Transition Trouble

[Uke]

I'm having trouble lately jumping back and forth between my wide-nut classicals and my steel string acoustics. About the time I'm used to the wide-stretch fingering on the virtually no radius fretboard of the classical, I get a hankering play my D-55. My trouble is going from the wide-open plains of the nylon to the tight city streets of the steel string. Part of me says I need to stick with one or the other -- the other part says the hell with it; just play what you want. Any thoughts and opinions out there?

 

[Opsimath]

I would go with, "the hell with it; just play what you want".

 

[Westerly Wood]

I guess it depends Uke on what songs you are playing/creating right now in your current season as a guitarist/Guildist. I agree with Cynthia, if your approach is to continue to play the D55 and the classical, you just have to allow for some transition time to acclimate. But if you are really feeling called to the classical, then I would just dive in with both feet and go for it, and don't look back. All the while, knowing you can pick up the D55 at some point down the road, it will still be there.

As an example, I have completely left the BR behind in the dust of the F30R. The nut widths are different enough, the shape of the neck is a bit fuller on the 30. But the BR is strung with coateds and sits on a stand for when myself or my wife wants to play it. It is not as large of a difference between a classical vs D55, but it's a big difference on the shoulder. But I am currently both feet in on smaller acoustics, and I doubt I will come up for air anytime soon.

 

[Guildedagain]

I'm having trouble lately jumping back and forth between my wide-nut classicals and my steel string acoustics. About the time I'm used to the wide-stretch fingering on the virtually no radius fretboard of the classical, I get a hankering play my D-55. My trouble is going from the wide-open plains of the nylon to the tight city streets of the steel string. Part of me says I need to stick with one or the other -- the other part says the hell with it; just play what you want. Any thoughts and opinions out there?

Typical guitar ADD?

 

[zulu]

You should probably get another guitar that's in between

 

[Uke]

You should probably get another guitar that's in between

I've thought about that; but I need another guitar like I need a . . . . well, you know!

 

[RBSinTo]

I'm having trouble lately jumping back and forth between my wide-nut classicals and my steel string acoustics. About the time I'm used to the wide-stretch fingering on the virtually no radius fretboard of the classical, I get a hankering play my D-55. My trouble is going from the wide-open plains of the nylon to the tight city streets of the steel string. Part of me says I need to stick with one or the other -- the other part says the hell with it; just play what you want. Any thoughts and opinions out there?

Uke,
My thought:
I sincerely hope this is the most serious problem you must deal with in your life.
RBSinTo

 

[Guildedagain]

Double neck?

Or maybe that's too limiting?

 

[Maguchi]

I'm having trouble lately jumping back and forth between my wide-nut classicals and my steel string acoustics. About the time I'm used to the wide-stretch fingering on the virtually no radius fretboard of the classical, I get a hankering play my D-55. My trouble is going from the wide-open plains of the nylon to the tight city streets of the steel string. Part of me says I need to stick with one or the other -- the other part says the hell with it; just play what you want. Any thoughts and opinions out there?

Play both of them daily for the appropriate music for each. After a little while, it'll feel better.

 

[PPRussell]

Several ideas. First, if you learn to use the left thumb with more arch and a smaller contact patch, and use just a bit more arch in the i/m/a fingers on left hand, you will be emulating the optimum finger use on a classical neck with, say, a 52 mm nut. For example, my La Petrie Collection in the pic on the stand. This style, applied to the steel string neck profile and nut width, somewhat compensates for the closer string spacing and different neck profile. It also improves tonality and minimizes inadvertent finger contact with adjacent strings.
Or, you can pick up a steel string with a wider nut and 12 frets free. For example, my Martin D35S in the second pic,. That has a 48 mm nut. And the fret spacing, with the emulated classical scale length, keeps the frets about the same distance apart as the La Petrie classical.
The third pic shows my 1968 semi-restored Guild Mk3. That is exactly a 50 mm nut. Not a big deal switching among the three if you play all of them, as Maguchi suggested.