The Best Guitars With Thin Necks

2. Taylor 114e Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Taylor 114ce is one of the best acoustic guitars with a thin neck. It’s an excellent option for people looking for traditional Taylor tones and quality without spending too much money. The 114ce’s body comprises a solid Sitka spruce top, walnut back, and sides. The letter “c” in the name refers to the Venetian cutaway style, which allows access to the higher frets.

Let’s be honest for a minute – most people aren’t going to be playing solos on a guitar like this, so it may not be very useful. But you can’t deny that it looks pretty cool!

The neck on the 114ce is made from hard rock maple. It helps to give the guitar a good tone. The fretboard is made from ebony, which makes the guitar even better sounding. The neck width is only 1-11/16″, so it does not feel too wide and makes the guitar comfortable to play.

The electronics on the 114ce are great. You’ll find Taylor’s ES-2 system, which is different from other acoustic-electric guitar models. This system places the piezo elements behind the bridge instead of under it. It allows for better transfer of the instrument’s natural vibration pattern.

All in all, the 114ce is an excellent thin-neck acoustic guitar, no matter what your playing skill level is.

3. Ibanez AEG10II Acoustic-Electric

The Ibanez AEG10II is a good beginner acoustic guitar because it has all of the features that a beginner needs. It is also easier for people with small hands to play. Because of its shorter neck, people with smaller hands will have an easier time reaching the strings on this instrument.

The guitar’s body has a spruce top and Sapele for the back and sides. A cutaway makes your guitar look fantastic and lets you play high notes on the fretboard. You can choose from three finishes: browned burst, high gloss black, or transparent blue. Each finish lets you decide how flashy or subdued you want your guitar to look.

The thin neck (nut width = 1-11/16″) and the overall Ibanez neck profile (made from nyatoh, by the way) make for an acoustic guitar that is easy to play, especially at this price point.

The Fishman Sonicore preamp system is an excellent feature of this guitar. It has a three-band EQ, a chromatic tuner, and a phase control. This guitar also looks good and would be perfect for the beginner or more advanced players.

4. Big Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar

Even though it is small, Taylor’s Big Baby Taylor guitar is still an excellent choice for people with smaller hands. Young beginners or professionals are looking for a compact acoustic guitar to take with them.

The BBT has many of the same features as other Taylor models. The top is solid Sitka spruce, and the back and sides are layered walnuts. The back is arched slightly to add strength. The body shape is a dreadnought, but it is smaller in size. The neck is made from hard rock maple and has an ebony fretboard with 20 frets.

The neck on this guitar is thin, measuring 1-11/16″ at the nut. This is on the lower end of what is typical. The BBT isn’t a ‘short scale’ guitar because it has a 25-1/2″ scale length. It means the frets aren’t closer together like they would on a short-scale guitar.

5. Ovation Celebrity Elite Plus

Ovation guitars have fans and people who don’t like them as much. But what makes them unique is their design. The Celebrity Elite Plus is a great mid-level model with features that make Ovation a well-known brand in the acoustic guitar industry.

The guitar’s top is one of the most exciting things you’ll see. It has an exquisite look to it. Additionally peculiar are the sound holes. There are a few smaller ones on the upper bout and the cutaway horn.

This guitar has a synthetic material on the back called Lyrachord. It gives the guitar its unique sound. You’ll also find a thin neck and 20 frets. The guitar is made from nato wood and has a natural rosewood fretboard. It makes the guitar more comfortable and gives it a better tone. The OP-4BT preamp with three-band EQ, an onboard tuner, and a low battery indicator completes the package.

6. Seagull S6 Original Acoustic

Suppose you seek an outstanding acoustic guitar with a thin neck and a few extras. In that case, the Seagull S6 Original may be perfect for you. The top of the S6 Original’s body is made of pressed cedar, unlike spruce, like most other models on my list. Additionally, the back and sides are constructed of cherry wood.

This guitar has a warm tone and a defined bottom end. It is different from other guitars because of this. The silver leaf maple neck is not as thin as some other necks, but it is still easy to play with and comfortable.

Although there are no electronics on the S6 Original, it’s not a complete deal breaker. If you don’t need that kind of flexibility, then it’s still a good phone.

7. Ibanez Talman TCY10 Acoustic-Electric

Not all acoustic guitars look like traditional ones. The Talman TCY10 from Ibanez has a different design, making it look more like an electric guitar.

The TCY10 is an excellent option for guitarists who want to start playing acoustic guitars but don’t want to give up the electric guitar feel. It is made possible by the double-cutaway body design combined with a thinner body depth. It has a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and an excellent body fit. The electric guitar vibe continues with the narrow mahogany neck, which has a 1-11/16″ nut width.

