The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #72968   Message #1271284
Posted By: Noah Zacharin
13-Sep-04 - 01:56 PM
Thread Name: Looking for a beautiful guitar
Subject: RE: Looking for a beautiful guitar
I had a discussion with the late and great and quite beautiful Rick Fielding once about this subject. Through the past 5 years I have often had problems with wrist and elbow that seemed to originate mostly from work but which would be exacerbated by playing. I cut my proverbial musical teeth on a Gibson J-50 that had possibly the thinnest neck I've ever encountered--played it for about 20 years. I then bought myself a Collings OM with a wider neck and found that it caused pain in my hands and wrists (hence the discussion with aforementioned beautiful musician) that resolved over time, but initially made me realize how delicate the entire balance is. My Collings was stolen, and I bought a Lowden O25. It has a wider neck still, but I have grown used to it, and to love it. As a veteran of lovely guitars as well as of chronic pain, I'd suggest you need to try an instrument and see how it affects your body. As for the 000 Collings that a number of the folks have suggested--a buddy of mine has one, and although it does make grand and glorious noise, it has an even more uncomfortable neck than my Lowden. I still plan to get one but I know I'll have to get used to it. So what am I saying? Try out the instruments beforehand, and critically assess your technique to make certain that is not where the pain is coming from. 'nuff said. Enjoy.