Re: neck width of classical guitar vs. steel strung guitar
"tysteel" <tysteel3000@aol.com> wrote in message
news:9107c25c-b0e3-4c5a-aabf-80d5f6e0211f@79g2000hsk.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks for the responses to this thread. Now I understand why
> classical and streel strung acoustics have different sized necks. I
> kind of wondered why makers or manufacturers generally build the steel
> string acoustics with slimmer necks than their classical
> counterparts. The music generally played on steel acoustic is more
> chordally based.
>
If you want some really knowledgeable advice on this, post to
rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic. Allan Carruth, a luthier, has done a lot
of work on non-traditional nylon string designs. I can't remember the
details, but I think he once wrote that nylon strings don't work well when
you get to the narrower spacing used for steel strings.
I think it has more to do with string excursion than anything else.
Classical and flamenco music are often based on using the open strings in
combination with playing the high frets, and nylon strings move a long way
when plucked. This is also why a high action is used, though flamenco
players often use a lower action to get the rattle when they do rascuedos
(spelling?). It might be the other way around, ie the high action needs wide
string spacing, or you could say they interact. If you use a high action on
a steel string, playing notes cleanly on the high frets becomes more
difficult.
Tony D
Tony D
<castlebrav…
RichL
