Does 1.62" nut width give you issues?

[darylcrisp]

I have a killer looking 6 lb whitfill thinline ash double humbucker tele offered on trade to a Collings mandolin I have listed. C shape neck, thin depths 8.5 to 9.5, 10" radius. Everything looks like what I like, except the nut width is 1.62".
Both my fenders are 1.675", even though they were listed as 1.65. They fit me perfect. Not sure I would want a less wide area there.

I've requested string spacing on the whitfill outside to outside e strings at the nut, will compare that to my fenders as that may be a better consideration.

We are 5 hours apart and can't drive to meet due to busy jobs.

1.62 looks a little tight for me. Never played that small before and I do play with fingers a lot.

Trying to get a feel for what some of you have discovered for yourself with possibly that tighter nut width.

Thanks
d

 

[lammie200]

Sounds too tight to me. I probably would pass on it, FWIW.

 

[rangercaster]

It might take me thirty seconds to adapt to it ... ok ... five minutes ...
Then I'm off to the races...

 

[drf64]

I'm pretty adaptable, but then again I have small hands. I also smell like cabbage, just to put that out there. If you are a mandolin player you are pretty adaptable too, I'd say, and have mastered a narrow board.

 

[Marn99]

Did you measure the nut widths on the guitars you own with a ruler or calipers? I'd have to check my notebook, but I think 1.650 has been standard since 1950 (with a certain amount of variation due to hand shaping and sanding) since 1950, and 25 thousandths of an inch is pretty hard to make out by eye.

 

[Marn99]

Okay so I checked my notebook, I have a list of measured nuts from a range of guitars from 1953 to 1979, they everywhere range from 1.59 to 1.66. So 1 5/8ths was probably the standard on paper.

 

[bumnote]

Try it out...personally I don't like 'em that thin. I have a mid-90's Korean Casino with Lollars. Great build....sounds GREAT. But the neck is around 41mm/1.62"...and it's really uncomfortable for me. When I was younger, I liked thin necks...but not so much anymore. Too cramped.

 

[naveed211]

That seems pretty thin. The least comfortable neck I ever had was a 1.56” width ‘62 Musicmaster. Really cool little guitar, but unplayable. My hand would cramp up it was so thin. I didn’t keep it.

My hands are average sized. Id imagine the playing experience wouldn’t be too far off from that with what you’re describing, so I’d pass personally.

 

[FredDairy]

Depends on if it flairs out.
Most vintage Fenders are 1.625 and a lot of large handed players did just fine with those.

I have a '54 RI strat that has that nut width. I also have a Gretsch 6120 that has a 1.68 nut width. By the time you get to the 12th fret the Fender is WAY wider. The string spacing is also wider on the vintage Fender.

Reading a spec as just a number on the internet is meaningless until you actually play it.
Just like this BS I hear about "I have large hands therefore I can't play such and such neck."
That is such narrow minded thinking. Try a Mandolin? A Banjo?

 

[schmee]

It wouldn't bother me, but I have rarely seen it. Those listed as that are often closer to 1.65 anyway IME. The real thing is, what is the string width? The difference between a nut that is 1.625 and 1.65 is about .012" on each neck edge!... The width of the high E string.
IF the string spacing really is cut different in the nut, then the difference between 2 strings is more like .005" ! The width of a sheet of printing paper.
If the bridge spacing is what you like, the actual difference down on the 1 fret is almost immeasurable.

 

[scooteraz]

I would find 1.62 a little narrow for me, and I play mando as well... but I have big, clumsy fingers...

 

[brookdalebill]

I can’t tolerate a skinny nut width.
I have moderately big paws.
I prefer 1 11/16 inch or 1 3/4 inch.

 

[memorex]

1 5/8" is OK with me. I have a Squier Mini with 1 1/2" nut width, and I have no problems playing that. Jimi Hendrix had fingers like a spider and he preferred the skinny neck Japanese Strats of the late 60's. The guitar looked like a toy in his hands. It's all in your perspective, there's nothing wrong with narrow or skinny necks.

 

[lammie200]

...he preferred the skinny neck Japanese Strats of the late 60's...

Splain this, please.

 

[darylcrisp]

thanks folks. i know it all comes down to having it in hand, and it might be fine. i measured my 2 fenders with calipers-i also measured the string spacing of mine and requested the owner to send me that-knowing that the string spacing is what you are truly playing. he did send a picture and the string spacing appears to be 1 5/16"-maybe 1 11/32" as the way he measured leaves it a little compromised. both current tele's have 1 7/16" string spacing and i'm fine with them. and yes i play mandolin and clawhammer banjo, so i am used to smaller spaces.
i have another very good offer on the trade for a Gibson AE LG2 in fine condition and some $, so if the Whitfill is a mistake, its an expensive one-lol

But, my glass is typically half full, and you only live once, and this whitfill is a looker
and 6 lbs and ash. and there's always the chance it might fit me even better-as i have never played one with this tighter spec. in my short time on this forum i have noticed a couple posts where folks had mentioned the 1.62" width being a deal stopper. jeez, what to do..............if only there was more space on the outboard edges i could cut a new nut, but the pics already look maxed out.

 

[darylcrisp]

 

[darylcrisp]

 

[FredDairy]

I'd pass at 6lbs.

 

[darylcrisp]

 

[Jakedog]

I don’t give a lot of consideration to such things. All my guitars are different. Even if they have the same measurements they don’t feel the same. So...

I have to two acoustics with 1.75” nut widths. One feels awesome. One feels so wide I can barely get along with it. Measure em both, and yep, they’re the same.

My ESP has a pretty big, deep, U neck with a 12” radius. My Mustang has a narrow nut, and not very deep at all C shape with a 9.5” radius. My D’Angelico has a medium C with a really flat 14” radius. My Tagima Jazzmaster knockoff has a very wide, square shouldered D shape neck. It’s deep too. Kinda huge. I don’t have any issues playing any of them. Nor do I have a preference. Except that the frets are low on the Tagima and I like tall ones.

If the guitar is cool, and sounds good, I’ll usually have fun playing it.