven't played it in a while it takes some getting used to... and I'll sometimes flat-out miss the high e string with my pick.

[BlueBowman]

Yes, it feels very different. I used to worry more about neck width at the nut (preferring a wider one), but I've found the string spacing to make an even bigger difference. For instance, a wider string spacing at the bridge on a 1 11/16" neck is not a deal breaker to me (as compared to the same neck with a narrower string spacing).

[Osage]

I can't typically tell the difference in a 1/16" difference of string spacing at bridge but I'm not a finger picker.

I like a wider neck at the nut like 1 3/4" or 1 13/16th but it's not a deal breaker and neck carve and more importantly, nut string spacing mean more to me.

For years I was measuring the specs on every guitar that came into my shop for repair and found that there was no standard for nut string spacing at all. Some very well known companies would even use the exact same nut spacing on a 1 11/16 and 1 3/4" nuts. I always get a chuckle out of people who just "can't" play one or the other nut width when there's a good chance they have no idea what the actual nut string spacing is, which is what matters to your fingers.

[Jim Owen]

Originally Posted by Osage

I can't typically tell the difference in a 1/16" difference of string spacing at bridge but I'm not a finger picker.



I like a wider neck at the nut like 1 3/4" or 1 13/16th but it's not a deal breaker and neck carve and more importantly, nut string spacing mean more to me.



For years I was measuring the specs on every guitar that came into my shop for repair and found that there was no standard for nut string spacing at all. Some very well known companies would even use the exact same nut spacing on a 1 11/16 and 1 3/4" nuts. I always get a chuckle out of people who just "can't" play one or the other nut width when there's a good chance they have no idea what the actual nut string spacing is, which is what matters to your fingers.

I second this. I’ve had a nut on a 1 3/4 neck that was more cramped. than my 1 11/16 Martin. Weird. I’m having a new one carved to get some spread.

[jaymarsch]

Yes, but, in my experience, it is a combination of specs that can make it feel noticeable or transparent. Besides nut width, there is neck shape, neck taper, scale length and string spacing that might also come into play. The more that I switch back and forth between guitars that vary regarding these specs, the less that I notice the differences.
Best,
Jayne

[Treenewt]

I definitely notice it more at the bridge. The modern, tighter bridge spacing (some are 2 1/8!) is too tight for my picking hand. I prefer at least 2 1/4 if not 2 5/16.

[Oxhead]

Originally Posted by skinnerb

2 1/4 vs. 2 5/16___________ Can anyone really tell the difference? A 1/6 spread out over a fingerboard seems too small to make an appreciable difference. I understand how sensitive hands are but still.....

I didn’t understand the effect a wider nut (and string spacing) could have in big hands forming chords, but since I got a new guitar with wider spacing I’ve definitely noticed a few differences.

[Aspiring]

For me the difference shows in how consistently I play fingerstyle single notes cleanly

And how often I accidentally partially buzz or mute an adjacent open string. This is predominantly related to nut width. The bridge spacing seems to be less impactful. The extra spacing means you have a slightly more leeway to how you finger those notes.

And yes it is definitely noticeable. Also it's the string spacing measurement at the nut / bridge rather than the nut width that is the factor. Some 1 3/4 nuts have near similar string to string spacing as 1 11/16. Others have 3-4 mm difference.

If I am just strumming full cowboy chords I don't notice the difference near as much.