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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | At least in some cases. I am really used to Ovation's standard neck size ... 1-11/16". I have a few 1-3/4" necks (or, if I had to do this in math class 1-12/16"), which is only 1/16" wider. Miniscule, right? Well, some play very similar. The Cole Clark and the Lakewood both play close to the Ovations (or the Martin, also 1-11/16"), but the Tak 75 is a tad noticeable and the Tak BlueGrass ... well, that's like a baseball bat so it's a whole different ballgame and in a league by itself.
What REALLY surprised me though is how different a 1-3/4" Ovation neck feels from the standard neck. I've been playing this more "manly" neck for the past several days, and I find the 1/16" difference a LOT more than the ruler would indicate. Like everyone says, it's more about the girth than just the width, but this has really caught me off guard. Pleasantly, I might add. But I do have to adjust my playing style and find myself missing both fretboard fingerings and when I pick strings.
It's almost like the 1/8" difference between a 12-string and this Ovation "wideneck" is a smaller difference than the 1/16" between a standard Ovation and a "manly" Ovation. Anyone else finding the same thing? |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I know what you mean Bobbo.
I picked up the UTE after not playing it for a few weeks and could really feel the difference.
As long as I play a wider neck once a week or so I don't notice the difference when switching back & forth. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | I use that excuse for missing notes all the time. I don't know whether it's valid or not. I do notice that barre chords seem much easier on a standard size than on the wider necks, but I think it's related more to the radius of the fretboard. I have more trouble with Martins of standard widths. Martin fretboards appear to be flatter than Ovation's. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | What was the question again? |
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December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Take a read on some of the newer neck profile concepts like the Octagon or multi-chine neck.
I'm a sucker for a deep "V" any day! |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Check out the Takamine asymmetric profile. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | I find that 1/16" makes it easier to cleanly fret certain chords. This is not that noticeable when strumming, but a fuzzed note stands out when fingerpicking. I love my manly neck. |
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August 2009
Posts: 381
Location: Miami | Huge difference. I love my slimmed down 1778T necks, but I have one T that's actually somewhere inbetween a regular neck and a slimmer T's neck.
It most certainly affects chord playing and it does take me time to adjust when changing that little bit of girth. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | My Froggy Bottom is 1 3/4" but feels much bigger. Unless I play it regularly I also tend to miss hit strings/chords. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 972
Location: PDX | I find it depends on two things: how the strings are spaced across the nut and bridge, and the shape of the neck. To me those two things effect me more than the actual width of the nut.
For example, i played a 1 13/16 width nut guitar recently that played like butter -- didn't even notice the extra width because the neck shape was just right for my hands and the strings were moved off the edges of the fretboard. That was a real bonus because i tend to pull the high E off the fretboard at times.
Anyway, i think it is a combination of things more that just the width of the nut.
_____
gh1 |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | couple of things.
1. the shape will make it feel different as you've seen on the Tak BG vs the Ovation 1 11/16
2. the string spacing. I feel most comfortable with 1 3/4 and 1 1/2 string spacing.
On one of my narrow neck guitars I made a different nut and spread the B&E and extra 1/32. It's not quite 1 1/2 spacing but the extra space on the two top strings makes it feel like it is. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 354
Location: nashville | Nothing like a bunch of guys sitting around talking about their nuts. The 1/16 difference in nut width in my martin vs the guild 12 string in nothing but the total circumfrence is 4 1/2 vs 5 1/4 now that's more than a handful. My ovation is off site so cant mesure it but I bet is less than the Martin. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I use that excuse for missing notes all the time. I don't know whether it's valid or not. Of course it's valid Mark, they're your dang notes & who would know better than you what's goin' on with 'em?
I use it too. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | For years I stayed away from the wider necks simply because I have small hands. After buying the EF75 with a 1-3/4" neck, I realized my fear of wider necks was just baggage from when I first started playing as a pre-teen. I go between standard/wide and thick/thin necks with different profiles with some regularity and find only one noticeable difference. On a wider neck, I play a B flat in the open position while on the 1-11/16" necks, I always play it in the barre position. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by stephent28:
My Froggy Bottom is 1 3/4" but feels much bigger. Unless I play it regularly I also tend to miss hit strings/chords. Stephen, what model do you have? Any pics posted? |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | It's an F12 and more pics are on the social site.
Walnut back and sides with wide grain Adi top.
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| ...and one frickin' SWEET player... |
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March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | FB builds a little single O 12 fret slothead that I've been lusting after for a while.... |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | paul, bigger is better....we all know that. :p
I can make you a killer deal on this one and you can even make reasonable payments that will make it seem painless!
Free personal delivery if purchased before NAMM.
(I love how we hijacked Bob's thread!) |
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March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Naw. I'll stick to where my lust is true. But we'll have to go by the Froggy Bottom booth and play a few..... |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | For me it's been a slow evolution over time ... to wider necks. Now, I won't play a guitar that has less than 1 11/16's, a little girth in the neck and at least 25 inch scale length. Anything smaller just feels cramped.
Yeah, I find the scale length affects it too. No more gibson electrics for me. |
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Joined:
October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | I am so used to an 1-11/16" nut that when I play an 1-3/4" one, it drives me crazy. But when I go to my 12-string, no problem. Also, I have no issue going from a standard scale guitar to a short scale either. But that teenie tiny 1/16"... brutal. Go figure.
What is the nut length on a 1751 anyway? |
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Joined:
November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | Originally posted by Slipkid:
I know what you mean Bobbo.
I picked up the UTE after not playing it for a few weeks and could really feel the difference.
As long as I play a wider neck once a week or so I don't notice the difference when switching back & forth. Ditto that exactly. It took me a bit to adjust to the uTE but going back to the legend is not an issue. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | OFC II guitars are almost gone....... |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | and the OFC II is a KILLER guitar!
One of my favorite Adamas. |
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1/16" is a LOT
