How difficult would an 18 inch guitar be for someone 5'3"?

[nopedals]

[Guitarbean25]

I'm 5'4" and was dealt a sobering fact that my Dad gave me when I was younger when he explained my "handicap"

'Since you're not a big guy, AND you're left handed you're going to have to learn throughout life to handle the tools of a larger right handed man, I tell you this now to get over it"

I am a firearms instructor and handle weapons that make 6'6" linebackers weep, play guitar "right handed" swing large roofing hammers and don't crab about it. Look at those diminutive Mexican mariachi trios. They use those gigantic guitars all night long and handle it. Granted they're not playing like Wes Mo but they handle the size.

Then it comes down to whether or not you can comfortably play your style with a larger body. I'm more comfortable with a big dreadnaught acoustic sitting but I would rather have the bigger sound envelope than a bit more comfort.

PS, I'm always looking for a widow with a super 400 :-)

Well said. Just gotta man up.

To be honest, I've been doing a lot of experimentation with my SE in an effort to fund the best position.

[2bornot2bop]

the day I feel so qualified to criticize Wes Montgomery, for anything, that's the day I'm done with this or any jazz guitar forum.

[wintermoon]

[feral guitar]

I'm 6'1" and it hurts my picking arm (i only sit and play)

[oldane]

that's a bad position

Maybe so. But it's the only position I can manage with my fat belly, and it works well enough for me. I can keep my wrist straight and all.

Freddie Green held the guitar even more horizontal and that's in fact even more ergonomic when playing that 4-to-the-bar rhythm style. That way, the strumming hand is in a relaxed position as opposed to when the guitar is upright. Many of the big band guitarists used that position. Apart from Freddie Green, Allan Reus was one.

[2bornot2bop]

Maybe so. But it's the only position I can manage with my fat belly, and it works well enough for me. I can keep my wrist straight and all.

Freddie Green held the guitar even more horizontal and that's in fact even more ergonomic when playing that 4-to-the-bar rhythm style. That way, the strumming hand is in a relaxed position as opposed to when the guitar is upright. Many of the big band guitarists used that position. Apart from Freddie Green, Allan Reus was one.

Maybe Freddie Green and Wes should have taken lessons from Fumblefingers, and then perhaps neither would have developed such poor guitar positioning issues?

[Greentone]

When Freddie Green was a young man he played a Stromberg Master 400 in the standard position with no problem, all night long. The Stromberg was even bigger than the 18" Gretsch he played late in his career. As Green aged, he went to a more relaxed posture. There are different theories about this, but I remain convinced that it was because he wanted to hear the guitar. An 18" acoustic instrument doesn't open up "up close." By placing the top plate of the guitar more towards the ceiling, it is possible to hear the guitar from the player's position--try it. I think Green wanted to hear exactly what he was producing, at a time when his own hearing was deteriorating.

One thing is certain. This position really gave the audience a clear view of Green's action--which was ungodly high.

[Greentone]

Honest advice: at 5'3" you will want to think about a 16" guitar, IMO. There are many exceptional archtops in this size.

[mikeSF]

tilt that neck up a bit and any guitar is playable. Also, I recommend always wearing a strap to position the guitar in front of you. good luck

[Greentone]

Here's a better picture of young Freddie Green with Stromberg. Notice Charlie Christian with ES250 at same session.

[oldane]

When Freddie Green was a young man he played a Stromberg Master 400 in the standard position with no problem, all night long. The Stromberg was even bigger than the 18" Gretsch he played late in his career.

True, Green posistioned the guitar more and more horizontal as years went by. But even in the first pictures of him I have seen (with an Epiphone Emperor) I would say it was held at about a 45 degrees angle. Both the Emperor and the Stromberg has a smaller upper bout than say a Super 400 or Greens later Gretsch Eldorado, so those instruments may have felt not quite as big.

One advantage of holding the guitar tilted is that it leaves the back free to vibrate = more bass and louder volume (of course that applies to acoustic instruments).

I use a Triggs 19" Stromberg "hommage" for acoustic rhythm and I play it comfortably when it's tilted to a more horizontal position (maybe 60 degrees, not as flat as Green) When more upright, it's more awkward - and like I wrote, my belly now prevents the perfectly upright position.

