imed<\/a> \u201cstudies show that 90 percent of people learning to play guitar quit within the first three months\u201d but I could not find a citation for this number.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIs it not reasonable to assume that hand comfort can be a factor in people struggling with or even quitting to play guitar? A guitar neck that is too small or too large for your hands can cause cramping and make certain stretches across the fretboard harder than they should be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nSize Matters for Guitar Necks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The most overlooked element to learning guitar has nothing to do with your skill level or hand size: it\u2019s the shape of the neck! Necks can come in a wide variety of shapes, sized, widths, fret sizes, radius, and scale lengths. And that does not even take into account the variety of string gauges and materials. All of these elements will have an impact on how comfortably your hand fits around the neck and onto the fretboard. Yet hardly anyone talks to beginners about the importance of finding a comfortable neck first and foremost.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you have smaller hands, you\u2019ll likely hear an experienced player claim \u201cany hand can play any guitar, you\u2019ll just get used to it\u201d but that advice is far too presumptive. Some neck designs will just leave your hand feeling sore and fatigued, more sore than a well-fit neck would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comfort and ease-of-use play a huge factor in any habit formation: your brain does not want to start a new habit, so any difficulty in the new habit will be more fodder for your subconscious mind to resist. Make the habit of playing guitar as easy for your brain as possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nMy Experience with Neck Designs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n I started playing guitar on a cheap pawn shop dreadnought that was too big for my skinny little fingers. Also, the neck was always sticky from the overdone finish on it and\u2014unbeknownst to me at the time\u2014the action was high enough to let a barge pass underneath. It hampered my efforts horribly. Fast forward a few years and I eventually got a Fender Stratocaster as a gift, which had a much thinner and slicker neck. It helped, but I often found my hand cramping after playing chords for even a short period of time. It was not until I bought some cheap Chinese knockoffs that I realized my biggest issue was the radius of the neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost all Fender and Squier necks come with a 9.5\u201d radius, but all of the Chinese copies I bought had 14\u201d radius. The difference to my hands was noticeable to say the least. That\u2019s why I sold my Fender Strat and now play an $80 Harley Benton ST-20 with a flatter radius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suffice to say, my experience in learning guitar could have been a lot more comfortable if I knew what kind of neck would pair well with my hand dimensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for acoustics, I currently play a Martin 000jr which, like most Martin guitars, has a whomping 1.75\u201d nut width. But surprisingly, the neck is quite comfortable for me and I now prefer the wider nut width so my fingers have more room for playing fingerstyle. This leads me to my final comment on the matter of hands and necks…<\/p>\n\n\n
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You Can Move Up in Neck Size As You Progress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Do you remember all of those people who successfully learned guitar, who may tell you that \u201cany size hand can play any size guitar…you\u2019ll get used to it\u201d. There is a bit of truth to their statement. As you progress in your guitar playing and you improve the muscle strength of your fretting hand, you indeed can get more comfortable with larger necks. That\u2019s because the muscles in your hand will tone with time and your fingers will develop greater dexterity. You\u2019re fingers won\u2019t physically get bigger, but they will become more flexible\u2014giving you greater movement over a wider range of neck shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The point of this whole PSA is simply this: an experienced guitar player has less trouble playing any kind of neck because he\/she has trained their hands. But a beginner is be less flexible, so the size of the neck can more readily impact their progress. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThat is why I advocate on beginners with small hands finding a comfortable neck to make the learning process easier for them. When they\u2019ve built up the necessary hand strength and dexterity, they\u2019ll be less physically restricted. But in the meantime, small players should make the learning process as easy as possible by making their hands as comfortable as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Find the Right Guitar Neck for You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n So with all of that said, how can you benefit from this information and find the best shape and profile of neck for your hands? The most surefire way is to visit a large guitar store with plenty of variety and try out as many guitars are possible. But that\u2019s not always <\/strong>possible, depending on where you live<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRather than spit out a bunch of complicated neck dimensions for you to study and agonize over, I\u2019ve decided to compile a list of guitar that might feel more comfortable for small hands. I\u2019ll provide some dimensions on each pick so you can get an idea of why it may suit you. This should not be considered a definitive list, as the specific size and girth of your fingers and palms make neck shape a very subjective subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6 Electric Guitars for Small Hands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Several of the guitars mentioned below are available from Thomann Music. The reason I prefer Thomann over GuitarCenter or other US retailers is because they have a better selection and a good customer service reputation. If you use my affiliate link<\/a> to place an order, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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\nSquier Paranormal Series Super-Sonic.<\/strong> This is one weird instrument, but it has the thinnest nut width of any Fender-made guitar you can get. It\u2019s also a short scale, which means your arm will not need to stretch as far to play near the nut.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
