Armrests - are they always an improvement?

[boneuphtoner]

Hey Y'all - from reading Taylor's materials about their various armrests you hear descriptors like "increased comfort", "ergonomic contour", "physically inviting", etc. all giving the impressions that these enhance your playing experience and make it more comfortable.  My question to the forum is whether your experiences with these align with these descriptions when compared to regular guitars that don't have an armrest.

My first experience with an armrest was an all-solid wood Washburn acoustic that I briefly owned.  After owning the guitar for 6 months I came to the conclusion that I noticed no difference whatsoever in playing comfort.  I chalked this up to the fact that this was a less expensive guitar that was attempting to copy these Taylor designs, and I assumed they just did a poor job at designing it because I couldn't tell any difference.  Fast forward to this year, when I picked up the 324ce BE and the Academy 12.  For the Academy at least, my observation was similar to the Washburn - it wasn't better than guitars without the armrest, but it wasn't worse either - no overall difference.

The 324ce BE, in spite of the fact that this guitar has the best overall tone of any guitar I've ever played, I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that the armrest is a clear negative for me - not neutral, and certainly not a positive addition.  I'm used to resting my arm on the lower bout of a guitar and I use that interface as a pivot point and an anchor for strumming and everything else I do. The armrest on this 324ce BE softens up that interface - most people (in fact I don't know of anyone else who has complained about this) think this is a very good thing as it eliminates the hard right angle - but not me! That softened interface coupled with the silent satin finish has me sliding all over the place and the whole playing experience has an unstable feel. I don't think it would be an issue if I had shorter arms, but it is what it is and I have found that I really need that harder right angle to anchor my arm.  The Academy's interface is considerably rougher in texture and it isn't nearly as smooth or slick, and because of that, I'm not sliding around as much, and consequently it is a more stable platform for me compared to the smoother BE guitar, but even the Academy doesn't feel better than a guitar without an armrest.

Am I the only person who views these armrests as neutral or even negative?  Rather than a positive?

Oh, and yes I have tried shifting my arm positioning - it didn't help a great deal.

[Strumming Fool]

I have never owned a guitar with an armrest or cutaway due to the symmetrical (aesthetic) imbalance. I don't feel as if I'm  missing out on anything. I stand when I play, and after all these years of playing,  I am so used to the feel of the guitar's edge. I also regularly play up to the 16th fret without a cutaway, so I'm very happy with my guitars without  these features.

[TaylorGirl]

I have a beveled armrest (as opposed to the radius armrest) on my 914. For me, it provides more comfort, that I notice more the longer I play during a session. With my other guitars without the armrest, after a period, I start to feel the sharpness of the top/side on my arm. Not significant, nor has it ever stopped me from continuing on. I played 43 years before I got my 914, so I never really missed an armrest. I had never even tried one until I got the 914. So, could I do without it....definitely. It is a nice comfort to have for a change though. Not having one wouldn't be a deal breaker for me in purchasing a guitar. Did I buy the 914, because of the armrest....no, but I love my 914 for all it is.

[boneuphtoner]

The guys on the acoustic guitar forum opined that the issue is the silent satin finish as opposed to the armrest - I hadn't thought of that, but since my Academy isn't any worse than a regular guitar without an armrest when it comes to comfort and stability and it has a courser satin finish that provides more traction, that may very well be it.  I love the feel of the silent satin - it feels very luxurious, but it has made playing this wonderful guitar like playing a greased pig!  Not good!

[timfitz63]

Like Susie, I tend to find the beveled armrest more comfortable; especially the bigger the guitar body and the longer the playing session goes.  But it sounds like you and I hold the guitar a bit differently too; I tend to 'hug' the guitar to my body with my right arm at that point of the lower bout, so that may be the governing factor for me in this case.

I don't own a guitar with the later "radius" armrest so I can't really speak to it.

Ultimately, I'd be careful about letting anybody's marketing hype cloud the issue about the features that you like or want on any consumer item -- including a guitar.  For some (like myself), the beveled armrest tends to function as advertised; but for others (like you), it seems to be a detriment.  I personally wouldn't spec out a Grand Concert with a beveled armrest because the body is small enough that I find an armrest little more than a high-dollar aesthetic touch; but on a Grand Symphony or Grand Orchestra, I find it to be a worthwhile functional feature.  Like tone, comfort tends to be an individual thing; so if you're finding the armrests don't really float your boat, that's the right answer for you.  Sometimes though (like with the Builder's Editions), Taylor offers extra features that may not always appeal to every consumer...