Official Luthiers Forum!

Do you prefer a bridge with 2.25" or 2.125" string spacing?

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I like wide string spacing, but I'm a "chickin' picker". My personal guitar is 2 5/16" For the most part flat pickers like narrower spacing, and fingerstylist prefer wider spacing.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Like Woody, I play fingerstyle, and it was a real relevation years ago to find out that there were guitars with wide(r) string spacing.

The extra width at the nut helps the player keep from touching open strings and interfering with those notes; the wider sting spacing at the saddle helps you keep the strings separate with your plucking fingers, and even 'dig' or rest your fingers in between the strings, so you know where you are.

Of course, most flatpickers or strummers would probably prefer close(r) spacing.

So, as with a lot of questions, it depends on the player.

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

2 1/4" bridge spacing (and 1 7/8" nut width) for me.

On my prototyping guitar, I tried 2" nut and 2 1/2" bridge spacing, just to see what it's like. Still comfy for my large hands, but doesn't really offer any advantage, so I'll stick with 1 7/8" nut and 2 1/4" bridge.

Other stats for me... I can barely play 1 11/16" nut width. 1 3/4" is ok, but I still bump neighboring strings sometimes, especially if I don't clip my nails frequently. 2 1/8" bridge spacing is fine, but not quite as comfy as 2 1/4".

I like 'em wiiiiiiiiide.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I seem to be a very adaptable player. Some folks are fussy about neck shape and/or fingerboard width, but I'm not so much. Sometimes I strum and pick with a flat pick and sometimes I do fingerstyle with a thumb pick in alternate tunings. I'm working on my seventh guitar and I haven't sold any. I guess that if I get a comission I'd ask the future owner what they want. My current build is a Taylor Grand Auditorium shape with a 2.125" string spacing...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com