Nut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.575″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>9.5″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>C Shape<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>24″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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\nSX RST \u00be by Rondo Music.<\/strong> This is a mini Stratocaster copy with a very thin width and profile, meant for children who are learning but also applicable for smaller adults.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
Nut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.5″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>13″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>C Shape<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>24″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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\nSquier Mini Stratocaster. <\/strong>This is a \u00be size version of the Stratocaster with a very short scale length but, surprisingly, a nut width larger than the last entry. This model is also meant for smaller people, like children, who are learning the guitar.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.6″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>9.5″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>C Shape<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>22.75″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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\nHarley Benton JA-60.<\/strong> I\u2019m including this because it\u2019s one of my personal picks. While I primarily play an ST-20, the neck on that model is a bit chunky. While that doesn\u2019t bother me, for beginners with less dexterity it may inhibit progress. The JA-60 is slightly thinner with jumbo frets and I find it extremely comfortable to play barre chords on. In addition, the JA-60 is actually a full scale guitar, unlike all the other options on this list.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.65″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>13.78″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>C Shape<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>25.5″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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\nIbanez AZES40.<\/strong> This is Ibanez\u2019s take on a short scale Strat copy. It takes a mixture of vintage Fender sentiment but with a decidedly comfortable twist. It’s not quite a full scale instrument, but instead takes a middle ground between the slinky Mustang scale and the full Strat length.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.65″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>9.84″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>C Shape<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>25″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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\nSquier Bullet Mustang.<\/strong> This is a bare-bones mustang copy with some considerable differences including: 2 humbuckers instead of singe coils, a hardtail bridge, and a flatter radius than Fender\u2019s standard.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.65″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>12″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>C Shape<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>24″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n5 Acoustic Guitars for Small Hands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
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\nTaylor GS Mini.<\/strong> This is one of the bestselling acoustic guitars right now, probably due to it\u2019s smaller neck and body size coupled with it\u2019s ample tone.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.6875″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>15″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>Slim Soft V<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>23.5″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\nSigma TM-12 or TM-15.<\/strong> This is a copy of Martin\u2019s Little Martin travel-sized model, but unlike a Little Martin this has a solid top (the 12 model is a spruce top, the 15 model is a mahogany top). For those who don\u2019t know, the Little Martin is the model size that Ed Sheeran used when he used to play Martins. In the United States, these Sigmas are sold under the brand name AMI, but you can still order Sigmas from the UK to the US on the Gear4Music website.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nNut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.6875″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>Users report it between 12″ and 16″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>Low Profile<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>23″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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\nBreedlove Discovery S Companion. <\/strong>The \u201cCompanion\u201d is a scaled-down version of their concert model, with a smaller scale length to match. Their full-size concert models probably also work for small hands, as the nut width is the same).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nNut Width<\/strong><\/td>1.69″<\/td><\/tr> Fretboard Radius<\/strong><\/td>16″<\/td><\/tr> Neck Profile<\/strong><\/td>Slim C<\/td><\/tr> Scale Length<\/strong><\/td>23.5″<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n