Jesse_Dylan Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Where do these come from, why, and now can I tell them apart? I don't want to end up accidentally getting a 1-11/16" nut width. I really like the 1.725" standard. I have heard of some new J-45s coming with 1-11/16", possibly the iced tea burst ones? I'm going to be buying a new Hummingbird this summer, maybe iced tea burst, and I want to make sure it's 1.725". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cibby53 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I checked all the Hummingbird models on the Gibson homepage. There all 1.725 of course the Iced Tea Burst is not there but I would think it would be like the other models. Sweetwater has one in stock I would email them and ask the nut width . They always replied in a day or less when I e mail them. I didn't know Gibson had so many Hummingbird models until I went through there acoustic products. Also bring a small tape measure with you and you can double check.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I will readily admit to never having been very good with fractions in math class - but isn't 1.725 the same, or excrutiatingly close, to 1 11/16? I have to also admit that I don't have any problems playing a wide variety of neck widths or shapes. The only neck I cannot warm to is Martin's Performing Artist (PA) necks. Just got out my calculator and 1 11/16 = 1.69 near as I can tell. Again, at least for me, this would not bother me at all. In fact the '57 J-50 I just acquired mics out at 1.69, and I'm having a blast playing that guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cibby53 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 1423979278[/url]' post='1628831']I will readily admit to never having been very good with fractions in math class - but isn't 1.725 the same, or excrutiatingly close, to 1 11/16? I have to also admit that I don't have any problems playing a wide variety of neck widths or shapes. The only neck I cannot warm to is Martin's Performing Artist (PA) necks. Just got out my calculator and 1 11/16 = 1.69 near as I can tell. Again, at least for me, this would not bother me at all. In fact the '57 J-50 I just acquired mics out at 1.69, and I'm having a blast playing that guitar. It does not seem like much but when you have XL size hands every tenth of an inch helps. Neck shape also plays a role to . I've struggled with 1.69 nut widths and I am pretty sure Jesse has to those few extra tenths of an inch make a difference and add a lot of comfort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 It does not seem like much but when you have XL size hands every tenth of an inch helps. Neck shape also plays a role to . I've struggled with 1.69 nut widths and I am pretty sure Jesse has to those few extra tenths of an inch make a difference and add a lot of comfort. The difference between 1 11/16 (1.69") and 1.725" is less than four hundredths of an inch, not "tenths of an inch". It is about the thickness of the thin piece of cardboard on the back of a legal writing pad. In other words, it ain't much. If you are struggling with a specific guitar when there is so little difference in nut width, it is probably the neck shape that is causing the difficulty. If you play a single guitar most of the time, you get used to that neck shape, and it may feel awkward for a while when you move to another guitar with a different neck shape and/or nut width. Gibson guitars today have a variety of neck shapes, nut widths, and string spacings at the bridge, so if this is a big deal for anyone, they need to play the specific guitar they are interested in, rather than obsessing over specific stated dimensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichG Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 The difference is .035. To me, neck shape is more important than nut width. I sold a Martin Marquis with a 1 3/4 inch nut because I hated the neck shape. I love the 0018H which has a 1 7/8 nut but a better neck shape for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I agree that neck carve does have a lot to do with the feel and how easy you find a guitar to play. While the difference between nut widths may not be all that much, as I get older I seem to feel it more. While I can play a guitar with a 1 11/16" nut I am happiest with a 1 13/16" or 1 7/8". It may have been the recent post on the Harmony Sovereigns but I put my Gibsons aside and pulled my 1260 out. Only a 1 3/4" nut but if there is a neck profile on a guitar I like better I have yet to find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cibby53 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 1424006923[/url]' post='1628911']The difference between 1 11/16 (1.69") and 1.725" is less than four hundredths of an inch, not "tenths of an inch". It is about the thickness of the thin piece of cardboard on the back of a legal writing pad. In other words, it ain't much. If you are struggling with a specific guitar when there is so little difference in nut width, it is probably the neck shape that is causing the difficulty. If you play a single guitar most of the time, you get used to that neck shape, and it may feel awkward for a while when you move to another guitar with a different neck shape and/or nut width. Gibson guitars today have a variety of neck shapes, nut widths, and string spacings at the bridge, so if this is a big deal for anyone, they need to play the specific guitar they are interested in, rather than obsessing over specific stated dimensions. You know what I don't give a crap I play what I like and if 1.725 feels better than 1.69 that's my business