Topic: Classical to - well, what?

I started playing less than a year ago.  Just for fun.  I'm a bass player who has never been able to make sense of what the other two strings were for.  Anyway, I've gotten enough into guitar that my basses are getting dusty.  I'm not serious about, just doing it as a lark, but it's fun and I expect that I'll keep doing it ad infinitum.  I get ten minutes to an hour of practice most days.  I've got young kids, a job, other hobbies, etc.  Life. 

Now, what I'm playing on is a Yamaha classical given to me when I helped a friend move and he found it in the back of his late wife's closet.  I like it fine.  But, it's really hard to play barre chords for me.  I'm an adult man, but I've got bony little girl fingers.  When I try a barre chord, my knuckles get in the way because either my fingers are too short or my neck is too wide.  I figure it would be easier to get a guitar with a narrower neck than to lengthen my fingers or file down my knuckles. 

My playing is mostly fingerpick style (very, very beginner on that) and rhythm strumming (beginner on that though bass playing comes in handy for understanding rhythm and fills). 

What should I be looking for?  Am I on the right track?

So far, I've liked the Breedlove Atlas concert size (a little smaller than dreadnaught)

I've liked the Baby Taylor (but would prefer a full size guitar)

I've like a Martin model that's all laminate rather than solid wood but it sounds good to me

I've like a Seagull but thought the highs were a little jangly and the lows weren't fleshed out enough.  That could be my playing, though.

All fairly low end models in those manufacturers lines.  Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments, especially about features for the kind of playing I do and want to do (which is more fingerpick).

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

2 (edited by Tone_Obsession94 2007-07-16 13:09:33)

Re: Classical to - well, what?

Hey

If you are going to fingerpick most of the time, you would probably benefit most from a nylon strung guitar, a classical guitar as they call them.   However, if your fingers really are to short, then you might want to get a steel strung.  Classical guitars tend to have wider necks.

As for the barre chords.  Just keep practicing.  They are a pain in the a** for everyone.  Took me a good 8 months to fully master them.  A nylon string guitar will stress your fingers less and will probably be much easier than a steel strung guitar to pull off a barre chord anyway.

Tone_Obsession94

Re: Classical to - well, what?

The big innovation steel strung guitars brought wasn't the strings but the steel rod in the neck - the truss rod. The rod makes the neck stronger so it can be narrower. Without it necks have to be deeper and wider. Classical guitars are based in a tradition to which the steel rod is anathema.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'