This electric acoustic guitar has a natural rosewood fretboard and attractive white binding. It helps to produce a great tone. It also makes the guitar super easy to play. The Talman TCY10 also has an Ibanez AEQ2T preamp system, an onboard tuner, and a two-band EQ. What makes this guitar even more impressive is the price.

8. Breedlove Discovery Concert CE

Great guitar: Breedlove Discovery Concert CE. Well-made and nice-looking. Also good. The guitar’s top is made from mahogany, which is not a common choice for acoustic guitars, but it works well on this guitar.

The neck on the Discovery is thinner than on other guitars, making it easier to play barre chords in the lower positions. There is also an Indonesian rosewood fretboard with 20 frets.

The Fishman electronics preamp may not have a lot of features, but it is still a good preamp. It has one tone and volume control, a tuner, and phase control (to help fight feedback). It also looks good. However, the most important aspect is that the guitar itself is excellent. The Breedlove Discovery Concert CE has everything a solid and attractive acoustic guitar should offer.

9. Ibanez RG550 Genesis Collection

Ibanez has been making guitars with thin necks and bodies for a long time. The RG550 Genesis is an excellent example of this.

The RG550 is a classic design that was first introduced in 1987. The Genesis Collection adds some modern touches while still keeping the original vibe.

The body of the RG550 is made of basswood, which gives a warm tone with biting mids. The body’s contour hugs your body and forearm, making it very comfortable to play.

One of the most excellent features of the RG550 is its ultra-fast Wizard Neck. This neck is made from 5 pieces of maple and walnut. It is also very thin! The 24-fret fingerboard is also loaded with jumbo frets – perfect for huge bends. The RG550 also features a classic tilt neck joint instead of the sculpted All Access neck joint on many modern RG-style guitars.

The RG550 uses a now-classic HSH design with two humbuckers and a single coil in the middle. The humbuckers are modern V7 and V8 arrangements, which give high-output tones perfect for hard rock and metal. But they are versatile enough to cover any genre.

The RG550 from the Genesis Collection features high-quality electronics, solid black hardware, and a price tag of under $1,000. Our Editor’s Choice, this guitar has everything a musician needs to take their playing to the next level!

10. PRS SE Custom 24

The Custom 24 SE is a less expensive version of the original classic design by Paul Reed Smith. It has many of the same features as its more expensive sibling, but with a mahogany body and maple top, it has a richer midrange and more sustain. The Wide Thin maple neck is also speedy and playable, and the rosewood fingerboard with bird inlay gives it that classic PRS look.

The PRS Custom 24 SE comes with the PRS 81/15 “S” humbuckers. These pickups are based on the same design as those in more expensive PRS guitars. They can be used as regular humbuckers for a fat, full sound or split into single coils utilizing a push/pull tone knob.

Another cool thing about most PRS guitars is the tremolo bridge system. This system has been specially designed to maintain tuning even under heavy whammy bar use. The PRS Custom tuners and synthetic/bronze powder nut also help ensure tuning stability.

The PRS Custom 24 SE would be a great guitar for anyone looking for a versatile instrument they can use for gigs. It has a scale length between a Strat and Les Paul, and its coil-splitting humbucker pickups can give you tones from both classic designs. Plus, it is great because it is priced under $900.

11. Jackson Dinky JS22

The Jackson Dinky JS22 is an affordable and comfortable electric guitar. It is made of lightweight materials, including basswood and poplar in the body and maple in the neck. The unique arched design sends a powerful message and looks great too.

The Dinky JS22 has a compound-radius fretboard. This means the fingerboard is rounder near the nut for more effortless rhythm playing. As you move up to solo on higher frets, the radius flattens to allow for more significant bends and faster runs. The jumbo frets also make it possible to play harder.

The Dinky JS22 is an excellent guitar for someone who wants to play complex rock styles. It has high-output humbucker pickups that are perfect for this type of music. It also has a 2-point tremolo system that lets you do dive bombs and other cool effects. This guitar would be great for someone who is just starting on electric guitar and wants something affordable with a compound-radius fingerboard, making it easy to play up and down the neck.

12. Ibanez RG450DX

The Ibanez RG450 may be the perfect guitar for someone who has been playing for a couple of years and wants to improve their skills. The RG450 is part of Ibanez’s classic RG design that became popular in the Eighties. It has a neck that is easy to play with and is made of 3 pieces of wood. There is also a fingerboard with a Sharktooth inlay.

The mahogany body is well-balanced and resonant, while the slim body style stays true to the RG style many guitarists have come to love. The cutaway makes it easy to reach higher frets.