not yours. So go play with a calculator . Neck shape does make a difference and if 1.69 was no different than 1.725 then they would make only one. Some guys on here think they are the greatest most knowledgable guitar players in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I've only had problems with a couple necks. The hummingbird pro had the narrow nut and slim neck. I felt like I had to jam my fingers together on the first few frets. My ukulele's are more comfortable. The other one was a Takamine Jumbo. I'm not sure of it's configuration but it was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever had. Nick, I always appreciate yours and everyone else's input and opinions. It's my prerogative to accept or reject them. I think it takes a pretty ignorant person to start attacking someone and use name calling because you disagree with them. I'm sure he'll have a comment about my comment but my favorite borrowed quote is "I do not argue with ignorant people. They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience every time." Have a good day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 The EF Masterbilts in my sig have 1.75" nuts. To me, this makes a fairly big difference chording compared to 1.6875", even though it's a measly 1/16 of an inch difference. 1.725 is in between, slightly closer to the 1.75 than the 1.68. Every little bit helps for the fat-fingered folk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayyj Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 You know what I don't give a crap I play what I like and if 1.725 feels better than 1.69 that's my business not yours. So go play with a calculator . Neck shape does make a difference and if 1.69 was no different than 1.725 then they would make only one. Some guys on here think they are the greatest most knowledgable guitar players in the world. I don’t know if he's the greatest most knowledgeable guitar player in the world, but he's certainly an extremely knowledgeable and helpful participant in this forum. I prefer a wider neck myself, but when it gets down to that small a difference I would be worrying about whether the neck profile suited me more than I would a difference of few hundreds of an inch on the quoted width. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 If we can get our panties in a wad over nut widths I can't imagine what will happen when somebody has been hanging around the AGF too long and brings up "tone woods." Too funny. Me, I take nobody's advice. If I did I probably would not own half the guitars I do. Not saying it always pays off such as looking at my pay check and thinking back to many, many years ago when I did not listen to a friend who told me I should take the job with a major corporation. I would not even think about it as wearing a tie and sitting in a corner office offended by Yippie sensibilities. But hey, I sometimes think J45nick is a long lost brother and onewilyfool a cousin snatched from his cradle by gypsies. What keeps this bunch going and fun is not an obsession with specs but love of the guitars. Think of how boring it would get though if we all cottoned the same exact thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Poor Nick ! Lol It would take a hell of a guitar player to find fault in a microscopic difference between but widths. I for one look forward to hearing examples of your playing. It'll be amazing to hear a Gibson played with that amount of nuance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I can't explain why, except to say that narrower nuts work better for ME. The three guitars that I played regularly: my dad's '58 D28, my cheapo Yamaha laminate dreadnought and my Guild D25M all had 1-11/16" nuts. I just assumed that all guitars came like that.I had no evidence otherwise. Over the years, I've had a number of different nut-widths. THere's definitely something to be said about how the neck is cut. The 1.8 on the Jackson Browne was easier than I ever expected, while a Hummingbird I had was 1.73 and was very uncomfortable in my hands, while the Epiphone Hummingbird at 1-11/16" felt natural. Again, to ME. You wouldn't think these tiny measurements would matter, but they do. My Sheryl Crow CW has 1.72, I believe and while I can play it without trouble, it still feels just a tiny bit more awkward than my Martin M36 with 1.69. No need for insults here. We're all trying to help each other better understand our guitars. No single answer is the right one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Smurf, I agree with you 100%. My HD28V is easier for me to play than either of my Gibsons. I keep telling myself that less than .04" shouldn't make any difference, but it does to me. Probably because I play a lot of thumb-over chords, especially a real goofy barre E major that is impossible to explain. In fact, that barre E is easy for me to play on my Martin, but a strain to play on my Gibsons. I also agree with the no insults comment, I think nick was just trying to be helpful, not critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I think the OP brought this topic up a couple of months ago initially disguised as a concern with variations in distances between the bridge pins. As I recall, the conclusion was that the 0.035" at the nut, divided by 6, translated to a distance between each of the 6 strings that was smaller than a gnat's eyelash. We are not talking about the difference between an electric nut and a classical nut here. The shape and profile of the neck will matter more. If Jesse holds to his plan of not buying his Hummingbird until the summer, we can expect to see this topic another 4 or 5 times, and