Don't complain that the guitar is too big for you

[Marty Grass]

Here is a Guild Artist Award, a typical 17" structure, in the lap of a small woman. She is dwarfed with it, but is a happy dwarf.



Maybe when she's 65 she'll downsize her guitar as her body downsizes.

[Wildcat]

Her arms look twice the lenght of my stubby T-Rex arms.

[sgosnell]

She will certainly downsize in height if she keeps playing in that position.

[AllanAllen]

Yeah, people always want it to be some outside force holding them back. Not a lack of effort, practice, or discipline. It's these hands, my pinky is too short, if I only had better tone, then I wouldn't flub all these notes. It's this guitar, it's made in china, an American one would make me better.

[Marty Grass]

She will certainly downsize in height if she keeps playing in that position.

She's 40 years old and hasn't downsized yet. But of course ultimately we all downsize I suppose.

[sgosnell]

We all do sooner or later. I just wish I had started later.

[Jim Soloway]

Yeah, people always want it to be some outside force holding them back. Not a lack of effort, practice, or discipline. It's these hands, my pinky is too short, if I only had better tone, then I wouldn't flub all these notes. It's this guitar, it's made in china, an American one would make me better.

I think this may be a bit overly general in it's condemnation. I can't handle a large guitar but it certainly doesn't hold me back. I just play smaller guitars and get on with things.

[jazzkritter]

I had an Artist Award and thought it was small, but I’m 6-1. Probably the only archtop I developed active hatred towards.

AllenAllen is right...Complaining to my first jazz teacher Bill Bitner about my large palm and shorter fingers, he cut me off with:
”have you seen Django Reinhardt’s fingers?“

[JGinNJ]

For most of the video, she's not actually playing it anyway, so there's that much less to complain about. For everybody.

[Dennis D]

..........I'll admit to ' down-weighting ' as I've gotten older... ......( assuming that's even a word )....

....for me that guitar would be just fine - if it didn't weigh over 7+1/2 pounds, which I'm pretty sure it does....

.......but I'd rather have to make do with that guitar and that shape than the 3 p/u LP I ( mistakenly) tried once......

..just MHO.....

[skykomishone]

No complaints, just acceptance and accomodation. Besides, there's just more to love!

[Gitfiddler]

Carol Kaye loved her big Epiphone.

[Woody Sound]

Depends on if you hold it "in the elbow" or "over the elbow." In either case, a recipe for shoulder joint problems down the road.

[Jimmy blue note]

There are a lot of ways a player finds a fit with a guitar. I've played some that felt too small, had some that felt too big, some too big that were smaller than the guitar I was using, and though I play a 15" guitar now, it's because of the sound and feel, the balance and this uncanny feeling that it reflects what I play in a way that makes the instrument "invisible" when I'm playing. But I don't really attribute it to the size of the guitar as much as who I become when I'm playing it.
One time I spent some time with a D'Angelico New Yorker, 18". I had to adjust the way I sat with it so my arms and hands could get around on it, but once I started playing, it wasn't a guitar, but a conduit for turning ideas into sound that felt amazing. I knew at that point "THIS is what all the talk is about."

My feeling is, when you become good enough to recognize extraordinary, in what you play, and what you play it on, it's not a matter of size, but you'll know it.
I love Mary Halvorson. When she plays, she owns it. The guitar has her voice. It fits.

[mad dog]

As with everything else musical, generalizations are not always that useful.

I'm 6' tall, long waisted, long arms, always thought any size guitar would work equally well. And they do, with one exception. Not body size per se, but body size and scale. A 17" lower bout archtop with 25.5" scale bothers my left wrist. Same size archtop with 24.75" scale is perfect. No idea why that would be. Perhaps my posture or approach to the instrument is wrong. Whatever the case, I won't persist with something that doesn't feel right.

[Doctor Jeff]

Her arms look twice the lenght of my stubby T-Rex arms.

I got your body right now on my mind
But I drunk myself blind
To the sound of old T-Rex
To the sound of old T-Rex
Oh, and Who's Next?

[coolvinny]

Hugely depends on whether you play seated vs. standing. Personally almost all my playing is standing (you know, what with sitting being the new smoking and all, although I've been mostly standing for guitar since about 2012). Also interesting that she does not "cross a leg" to put the guitar in the right (approx) position for her. That's actually because the guitar is so big. When I play "seated" I still use the strap and so the guitar is basically in the same position as I'd have it in while standing, but if I was playing without a strap and with the guitar just resting on my leg I'd go for a larger instrument too.

[Jim Soloway]

She's 40 years old and hasn't downsized yet. But of course ultimately we all downsize I suppose.

I've downsized in every dimension. It's amazing to me. I now wear size small clothes from Costco and even those sometimes are too big.

[Donplaysguitar]

As with everything else musical, generalizations are not always that useful.

I'm 6' tall, long waisted, long arms, always thought any size guitar would work equally well. And they do, with one exception. Not body size per se, but body size and scale. A 17" lower bout archtop with 25.5" scale bothers my left wrist. Same size archtop with 24.75" scale is perfect. No idea why that would be. Perhaps my posture or approach to the instrument is wrong. Whatever the case, I won't persist with something that doesn't feel right.

I think I can relate. If you find yourself playing that long one again you might try tilting the neck up.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

St Vincent designed her signature guitar to fit.

[Doctor Jeff]

I've downsized in every dimension. It's amazing to me. I now wear size small clothes from Costco and even those sometimes are too big.

Can you teach me the secret of downsizing? I've been upsizing pretty steadily for the last few years, and trying to keep my L from going to XL.

[Jim Soloway]

Can you teach me the secret of downsizing? I've been upsizing pretty steadily for the last few years, and trying to keep my L from going to XL.

We're vegetarians and I cook pretty much every meal using healthy and fresh ingredients. We rarely eat out and we stay away from most processed foods and manufactured snacks. We also exercise every day. (I should probably also mention that we don't drink).

[Cunamara]

I don't usually listen to Mary Halvorson (nor to Derek Bailey, of whom she reminds me) but I have to say that she has found a guitar sound that really seems to suit what she does.

[2bornot2bop]

I had an Artist Award and thought it was small, but I’m 6-1. Probably the only archtop I developed active hatred towards.

AllenAllen is right...Complaining to my first jazz teacher Bill Bitner about my large palm and shorter fingers, he cut me off with:
”have you seen Django Reinhardt’s fingers?“

Why did you develop a hatred towards an Artist Award? I found that guitar as one of the finest guitar specimens ever created. However it’s 3 1/8” in depth. Not nearly as deep as an L5. Do you hate L5’s too?

[Donplaysguitar]

We're vegetarians and I cook pretty much every meal using healthy and fresh ingredients. We rarely eat out and we stay away from most processed foods and manufactured snacks. We also exercise every day. (I should probably also mention that we don't drink).

pretty close to the Mediterranean diet, but it allows lean protein (i.e. fish) and pasta and wine - as in ONCE per week. and lots of walking.

cardiologists recommend.

I call it the NF diet. (No Fun). But it works.