The RG450 has a classic HSH pickup configuration with a 5-way switch, which allows for many different tonal options. The two high-output Quantum humbuckers are perfect for rock and shredding, while the S3 single-coil in the middle position gives you classic Strat-type tones.

A DL tuning bridge can give you a powerful whammy bar with improved tuning stability. You can pull off dive bombs and other tremolo effects without worrying about your guitar going out of tune.

13. Ibanez Steve Vai Signature JEMJR

One of Ibanez’s most famous users is virtuoso Steve Vai. Now they’ve teamed up to offer a signature guitar that is much more affordable than other guitars with the same features. You’ll first notice the guitar’s striking appearance, including the unique “monkey grip” handle and acrylic vine inlay.

This is a solid-body guitar made of Meranti. It has the Ibanez classic Wizard III maple neck with a Jatoba fingerboard and 24 jumbo frets. The Wizard’s necks are suitable for playing fast. They are also known for being used on Steve Vai albums.

This guitar offers high-output Quantum pickups that still sound great to create signature Vai tones. You can cover all sounds with two humbuckers and one single-coil, and the 5-way switch provides many different pickup combinations.

The double-locking tremolo bridge on the JEMJR helps keep the guitar in tune even after deep pitch bends. The locking nut and cosmo black tuners help keep the guitar in tune even further. This guitar was built with Steve Vai’s tone in mind, but it is versatile and perfect for any guitarist in any genre, rugged rock, and progressive styles. And at this price, it can’t be beaten!

14. Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty

Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci designed this guitar. It is made with high-quality materials, including a maple-capped African mahogany body. This will help you make the perfect tone.

The mahogany neck-through design on this guitar makes it easy to play and provides excellent sustain. You’ll love the ebony fretboard with its 17″ radius, which makes it easy to play fast passages. The recessed neck heel also gives you access to the guitar’s 24 frets.

The Majesty’s hardware is also impressive. Schaller locking tuners and a floating vibrato bridge keep your guitar in tune even when you bend the strings hard. And the stainless steel frets will last a long time.

The Majesty’s pickups can be used for any style of music. You can use the DiMarzio humbuckers to get clean sounds or gain sounds perfect for shredding. The pickups also have an active preamp and a gain boost. As a bonus, there is even a piezo in the bridge for acoustic sounds.

What Acoustic Guitar Has The Thinnest Neck?

You can see that not just one model has the thinnest neck. Many have a nut width of 1-11/16″, close to 43mm. There are models with a nut width of 41mm, but some may be miniature guitars with a short scale. The nut width of most standard-sized acoustic guitars appears to be restricted to a range between 43mm and 44mm.

Is It Possible for Someone With Small Hands to Play the Guitar?

People with small or big hands can play the guitar. Finding a guitar that fits your body and hand sizes is essential. Children and adults with smaller hands may perform better on guitars with a shorter scale length. The majority of adults would fit a standard-sized guitar better.

Which Guitar Is Best for Small Hands?

A guitar’s thin neck does not necessarily make it easy for someone with small hands to play. Nut width is only one component of the equation.

The overall length of the guitar can also make a huge difference. That is usually determined by the guitar’s scale length or distance from the nut to the bridge. The typical scale length of an acoustic guitar is approximately 25-12″ (scale length is typically not given in millimeters).

A short-scale acoustic guitar is about 24 inches long. It may not appear much, but it makes a significant difference. The frets on a short-scale guitar are closer together, which is suitable for people with small hands. However, there are some drawbacks to this type of guitar.

Some more experienced guitarists may tell you that standard and short-scale acoustic guitars differ in tone and volume. The different scale lengths mean it takes different amounts of string tension between the two, which can result in a different tone or volume. The Ibanez AEG10II has a good balance despite having a scale length that is not notably shorter than the standard neck size (24.9 inches).

Is It Easier to Play the Guitar With a Thin Neck?

It depends on the player. Someone with large hands may have a more challenging time playing the guitar with thin strings because the strings are closer together. It can make it challenging to fit your fingers in the right place when playing chords. For example, playing full barre chords higher up the neck might be challenging.

Playing single-note melodies can be more challenging if your fingers accidentally hit other strings. For example, when fingerpicking. If your hands are about the same size as most people’s, the decision comes down to taste. Some people like thin necks on acoustic guitars, while others prefer electric guitars.

Final Thoughts

An acoustic guitar with a thin neck may be more comfortable to play than a more expansive one. However, it depends on individual preference. While an acoustic guitar with a narrow neck may benefit those with smaller hands, some people may prefer them simply because they feel better. They have a guitar that is exactly your size. A guitar that fits well can be just as inspiring as learning new techniques.

Frequently Asked Questions About Guitars With Thin Necks