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I have not had a solid body for a very long time and I have not seriously played one other than needing one for a gig here and there basically ever in my professional career. I just got a partscaster and I absolutely love everything about it - it is at the top of my guitars up there with the L5 because it is just so playable and sounds great. BUT...
I am having some problems with my right arm. Standing helps but I am getting some cramps and I am just not used to having such a small body. The smallest guitar I have is an Ibanez Artist 2630, which has a 335 style body and I don't have problems with that - it is not so much the depth but rather that my arm doesn't go over the guitar in the same spot and I guess I am not able to find a good spot. The body is just so small that once I get the pick where I want it on the strings (right behind the neck pickup, which is a humbucker so it is taking up more room than a normal single cool) there is just not a spot for my arm.
Has anyone experienced this - being mainly an archtop player and then wanting to/having to put serious time in on a solidbody but having a hard time adjusting to the smaller body? Any suggestions? I have taken to playing standing up lately even with archtops and that does help of course since the small body on my leg doesn't help much, and that is an improvement but it is still not comfortable when playing for a few hours. This is only the third day with the guitar so I know there is an adjustment period but I wanted to check if I am missing something obvious that might help.
Here is the guitar by the way. I really love it.
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04-24-2017 11:22 PM
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I switch back and forth all the time and use a strap sitting or standing so once I get it adjusted all is good. I find Tele's one of the most comfortable guitars to play.
Over the past few years I've been playing smaller body archtop 14" and 16" and preferring them to large body boxes for comfort and play-ability.Last edited by docbop; 04-25-2017 at 12:33 PM.
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The late, great, Roy Buchanan was asked in an interview why he wore his guitar so high. He said it was from watching Les Paul, who had right arm problems of his own. He said wearing the guitar up high "like a bib" put everything right under his fingers. I've done it that way ever since. Straps with all guitars, standing or sitting. With my Teles, the upper bout/strap button is centered over the sternum with the guitar angled so that the tip of the headstock is at eye level. This allows me to reach everything without strain.
Hope this helps.
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Same here, only that my background is in Classical technique. Our drummer makes fun of me because I wear the guitar so high.
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hehe, this partcaster is a jazz player's solidbody if i ever saw one! Looks great. About the hand thing, i believe over time one gets used to it, so let it sink in. If you are only uncomfortable after a few hours, and this only after three days, you 'll be used to the smaller body in no time.
I 've always found the position players like adam rogers or rodney jones play very helpful, having the neck lower, thus keeping both hands close to a 90 degrees angle. But i don't think it would help on the smaller body thing, that just needs time.
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I try to put my guitars in the same spot in relation to my body. I play hollow bodies and Telecasters. My straps are set up small so that the guitar sits higher up on my chest. When I sit, the guitar is in the same position in relation top my body. This makes the change from hollowbody to solid body less of an issue and as a result there is little change in my hand position.
I hope that's clear
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I actually have the opposite problem: I'm much more comfortable with a smaller guitar and I struggle with even a 16" arch top. I find the Dynarette Cushion very useful for playing sitting down and especially useful when playing with a solid body.
Dynarette Guitar Support Cushion, Large 5 inches
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Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
I recently purchased a guitar cushion. It does help.
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I keep forgetting about those - I really need to order one.
I jacked up the height on my strap and now it is higher than my archtops which helps. One thing, though, that is bothering me is the fairly "sharp" edge of the Tele body which goes right against the tendon underneath my forearm. Can't be good to have that pressed against there for extended periods of time. I need a cushion or something to put under there.
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I am a medium hanger either standing or sitting. I never saw the allure of the Pete Townsend ape arm approach. I guess that if I only wanted to play 2-3 chords it would work. I can't do the full on bib approach either. That's too high for me.
The only discomfort I have is with short scale guitars. I could get used to it, but I like the room on a 25.5" scale. That said, I have a Godin Jazz at 24.8" which is OK. I still may sell it at some point though.
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If you only play thick strings and don't bend or vibrato much then there isn't much of a problem. But it removes freedom of movement and power from your left wrist. I didn't realize this for decades, but with age my left wrist started to hurt badly. Originally Posted by lammie200
The cure was to lower the guitar .. wrap my thumb over the fretboard and go for a three finger style of playing.
Paul Gilbert illustrates in this commercial for dimarzio straps and pickups:
Last edited by Lobomov; 04-26-2017 at 04:50 PM.
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Solid bodies. I use my wrist. accoustics, hollow bodies I use my arm. semi's I use a combo.
Does not seem to matter if I am sitting or standing with a solid body because I use my wrist, my arm hardly moves.
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I have never heard anyone advocate low guitar wearing for anything of that than looks. Interesting. I do play heavy strings though and prefer to have an easier time on my left wrist and facilitating pinky use so that will never happen for me. Originally Posted by Lobomov
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If it works for you that is great. I am not a thumb over player. Also, I can't hear the sound on the video right now, but I would call his position medium-low. That is pretty close to how I play standing up. By low I was talking mid thigh and lower. Grunge and punk style. Originally Posted by Lobomov
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Good position for vibrato, but also for tendonitits if you play with a lot of finger stretches (jazz chords...), hammer-ons, and pull-offs! Originally Posted by Lobomov
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I always wear a strap on my tele, sitting or standing.
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Fir me it changes... I felt very uncomfortable even with semi-hollows... but once I got one and got used... and then teh same thing happend to solid bodies...
But now I play all different shapes... more or less at a time ( I mean not the same day but regularly)
big super jumbo acoustic
strat
baroque guitar
baroque lutr
archtop L-5 style
Ibanez semi-hollow
And I really do not notice the switch... maybe it is just physiology, or personal expereice...
I play with a pick, fingerstule, thumb-pick
Left hand I play both classical and thumb-over.. so probably this helps to adjust my hands quickly
Though strat seems most comfortable to me today.
I think one just has to play one instrument long really long enough to really get if it fits good or not. Some problems go away with time but some may come up later..
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I watched the Paul Gilbert vid and the one (only) thing I got from it was his parting comment "doing what you need to do". Exactly. Put the guitar at the height that allows you to do what you need to do. Between what you're trying to accomplish in your playing, your body size and guitar thickness etc. there are a lot of "correct" heights & positions to set your guitar at.
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