joshvegas Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 (edited) I was thinking the other day and now I have recovered I have a topic i'd like to discuss. I have a PRS santana SE and a strat copy aswell as acoustics (non cutaway). Now out of all the guitars the only one that would appear to make a consession to upper fret access is the PRS but I was playing it the other day and I realised That my hand never actually sits in the area of the body that has been removed in the aid of access, for any of the frets. And then I though to meself (this is when it started getting painful) none of my guitars including my acoustics are uncomortable to play anywhere on the neck. What really made me wonder was that I have tiny hands i mean really small so it's not because I have a super human reach or anything like that. It seems to me that some people go all out for improved fret access where it's not necessary. what are other peoples views on this is do you suffer from a huge lack of fret access? or is it a bit of a con? Edited June 14, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 I've never had an issue with fret access. So I guess I'm in the same boat you are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Try standing up to play sometime.That is when fret access becomes an issue,and it is why I play a v so much.Seems like everyone wants to sit down to practice,and I just don't get that at all,except for acoustics. You know,I also think hand ergonomics become more important with age.If I try to stretch to hit the upper frets on a poorly designed guitar,it hurts my wrist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted June 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 I always stand when playing electrics They don't sit right for me when i play sitting. And I don't really feel like i'm stretching! I guess maybe it's a space thing asmuch as a stretch thing becasuse I have smaller hands I can get in closer without the body getting in the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Well,are you actually playing down there,or are you just jumping down for a bend here and there?That makes a difference...as well as speed while you are there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 I always stand when playing electrics They don't sit right for me when i play sitting. And I don't really feel like i'm stretching! I guess maybe it's a space thing asmuch as a stretch thing becasuse I have smaller hands I can get in closer without the body getting in the way? Try playing the intro to Sweet Child O' Mine on a non cut away accoustic and you are just on the border of discomfort. Any further up and you need the cutaway. Are you are saying though that while a cutaway is essential for playing frets 19 + efficiently, that extra wood taken off a cutaway, such as a bevel is not needed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted June 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) Wes I don't play fast up there That would make a lot of sense and was kinda why i was asking. I'll need to get faster so I can see for myself Muzz yeah it's really the bevels I don't get. I wasn't trying to question the need for fret access just the ways some people go about getting it especially when I'm sure alot of people like me don't actually need it. I still want a V although I'd have to go with a gibson not a fan of pointy points but that's a whole other discussion. Edited June 15, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) Yes Josh, things like bevels on the cutaway are extras that will not appeal to everyone. Like you, I dont see a pressing need for scooping extra chunks off the face of a cutaway. But I understand how some people like them. I couldn't deal without feeling a tune o matic under the heel of my right and using it for vibrato, while others don't feel any requirement for stuff like that. I guess the feel of the guitar is an individual choice thing. You can't go wrong with a Gibbo vee, it's all cutaway up there, so when you get a bit proximally curious, and do a run that ends with a screaming D on the 22nd fret on the skinny string, there's nothing to hold you back. You can go higher though, there's always the neck pick up that can be used as a fret, and there are not many guitars with the cutaway that far up Edited June 15, 2008 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) Hit the wrong button and ended up with a double post, now that I am here, what kind of music are you mainly playing? Edited June 15, 2008 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted June 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 (edited) You can go higher though, there's always the neck pick up that can be used as a fret, and there are not many guitars with the cutaway that far up I have one! A little ebay special in the pipeline when the money blockage is removed! It's a little further on than this now though! Edited June 16, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 17, 2008 Report Share Posted June 17, 2008 I always cut away as much as I can...but I pretty much stick to the vee now,since the time I slid down the neck and bruised the side of my hand on the horn of my strat during the middle lead to "jump in the fire"...That made me really nervous,so I just changed guitars. Also,the back of my fingers hit the cutaway while playing...my movements are too large Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted June 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2008 yeah I can totally see where you are coming from one good reason for having small hands! Lest Paul said that about the SG didn't he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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