[Finn]

Here's a better picture of young Freddie Green with Stromberg. Notice Charlie Christian with ES250 at same session.

So Charlie Christian had a bad playing position as well, this gets better and better

[2bornot2bop]

Honest advice: at 5'3" you will want to think about a 16" guitar, IMO. There are many exceptional archtops in this size.

18" - 16"...there is no comparison. I don't care how great the 16" is...but what do I know, I'm only a piano player who decided to study guitar.

[Woody Sound]

[AlsoRan]

Folks, in this position my leg would fall asleep in five minutes and stay numb until I walked around.

I must have always had some sort of circulatory problem.

[Spook410]

18" - 16"...there is no comparison. I don't care how great the 16" is...but what do I know, I'm only a piano player who decided to study guitar.

You know.. they are different. But not in a 'one is better than the other' way. Which one you prefer probably depends on that elusive sound you have floating around in your head. Also there are so many variables you would have to nail it down to construction, woods, and player technique to get an apples to apples look at it.

[entresz]

I play my 17" Gretsch Synchromatic 400 on an angle, similar to Freddie. I can hear it better and it feels comfortable. Having nothing touching the back of the guitar makes quite a big difference in the tone and projection of the guitar.

[Danny W.]

You know.. they are different. But not in a 'one is better than the other' way. Also there are so many variables you would have to nail it down to construction, woods, and player technique to get an apples to apples look at it.

I find that in actual performance venues, rather than a living room or showroom, the sonic difference tend to get lost. Since I always work with a bass player, the extra low-register heft that comes with a big guitar is more of a liability than an asset.

With my big band, no one really hears me anyway, so I might as well be comfortable.

All that being said, my Gibson L-5 Signatures sound great despite being only 15.5" X 2 & 5/8"--I really don't feel like I'm compromising when I choose one rather than a bigger guitar.

Danny W.

[Greentone]

When playing solo, I really like a big guitar. I also use chord forms that employ the bottom three strings. When playing with a bass, I invariably employ chord forms that use the top four strings. At that point, a 16" guitar sounds just super.

If I were kicking it four to the bar in a big band, a la Green, I would probably use an old Emperor or Deluxe Epiphone and really thump it out acoustically. I have only had that pleasure in a pit band once during a musical play. (It was a lot of fun.)

[oldane]

Folks, in this position my leg would fall asleep in five minutes and stay numb until I walked around.

My leg tend to do the same, but I also use a guitar foot stool for the left foot so I can switch between that and crossed legs as I like.

BTW, I also use a piece of silicone rubber weave (the same fishermen use under their dinner plates when the sea is rough) on the left thigh so the tilted guitar doesn't slide to a position flatter than intended. Classical players often suggest a piece of chamois for this, but it doesn't do the trick for me.

[uburoibob]

Here's a shot of George Gobel playing, sort of sitting down. He was 5' 5".



And here is a link to a website I put up when I sold my 1939 Super 400. David Grisman bought it!

http://bobmartin1111.com/Super400/

Bob

[Patrick2]

My leg tend to do the same, but I also use a guitar foot stool for the left foot so I can switch between that and crossed legs as I like.

BTW, I also use a piece of silicone rubber weave (the same fishermen use under their dinner plates when the sea is rough) on the left thigh so the tilted guitar doesn't slide to a position flatter than intended. Classical players often suggest a piece of chamois for this, but it doesn't do the trick for me.

Be careful of that silicone on the nitro cel lacq . . . especially on that beautiful Triggs Stromberg.

[fumblefingers]

Maybe Freddie Green and Wes should have taken lessons from Fumblefingers, and then perhaps neither would have developed such poor guitar positioning issues?

no but a lesson from Segovia would have sufficed. on second thought, nah. too cultured, too educated. not folksy and quirky enough.

the truth is all that matters, not opinion or fan worship. and the truth is that it doesn't matter who it is, was, or will be. there's no getting around it, those are not optimal playing positions for a complete guitarist. but then none of them were - not even Wes.

[2bornot2bop]

Oh, if anyone on this forum could only be such an incomplete guitarist as Wes. That's like sayin', you've been to the moon?...so what?