Switching between 1 3/4 nut and 1 11/16th"

[captainvideo]

I have a beautiful 6120-1959LTV. I love everything about it and I'm toying with the idea of adding a 6122-1959 to mix. I had a Martin with a 1 3/4 nut and I didn't like it. However I was playing more flatpicking fast bluegrass runs on that guitar.

I guess the fear is making the guitar I'm comfortable on less comfortable. If that makes any sense? Does anyone out there switch between the two?

[David Elliott]

Hi "Captain",

While I haven't been playing much recently, I initially found the wider necks a little "tedious", but adapted pretty quickly and could switch from a 2" classical neck to the standard 1-11/16 with no problem. I think everybody's different but the brain compensates rapidly. You might find that you'll have to change your way of forming chords a little, if you're used to hooking your thumb over the neck ala "Travis" style.
David

[alexjones]

I just want to throw my 2 cents in. I started out playing tele's with 1 5/8" neck and thought I loved it. Later on I got my first good guitar - a Maton acoustic which is about 1 3/4". I also play Gretsches that have 1 3/4" and to me there is nothing better. I now really prefer a wider neck. I now am seriously considering putting 1 3/4" necks on my tele's. So I would say, go for it... You will get used to it and learn to love the wider neck - plus you will LOVE the 6122-1959. The only thing better than 1 gretsch is 2 gretsches.
Alex

[Brian Ingram]

I have a homemade Tele with a 1-5/8" neck, and two Taylors at 1-11/16" and 1-3/4". I've only recently moved from hybrid pick/fingers style to straight fingerpicking.

I've found that except for certain styles of electric playing, I much prefer the wider Taylor necks. I'd think that unless I was forming certain Travis-style chords (not thumb over neck, but 2 strings fretted w/ 1 finger), the wider neck helps keep me from unintentionally muting strings.

There are good applications for a lot of the sizes out there. Remember that nut width isn't the only deciding factor, but also neck thickness and back-of-neck shaping. I'm sure my 1-3/4" Taylor would not be a favorite if the neck were clubbier than Taylor shapes their necks.