krazyderek Posted April 21, 2004 Report Share Posted April 21, 2004 i usualy play sitting down classic style (guitar between legs) and i have a hard time reaching frets near the nut chording not so much but doing any lead work on frest 1-5 is usualy out of the question for me.... my wrist usualy hurts really bad if i try and do it... even when i sit down and go slow and relax and try to work into it... still ends up being painfull...(especially for triplets or note sequences that span 5 frets) i try holding the guitar like normal ( on right leg) but i still seem to have the problem, and then it's ackward cause i don't like holding the guitar like that.... it's hard to do lead work on the upper frets and the guitar feels like it's falling off my leg, and my picking arm feels like it's ripped back into an uncomfortable position.. it's like the scale is just to long... i'm thinking about trying out 24.75" or even 24" scales, think that would help? what are your thoughts on reaching way over to the nut playing? (other then chords) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 wouldn't hurt to try them. might feel completely more comfortable to your fingers........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Hmm... I just tried playing sitting down, on both right leg and left (classical style.) It seems I shift positions of the neck depending on position. If I'm playing near the nut the neck is up close to my face for example, in fact I seem to shift the guitar from left/right legs while playing the different registers... and I don't seem to feel any discomfort. Have you tried wearing the guitar on a strap when playing seated? I mean set up short so it's still hanging while sitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 the shorter scale does help.....try it out. not only does it bring the nut closer to your body,it also creates less string tension for when your wrist is in those awkward positions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Oh, regarding the 24" scale, you can put a capo on the first fret of a 25.5" scale guitar and tune 1/2 step down to get the feel of the 24" scale (close enough anyway .) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted April 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Oh, regarding the 24" scale, you can put a capo on the first fret of a 25.5" scale guitar and tune 1/2 step down to get the feel of the 24" scale (close enough anyway .) then i'm losing some frets though, and my tele is already only 21 frets hmm..... where oh where to find a 24" fretting template now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Oh, I meant just try that to get a feel for it... to see if it'd even be worth building a 24" scaled guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wylde1919 Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 i think a cheaper solution would be to stretch out before you start playing. I find that if I do hand strettching excersis (like the ones they suggest to keep the carpal tunnel away!) that Ihave an easier time swiveling my wrist into more extreme positions. But hey go for the shorter scale neck too if you like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 i think over the long run the shorter scale is bound to help keep healthy tendons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 The neck angle on a Gibson stye instrument also moves the nut end of the neck back towards your body. Many people find this helps them play down round the cowboy chord area... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stageleft Posted April 27, 2004 Report Share Posted April 27, 2004 I have found that a shorter scale, even 24.75 makes a big difference for me. I do have smalish hands and I've been considering 24.75 conversion necks for my strat and tele. I just have to grin and bear it on my acoustics though. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullmuzzler Posted April 29, 2004 Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 I play that way too, but I don't have problems. In fact I can stretch my fingers quite wide in the first 5 frets or so. Do you place something under your left foot to get the angle for the guitar? I've played classical guitar for ten years and I used to have this kind of adjustible stool for my left leg. I hope this helps. mullmuzzler | OSSMT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted April 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 Do you place something under your left foot to get the angle for the guitar? I've played classical guitar for ten years and I used to have this kind of adjustible stool for my left leg. I hope this helps. phone book hmm... maybe i should make an adjustable one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted April 29, 2004 Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 Do you place something under your left foot to get the angle for the guitar? I've played classical guitar for ten years and I used to have this kind of adjustible stool for my left leg. I hope this helps. phone book hmm... maybe i should make an adjustable one An adjustable phone book? After thinking about it, if I'm playing while sitting I too tend to shift the guitar position around to accomidate wide stretches. Most of time I play while standing. It's much less of a problem that way. Years ago I started using leather straps, but I would put the smooth side down so that it could slide freely over my shirt. This made shifting the guitar very simple, even to the point where I could throw the guitar around and have it spin around my back and over my shoulder. Ah... the 80's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.