the question about "50 shades of Hummingbird Bursts" as many. Sort of like "Groundhog Day" the movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I know neck shape and profile matter more to me for certain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasAK Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 The Doves in Flight has a 1.575 nut The Hummingbird Pro has a 1.68 nut It is available at Woodwind & Brass The Brad Paisley j-45 has a 1.625 nut It may be hard to find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarLight Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 I play both, but it is my opinion that the neck SHAPE...its girth, roundness and form...such as C shape necks...D shape necks...and V shapes necks, and there are still others... which make much more difference than the unbelievably tiny fraction of difference found between 1.68 and 1.72 To me a necks shape has everything to do with comfort playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 All this nitpicking proves is that there is no substitute for trying out a guitar in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 I think the OP brought this topic up a couple of months ago initially disguised as a concern with variations in distances between the bridge pins. As I recall, the conclusion was that the 0.035" at the nut, divided by 6, translated to a distance between each of the 6 strings that was smaller than a gnat's eyelash. We are not talking about the difference between an electric nut and a classical nut here. The shape and profile of the neck will matter more. If Jesse holds to his plan of not buying his Hummingbird until the summer, we can expect to see this topic another 4 or 5 times, and the question about "50 shades of Hummingbird Bursts" as many. Sort of like "Groundhog Day" the movie. You're missing my point, as are a few others. I had no intention of starting a controversial nut width thread, nor am I going to bring up religion or politics. My confusion was whether Gibson was making some Hummingbirds/J-45s with 1-11/16" and some with 1.725" and if this was tied to the iced tea burst or what. You're right that the bridge spacing is more important to me, but the nut width is also important if I'm playing without a capo. Thus, my thread topic title... It was not nut width vs. nut width or anything like that; it was specifically aimed at new Gibsons (as in 2015). The iced tea burst on Hummingbirds and J-45s is new. Baked tops is new. I care about nut width, bridge string spacing and top coloration. I'm going to be spending a long time with this guitar, and I want to make sure I get it right. As far as nut width, the basic standards are 1-11/16" and 1-3/4", and Gibson's standard is right smack in between the two, which I've found to be fine, and I've found the neck profile on the Hummingbird to be more than fine. I wasn't asking about comparing and contrasting. Folks brought that up of their own volition. I know what I like. What I don't know is what Gibson offers, where or why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 I checked all the Hummingbird models on the Gibson homepage. There all 1.725 of course the Iced Tea Burst is not there but I would think it would be like the other models. Sweetwater has one in stock I would email them and ask the nut width . They always replied in a day or less when I e mail them. I didn't know Gibson had so many Hummingbird models until I went through there acoustic products. Also bring a small tape measure with you and you can double check.. I think that's a good idea! I sometimes have to wonder if the 1.725" nuts don't get mistaken for 1-11/16", creating some confusion (confusion for me at least if not anyone else). I've heard Music Villa mention 1-11/16" on the iced tea J-45, and someone else mentioned a new J-45 with a 1-11/16", so I panicked a little! I'll give Sweetwater a holler. I might also e-mail Gibson and ask if there is a variety of nut widths on purpose or if they're all the same. And I think the tape measure idea is a good one! The 1.725" nut width with the 2-3/16" bridge string spacing on the Hummingbird Quilt I played, along with that specific neck profile, was really perfect for me. I want to make sure I get the exact same thing... :) I am very particular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wetdog Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 This might sound kinda dumb but you could check the specs on the guitar before you lay down the cash. Then there is always measuring. If you want to be super accurate use a dial caliper. The guitars you're all talking about are not cheap by my way of thinking so be sure what you are getting before you get it!! B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jannusguy2 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Say thank you to the nice man for giving you a thoughtful and civil answer to your question and then get some digital calipers put your question where the sun doesn't shine. Get it in there good and tight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 Gibson specs aren't always the easiest to check, and not everything is on their website (nor correct or updated frequently). There isn't even any mention yet of iced tea bursts on their website. If I didn't know any better, I'd just think everything they made was 1.725" at the nut. I'm actually still not sure whether that's the case. Maybe it is. You can bet I'll be sure before I buy, which is why I asked if some new ones were coming with narrower nuts or what. I don't get what was so weird or offensive about my question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.