1 11/16 vs. 1 3/4 Nut Width?

[Go Navy]

I'm on the verge of ordering a 712ce (more will be posted soon in a new thread and I'm excited about getting this guitar).  One of the options is the slightly narrower 1 11/16 nut width.  It's interesting that Taylor offers something that is 1/16 different from the  1 3/4 standard, but we all know from playing various instruments that small differences can be noticed by a player.

What are the pros and cons of this slightly narrower nut width? Would barre chords be easier, for instance?  What are the arguments in favor of one vs. the other?  (I don't have fat fingers.)

[Magazine]

pros is that if you like the narrower width, you can be happy with a 1 or two series and save some money.  Barre chords not really any easier to me.  The only arguement to me is fingerpicking without incredibly long nails isnt as easy with the narrower nut width.  The width of the nut is only one sixteenth difference but if you measure E to e string, its over a tenth difference which is quite a considerable difference, very noticable, this is the width difference on my GS mini and 314.  You may find it difficult to sell a high end Taylor with a less popular nut width if the time ever comes you want to change guitars. 

[e8n]

Pros and cons are really in the hands of the player.  It is amazing how big a difference 1/16th actually made to me when I changed guitars.  This was when I first came back to playing several years ago.  Now I don't think it makes as much difference but it is noticeable. 

It just comes down to preference and feel.  Its like on Martin's where they have several neck profiles and widths.  No one is better than the other but one will feel better to you.

Play a few and see what you prefer.

-Dave

[Tammany Tiger]

Pros and cons are really in the hands of the player.  It is amazing how big a difference 1/16th actually made to me when I changed guitars.  This was when I first came back to playing several years ago.  Now I don't think it makes as much difference but it is noticeable. 

It just comes down to preference and feel.  Its like on Martin's where they have several neck profiles and widths.  No one is better than the other but one will feel better to you.

Play a few and see what you prefer.

-Dave

I completely agree with Dave. For me the difference is dramatic. I have larger fingers and that little bit of difference in nut width requires that I finger with a precision that I sometimes cannot achieve.

I love the narrower nut on my electric guitar but am rarely looking for power chord heaven with the acoustics.

[Edward]

Pros and cons are really in the hands of the player.  ...It just comes down to preference and feel.  Its like on Martin's where they have several neck profiles and widths.  No one is better than the other but one will feel better to you.

Play a few and see what you prefer.

-Dave

Yup, it's all about your comfort level.  For me, the difference is not big deal for most playing.  But if I'm a gonna bust out with bare fingers on a tune, then the wider neck does help indiv fingers/notes when chording ring more true (especially the more "odd" chord shapes ...which for me is anything that's not a maj or min ) .  But even then, I can adapt with the narrower neck.

It really comes down to how much you like a particular gutiar.  If you really love it, the slight diff in width will likely fade into an afterthought; if you don't find yourself bonding with it, the the different neck width is simply another reason for you to not like it.  It's more about what you hear and how you feel about playing said guitar: the measured width expressed in dimensions is just a number.

Edward

[Roseadi]

Good commnets so far. I would add that since the 712 is usually considered a fingerstyle guitar, if you went to sell it with a 1 11/16' nut, most people interested would probably be looking for a 1 3/4". Also, if you found that (especially with this guitar) fingerstyle was really for you, you may wish at some point that it had a 1 3/4".

With that said, only you and your hands can make that decision.

[sachi]

The only arguement to me is fingerpicking without incredibly long nails isnt as easy with the narrower nut width.

The key for fingerpicking is not the nut width but the width at the saddle. That said, Taylor's 1-11/16 necks are probably a bit narrower at the saddle too, which is likely what Magazine is noticing.

As for the actual feel at the nut, I have three guitars with 1-3/4 nuts and one other with 1-11/16. I prefer the 1-3/4, but I have no particular trouble playing the narrower neck. That's me, though – other folks may have quite a different reaction. As others have said, you need to play both types of necks and see what you think will work the best for you.

[Go Navy]

Thanks all, for the advice and guidance.  Do you measure the published nut width as the overall width of the nut, or the width between the 1st and 6th string notches?  I think it must be the overall width of the nut;  my Ibanez jazz guitar is 1 11/16, using the overall width.

[Edward]

Width of the nut itself.

Edward

[cjd-player]

I play primarily solo finger style and I notice a significant difference with my left hand fingering when switching from one of my Taylors (all 1-3/4) to my son's 214 (1-11/16).  Ii does not make so much of a difference for cowboy chords or even bar chords for  strumming chords, but for fingering individual notes on the fretboard, 1-1//16 feels cramped to me.