ABOUT THE SIZE OF HANDS

The size of your hands or fingers, or lack thereof makes little difference or none people adapt regardless of these factors Django Rinehart (not sure of the correct spelling) had a lack of mobility or a lack of fingers Im not sure which but is reconized as one of the greatest guitarist of all time and on a personal note I have very small hands and I am able to play and stretch 5 frets from the 1st fret and play a fmaj7 if you doubt this look at my profile picture on my web  site the chord formation is an a maj 7th (5 frets) and I can play this chord formation on the first or any fret this is not bragging just fact, also keep in mind there are those with severe handicaps ie. no fingers or arms that play with there feet or toes so the question comes down to desire and dedication and heart if you have any of these qualities nothing is impossible.

i saw the movie CROSSROADS where ralph machio outfretted steve vai.  they had some great licks.  the moral of the story still escapes me.

you aint the only one

Russell, I would suggest that your hands are not as small as you make out. Not as small as mine anyway (can't believe I'm having a discussion on mine's  smaller than yours!). What annoys me about the size of MY hands is my inability to get my thumb over the top of the neck to play those F anf F# bass notes. But we are an imaginative breed. If you love it you'll find ways to get round it (usually). Hand size determines how you play many chords and phrases. So it does matter. But only until you find a way of doing what you want to do in a way that suits you. Sounds easy but I'm still trying to find a way of getting those F's  and F#'s that sounds OK.

WOW again so many reactions. It is not about who has the biggest...but yet the biggest hands versus smaller hands.
THIS QUESTION IS VERY IMPORTANT, and you can spend AND loose a lot of $$$ if you come home and the neck is too thin for you. AND YES here we can say "SIZE MATTERS"
MY THEORY IS ALSO THAT PEOPLE WITH SMALL HANDS and as Russell sais, about SMALL fingers
- it is a lot more difficult if you try to take a specific chord.
- this results in another way to play guitar.
- Some chords in barré are extremely difficult to play if you have short fingers.
about big hands, including big fingers it's a lot easier to take difficult chords.

I have small hands, and I compared them in my music store, and my hands have exactly the same size as JAN AKKERMAN who was the guitarist of the band FOCUS, in 1973 he was elected as the best guitarist in the world. So, there is still hope for me.
JIMI HENDRIX had very long fingers.
MY PERSONAL CONCLUSION = no matter what size of hands you have, you will try and buy an instrument that  fits you. In my case my TELECASTER Reissue 1952 California Beach surf green and not available in the USA which starts to rise in value quit fast (only 1000 were made I think 2 strats included) = neck is too thick. Gibsons have a better neck and PRS too.
So size will matter when YOU BUY A GUITAR, and you adapt really fast your music style. So in fact big hands have only an advantage that you can take almost impossible chords, but DO YOU NEED this chords? That's the question.

I don't think size matters as much as what you can do with what you got. At 57 years old my old hands are battered and bruised from years of hard work. I'll never be a lightin' fast lead guitar player but I don't think that's what I want, either. I've already had to have my left hand (chord hand) operated on for (trigger finger) and now I'm having the same problems with my right hand. Trigger finger is when one or more fingers will lock into a curled position and not open back up without help due to "bulges" on the tendons that pass thru the joints, very painful. Anyway, due to age, temperment and ability I will continue with playing rythem guitar and leave all the hot licks and riffs to others. The rythem is the "SONG" anyway. Anything else just enhances the rythem.

Nela

Well I think reading all the answers that MY OPINION IS: Even big brands are OK for both.
- 1)  don' young people, with OR little OR big hands, there is a guitar for heavy and small hands.
- 2) you will develop an own style, and I believe having small hands, is a real disadvantage, you play on your instrument in YOUR OWN STYLE.
- 3) Long hands are able to reach real difficult chord = "the chords we skip, because they are too difficult" for the small hands, easier to reach with long hands.
Yes as told they both find their own style.
WHAT ABOUT LOOSING FINGERS? Django Reinhardt (another  export product from Belgium)
I measured my hands from where it starts in the wrist end end in the longest finger, the famous movement we make for other stuff). = 16.5 cm = 64 inches.
I searched everywhere on the net, but no information.
1 thing is for sure: it won't affect your guitar play, like solos, shredding..., only some chords are difficult to play.

Russell, when I first started having problems with trigger finger in my left hand I went to the doctor and got the shots, as well. My problem fingers was my middle and ring fingers. The shots I received was given between those fingers and way down deep towards my palms. These shots are VERY painful and from talking to other people and a physical therapist, never last over a couple of months or so. I ended up having to have surgery and that stopped the problems with my left hand. Now I have the same problems with the right hand. This time I think I will skip the shots and go straight for the surgery.

Nela

I have large hands and love the chunky thick neck on my G&L ASAT Classic Telecaster! The thick neck is no problem for me...I also have an American Telelcaster with a much thinner neck...it's also fine! I thinks it's more a matter of personal preference than ability... I also play mandolins and it was a real challenge at first to uses these big hands and fingers on those tiny fretboards...

I'm the same way. makes playing 12-string acoustics a lot easier to play, I've noticed...