tinman1 Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I know this is subjective but suggestions would be welcome. I'm starting to learn fingerstyle and haven't found a guitar that ticks all the boxes yet. My main issue is my very large hands/ fingers which seem to need a lot of space around the bridge for easy, clean fingerpicking. I had a Seagull S6 with a large 1.8" nut that was quite easy to fingerpick on but was sold as it sounded very tinny and poor. My current guitar is a Yamaha AC3M which is a very comfortable, excellent sounding strummer but I'm really struggling to fingerpick with the 1 11/16 nut....despite hours of practice. It comes down to physics and the nut and bridge are just a bit too crowded for my large fingertips. Most Gibson appear to have a 1.72 nut (in between a 1 11/16 and 1 3/4 nut). Are any models in particular well suited to finger picking? J 45, Hummingbird, Songwriter, smaller bodied American Eagle etc.....any views? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 The Jackson Browne 12 fret model comes to mind.1.8 inch nut width might suit you well. Walnut back and sides place it tonally in between mahogany nd rosewood. Magnificent instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Yeah, it all depends on who you ask. I fingerpick a lot and use all of my Gibsons. All are dreadnaught size or bigger. If I had to pick one, I'd likely go with the Hummingbird or J45, but that's more to do with the soft tone from bare fingers than playability. I find them all very easy to play and they all sound pretty darn good. Then again, the AJ is awesome. And, all of them have a fairly wide nut. I do agree with your viewpoint on the narrow nut. Too narrow and it can be a problem and a nuisance for me. I've sold guitars for that very reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRC Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Congrats on learning fingerstyle! As MissouriPicker said, you can fingerpick or play fingerstyle on any guitar. But there are guitars that lend themselves better than others for this style of play and I choose all my guitars based on how they respond to playing both fingerstyle and strumming, but predominantly fingerstyle. I play probably 80% fingerstyle on my J-35 (1.72 nut width) with no problem. I've also played J-45s and AJs fingerstyle with no problem. I think much depends on your hand size, finger length, dexterity, etc. I have fairly small hands and playing my Wechter 000 12 fret slothead with 1.875 nut can be a bit uncomfortable at times, but my Gibson, Guilds and Martins are fine. Aside from the feel, you'll want a guitar that lends itself tonally for fingerstyle with good clarity, balance and projection. I've found that a good, balanced articulate dread like the J-35 or J-15, or a smaller OM/000 shape like an L-1, LG-2AE or something similar would be a good choice. But I suggest playing as many Gibsons as possible and make your own decision as to what feels and sounds best to you. Just curious, what type of 'fingerstyle' are you learning? Are you doing the basic Travis-picking style with alternating thumb in a set rhythm, or a more melodic, flowing fingerstyle bringing out melodies...or both? DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I have guitars in the house ranging from an 11" to 17" lower bout and I play them all with my fingers. As I have never gotten the hang of a flatpick or thumbpick I have no choice. Like MissouriPicker,I prefer a wide nut and string spread at the bridge but can a bit flexible which is a necessity with Gibsons as they are not overly generous at the bridge. But while others may fit the bill better when it comes to specs they do not sound like Gibsons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT Hurley Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I am not predominately a finger picker, but I have heard it said the L00 and other smaller bodied Gibsons make great finger style instruments. GT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I find the J45 facilitates finger picking the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinman1 Posted October 4, 2014 Author Share Posted October 4, 2014 Congrats on learning fingerstyle! As MissouriPicker said, you can fingerpick or play fingerstyle on any guitar. But there are guitars that lend themselves better than others for this style of play and I choose all my guitars based on how they respond to playing both fingerstyle and strumming, but predominantly fingerstyle. I play probably 80% fingerstyle on my J-35 (1.72 nut width) with no problem. I've also played J-45s and AJs fingerstyle with no problem. I think much depends on your hand size, finger length, dexterity, etc. I have fairly small hands and playing my Wechter 000 12 fret slothead with 1.875 nut can be a bit uncomfortable at times, but my Gibson, Guilds and Martins are fine. Aside from the feel, you'll want a guitar that lends itself tonally for fingerstyle with good clarity, balance and projection. I've found that a good, balanced articulate dread like the J-35 or J-15, or a smaller OM/000 shape like an L-1, LG-2AE or something similar would be a good choice. But I suggest playing as many Gibsons as possible and make your own decision as to what feels and sounds best to you. Just curious, what type of 'fingerstyle' are you learning? Are you doing the basic Travis-picking style with alternating thumb in a set rhythm, or a more melodic, flowing fingerstyle bringing out melodies...or both? DC Thanks to all for replies. I can already play a bit of index finger and thumb style simple blues stuff (big bill bronzy sort of thing). Its the James Taylor/ more classical sort of style (using more than two fingers) that I find difficult! I guess I need to try a few out- not so easy where I live as no stores within 80miles stock Gibson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jjunk Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I'm in the same boat, always looking for the wider necks and string spacing. The L-1 and the Keb Mo models are both 12-fretters with a wider nut - I had a very hard time choosing between these two! They both excel at finger style in my opinion. Eventually I chose the L-1 and am thrilled with it. Just so much personality in the thing. I've always wanted to try out the Jackson Browne too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenverSteve Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 I don't believe such an animal exists. Everyone plays differently and hear their playing differently. For me, every guitar is a finger-picking guitar. Likewise, almost every guitar is a strummer. I finger pick every guitar I own and don't reserve that for any one instrument. My best Gibson finger picking guitar is my J45 Southern Jumbo. Magical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 I generally use my thumb and two fingers when fingerpicking. Again, whatever works best for you. Some highly accomplished folks get by with just their thumb and index finger. Peter Yarrow of Peter,Paul & Mary fame is a pretty darn good fingerpicker and just uses his thumb and index. Fast or slow, he uses them...........Here's a song he wrote for Colon Cancer awareness after he had a scare. Gives a few good shots of his picking and the song is pretty clever....Keep picking. You'll develop your own style and technique.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Some highly accomplished folks get by with just their thumb and index finger. Yes, including the "Travis Picking" man himself - Merle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 Gary Davis, Lightning Hopkins, John Lee Hooker & Doc Watson were all thumb and 1 finger men ( ). Skip James and Jorma Kaukonen are two who used two. Also Merle Watson. Heres the and playing Sally Where'd You Get Your Liquor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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