Official Luthiers Forum!

For those of you who build for female fingerpickers, what seems to be the size with which they play/perform?00,parlour, 000, OLF S/J?- others?

Most women say that size doesn't really matter. It's more a question of technique.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I've had this discussion with a couple of women players (Diane Ponzio, Janet Robin), and you just have to start by getting past any embarrassment or delicacy about talking about breasts. They're there, and they can be in the way or too large or sensitive or whatever.   So for some women the question becomes smash the breasts with the guitar or support them.   

If you're making a guitar for a woman, just ask her where her breasts go when she's comfortable playing a guitar. Yeah, they stay on her chest, but what is comfortable for her.

And then ask yourself, "What would Dolly say?"

Women fingerpickers? Favorite size? I like 'em about 5 foot 7, 120 pounds or so...Muriel Anderson's attractive, but does classical count?

_________________
http://www.presnallguitars.com

Yeah, well Muriel is less than 5 feet tall and probably doesn't top 105 in her jammies and slippers. This I know because she used to stay with my wife and me when she was playing in town here... And Muriel is tough and strong, too. She often travels with two guitars...a McGill and either the Langjans or Doolin harp guitar, plus suitcase, plus laptop computer, plus CDs, plus preamp. Killer player, wonderful woman, evil big sister to my 12 year old son!

Wow! Well, less than 5 feet means you can take her anywhere! And at 105 she's significantly under standard airline passenger weight...she sure is a guitar player too! Every time I hear her I'm more impressed. Is Del still in the same spot? I hate I never got over there when we lived in Michigan...you know that thing about your own back yard...

_________________
http://www.presnallguitars.com

How about women flatpickers? Dale Ann Bradley(the 2007 IBMA female vocalist of the year, BTW)  designed this one with me way back in '98. She wanted a slope shouldered dread, but the upper bout didn't "fit". I took nearly 1-1/2" out of the upper bout, while leaving most of the lower bout's width intact. Kept the big tone and power she was seeking(she's a powerful rhythm player, with a great right hand attack, and a rather surprising lead player as well), while keeping the general outline of the slope dread.

A few other women have ordered this model, but most have gone for my OM/D.

Not to be crude, but a whole new style of cutaway could be developed...to say nothing of breast ports...and then there's the Laskin arm rest concept turned a bit around to the back of the guitar...ergonomic...

On the same wavelength, we could also do a "reversed Ovation" back for all those men with pot bellies...

That's what Stu Spector did with his solid body bass shape!

How about a reverse Loar mandolin...yeah, carve a leftie back and put it on backwards...or an archtop, sunk back jazz guitar...

Oops...I replied to another thread with this...

Here is a quarter size guitar I built for my wife to use with our trio...........lots of clearance here....

www.all-SHE-wrote.com

I would rather not think about the locker room at the gym and largely unsupported in the same sentence.  

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

_________________
http://www.presnallguitars.com

Interesting.

I once got trashed on another list for suggesting that some women might have comfort issues with some guitar shapes. The fact that some women have mentioned it to me was no defence: I was being 'sexist' or something. As Rick says, you probably just have to ask.

Have you seen Muriel play the Listz 'Rhapsody'? I loved the part where she frets with her chin: right out of the Paganinni mold.

I like Howard's answer the best

Mike
White Oak, Texas

Is it sexist to acknowledge physical differences between men and women?   Methinks the pendulum has swung too far...

The women guitarists I know would not mind discussing comfort issues, nor joking about the subject. Breasts are a simple fact of life for women...

In a past life, I led the R&D effort for 10 years with the market leader in designing and developing breast implants. And while many of the recipients were in the entertainment business, I unfortunately never ran across a guitar player. Nonetheless...the field testing was rigorous and required a special dedication to the advancement of medical science.

Tough job, but someone had to do it. Many of the more interesting accounts of development work are best shared over a few cold beers. Be sure to remind me during our next gathering. Who knows...we may even be able to come up with some ideas for the ideal female guitar.

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

[QUOTE=Rick Turner] Is it sexist to acknowledge physical differences between men and women?   Methinks the pendulum has swung too far...[/quote]

Nah, not at all...

... I'm of the old school....each gender has complementary strengths to make the whole. Times have indeed changed, we are in a more feminine-driven society hence the "nanny state" of health and safety leglislation...(stop here, 'cos I have a lot to say about this that'll be off topic)

Aye, there are some cons of modern thinking and trends....I miss seeing slightly hairy chests, for example. I ask you, WHY DO MEN SHAVE THEIR CHESTS???????

[quote]The women guitarists I know would not mind discussing comfort issues, nor joking about the subject. Breasts are a simple fact of life for women...[/QUOTE]

Indeed they are, and over the days this thread has existed I haven't noticed any of the three female members here commenting on this, so I'll bravely step forward...

As a guitarist for 20 years, I can attempt to offer my thoughts; there are two apparent problems that arise with being a female guitarist...

1) Pregnancy...that guit gets higher and slightly off centre to accomodate that bump- fretting becomes more difficult and you get the odd percussion effect when the baby joins in with a foot or something I imagine Gabriela Quintero's mother was keen on guitar playing when she was in utero....

2) Sitting down on the sofa, playing the guitar. It gets uncomfortable when you're sitting back, so I have learned to hold the guitar slightly away from the body....seriously, one has to adapt.

Holding the guitar in towards the body impedes arm movement, because of the general tense stance.

The pressure needed for discomfort to be a "problem" would in my opinion, affect playing and impede free movement. I've played in gigs lasting from 15 minutes to two and a half hours, and the only problems I've had was an aching hand and a worn plectrum the following day...you learn NOT to hold that guitar body in so tightly....that's what straps are for!!!

It really does depend on the size, y'know....the more "well endowed" you are, the trickier it is...let's just say, it isn't really a problem for me....

Sam, I'd be willing to bet that few - if any - of the male posters here shave their chests. Judging from the pictures of many a lutherie convention, I'm not entirely sure many luthiers own razors.

I shave my chest, all thirteen of those Sherwood forest buggers.......

Although JJ's post has a very humorous side to it he was in fact engaged in the implant business.  JJ has devoted a good deal of his life to studying breasts and the ergonomics, and not just his....., associated with same.  Such selflessness is IMHO to be applauded!  And envied........

Sam thank you for bravely stepping forward and providing us with an informed perspective.

I have noticed a few guitar companies that have models targeted at women.  This targeting seems to only include things like naming a signature model after a women artist or a cosmetic treatment that is something that would appeal to women.

Does anyone know of an example of a guitar that is targeted at women what has an ergonomically appropriate body style or perhaps a narrower neck?

Diane Ponzio has done some design work with Martin on a "woman's" model. Santa Cruz Guitars used to make a Janis Ian model that was uniquely designed for women in mind.

You try getting close to a lute when your waistline is expanding!

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Have you heard David Lindley's blues song, "When a Man Gets Boobs"?...hilarious, as is his intro to it...he plays it on the oud...