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I have read here that many finger pickers build with a wider nut to increase space between strings.
How much difference does an experienced player noticec between a 1 13/16" and 1 7/8" nut?

Do players that like the 1 7/8" nut also increase the distance between the strings at the bridge? Why, why not? Better for chubby didgets?

A lot, even 1 3/4 vs 1 13/16 is noticeable. I really helps in my opinion

Good question Bob and I hope that you don't mind if I add a question (related) onto yours please.

Every guitar that I have built has had a 1.75" nut with the exception of one.  Is this the standard for other builders?  Do you build with 1 11/16"?

I personally think that I like 1 11/16" better but what I am really asking is where is the majority of the market on this?

Thanks.

Hey Hesh,
I like the 1 7/8". Replies I have, in the past, received favor the 1 13/16". Am I stating the right conclusion?

I still prefer 1-11/16" as well, though in recent years more and more
players are caving in to peer pressure. Switching back to 1-3/4" and
larger helps them feel more masculine and tough. It of course has
nothing to do with comfort or playability. As a general rule, I can find a
way to pass off any preference or opinion that differs from my own as
some psychological condition.

Really, anywhere from 1-11/16" to 1-3/4" is often within my preferred
range, but it depends on so much more. Many old sharp V necks with nut
widths around 1-7/8" feel perfectly comfortable and natural to me. The
width itself doesn't mean much to me until I pick it up and see what it
feels like.

Average neck width seems to have shrunk through the 50's and 60's,
came back a smidge after the 60's, then started growing back toward 30's
and 40's dimensions through the 90's. 1-3/4" has been the larger option
over 1-11/16" for a while, though 1-13/16" has been slowly creeping
back in. Now it's surprising to me to hear 1-7/8" more commonly
mentioned. Of course all these widths have always been around, but there
have certainly been general trends.

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Bob, the only thing I know for sure is that an experienced player will
definately be able to tell the difference between 1 13/16 and 1 7/8.

I'm a 1 23/32 player myself, and although I can certainly function at different widths, I can most definitely tell a difference, and am a bit more comfortable as a player with that extra bit of room.

1 7/8 just feels huge to me.

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Ha! I had to laugh at the "peer pressure" comment. There is an element of that, I'm sure. Most older players seem to prefer a little wider spacing at the nut. After playing 1-11/16" for most my life, I find 1-3/4" more comfortable, nothing peer pressure about it. Maybe more like "education". Since most custom-built-guitar buyers are more mature, I've settled on 1-3/4 nut and 2-1/4" bridge spacing as "normal" I myself find 2-3/8" bridge a little too wide.

I think most young fast flatpicking players will stick with 1-11/16 nut.

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Of the 4 I've built, 3 are 1-11/16", 1 is 1-3/4". I've always played a guitar with 1-11/16" and when I built that 1-3/4" and test drove it before giving it to my friend, it felt really odd to my hand. Now, it's only 1/16" but it sure made a difference.

I'd kind of like to know if there is a standard to which most builders build. What do most factory's build to (I think 1-11/16" or 1-3/4").

I have small hands and I'm pretty sure I'd have a very difficult time playing with a 1-13/16 or 1-7/8 nut width.

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I think most young fast flatpicking players will stick with 1-11/16 nut.

Not from where I stand. A majority of flatpickers, young and old, are now asking for 1-3/4".

I myself don't like them, and can't play them. Even 1-11/16" hurts me, physically, after a short period, no matter te shape. My own are 1-9/16" and 1-5/8". anything wider causes severe pain in my left hand... Interestingly, a few years back,  discovered that Tony Rice's guitar is a tad under 1-5/8" at the nut, also. Unfortunately, that's the only thing he and I had in common <sigh> Well, that, and a love for high horsepowered black cars <g>

We're all a bit different...

Also, I find the more experienced, or professional, players, are often the least "fussy" when it comes to neck shape and size. I suspect it's because they have good technique and aren't "choking" the neck as tightly as the rest of us do.