Just curious as to what string spacings people on here prefer.
2 7/32 or 2 1/16 etc? and why?
im just considering options, is there much noticeable difference when playing between the two above?

You know, that's a question I honestly couldn't answer. I have no idea what the string spacing on my guitars is. All I know is that they look like they have an even amount of space between the strings and aren't too far towards the edges of the fingerboard.
MULLY

Well, I have the vintage spacing on my '85 MIJ Squier and I have the import spacing on my other 4 Strats at the moment and to me there's not really that much of a difference. I guess if I had to choose, I prefer the narrower spacing of the imports such as my MIM's but that's not to say that my '85 Squier is "bad" by -any- stretch of the imagination...very wonderful feel on that guitar. I suspect I prefer the narrower spacing a little more simply because I've been playing it longer.

Now that said, I have around 25 guitars at the moment and I have many different necks of various shapes and sizes. My Seagull acoustic for example has a -really- wide neck (even for an acoustic!) which is really great for finger picking. Both of my Ovation acoustics though are much more like my Strats as far as feel goes...the necks on my two Ovations really feel much more like "electric" necks than they do acoustics (which I love by the way). Really, it just comes down to personal preference...some folks can be extraordinarily picky and some folks will just play "whatever". Either way for a lot of people that difference with the Strat spacing really isn't that big of a deal at all. If you're really not sure which you prefer, go in to your local music store and try both...you may be surprised at just how similar they are.

Just my $.02 worth,
Jim

I notice a huge difference between the two at home where I mainly use my fingers. With a plectrum I dont notice much if any difference.

I ended up putting a wilkinson trem on my mexican body to convert it to 56mm string spacing.

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No no and no

Why is the string spacing different between guitars? Does one have an advantage over the other?

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Bill

Good point Nick. I think that a person's technique may have as much to do with their preferences in this case. I hadn't really thought about that but yea...on my electrics I use picks (err...plectrums) most of the time. As I said above, my Seagull S-6 acoustic has pretty wide string spacing and that is of course the guitar that I do most of my finger picking with.

Another thing too there I think may also be simple "ergonomics". For a fairly big guy I have rather small hands so for me, I really do like thinner, narrower necks for most of my regular playing...which usually involves a pick.




Well, I think the first big reason may simply be "the metric system". Fender as an American company of course has used standard measurements on their products...at least their American products since the very beginning I'm sure. Then later in the 80's, some how the Made in Japan instruments seem to have acquired some of the early specs and thus also have "standard spacing". Now I could certainly be wrong here but I suspect that as Fender started moving their facilities more and more outside of the country and in to Mexico, Korea, Indonesia and later still China, I suspect being a "global manufacturer" it was just easier for Fender to use metric as apposed to forcing standard in a world that doesn't really use it much any more. Now that's the logical conclusion...I do have another theory...

Ok...this is an opinion...a personal opinion and it's -my- personal opinion. I don't have anything to really back it up but to me it does seem logical. Let's look at an American Standard vs. a Squier Standard. At first glance they appear to have rather similar bridge systems...2 point trem, non-stamped saddles, very similar aesthetics, etc.. Of course I'm sure the American uses a higher quality metal for those saddles than the Squier does and it goes without saying the American has a far superior trem block. Of course the thing here is that you can NOT interchange them (at least not easily without some -serious- alterations). Because the American uses a standard measurement and the Squier uses a metric measurement, one doesn't fit where the other was....they're slightly off. Personally I suspect a portion of this is deliberate...they don't want people putting American bridges on Squier bodies. Yea, Fender sells -a lot- of Squiers but they still want to sell American's too and while there will always be a market for that, there would be a lot of people like myself who would buy the less expensive guitar and just upgrade the crap out of it (which I do with my MIM's anyways). As such I think they may try to make things a bit difficult between the various models out there.

Now as to whether one has an advantage over another...beyond what's already being discussed here, no...not really. Like Nick and I were just sort of scratching at there, a wider string spacing might be more accommodating for someone who does a lot of finger picking...that certainly makes sense especially if you have large hands. As such that would certain affect the playability of the instrument as a whole...but that doesn't say it's a bad instrument, just says it may not be best suited to a given style. Conversely, a person who's something of a speed demon may prefer a narrower neck with a closer string spacing to accomidate some "speed". Either way though most of it just really comes down to personal preference...what the individual prefers. Personally I use a pick most of the time and I really like the spacing on my MIM's but my '85 MIJ runs a very close second .

Peace,
Jim

Hi bluesky636: some of this goes way back. If you read the reviews of acoustic guitars in the magazines you will notice much is often made of the string spacing at the bridge. The conventional wisdom is that wider spacing is better for fingerpickers, narrower spacing for strummers. Makers like Martin have been doing variations on those dimensions forever.

To ray_tard: I guess if push comes to shove I'd opt for a wider 56mm at the bridge, with a 43 mil nut giving a string spacing of around 35mm at that end.

But as Jim/lomitus says, above:

I expect I fall closer to the "whatever" camp...

Cheers - C