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I'll try again.
When constructing a fingerpick guitar for yourselves or others,;
For Women, what style or shape of guitar do they usually hav you build (and what size at nut.
Same questions for the builds of the male fingerpikers.

I think that the rise in popularity of the OM style corresponds quite closely with the increase of number of players doing finger style. If the type of music played is rags or celtic music, that is. If they are playing the blues, the preferred instrument is a small bodied Gibson like an L-00.

I, like Todd, love the M body and it is very good for finger picking. However, I think the M's great strength is that it is a double duty guitar. You can get the expression you need for finger style and it works well when strumming and accompanying singers. Many OMs don't work as strummers. Some are great, however, so there are no hard and fast rules.

Thanks Todd,
What seems to be favorite size/style of guitar. for finger-pic. males And for male & female, what is most common nut width requested.
Thanks again Todd,

I like Taylor's Grand Auditorium-size (ie, Dred width, but curvier/narrower waist) as an all-rounder, and something slightly smaller for fingerpicking. Then again, each body shape/style has its own sort of charm...

I forgot to give you my opinion on your questions. Lots of women are playing the Martin 00 style for finger style. Grit Lasking has experimented with putting his armrest on the upper bout of the backs of his guitars for women players.

I've never heard of a difference between men and women when it comes to nut width. 1-3/4" is the standard for finger style with some players going up the 1-13/16. When I make a guitar for finger style, I like to put a pyramid bridge on which has a 2-5/16" string spread as opposed to the belly bridge which usually has a 2-18" spread. Make sure you widen the fret board for the wider string spread or the E strings will tend to slide off the ends of the frets.

Oops,
That's Grit Laskin not Grit Lasking.

The belly bridge spacing is 2-1/8 not 2-18.

Thanks all for the great info.

I think it is hard to generalize body shape wrt fingerstyle.  I have played fingerstyle guitar for almost 30 years.  I prefer 3 body styles: OM; Ladder braced 12 fret OS Stella; and my favorite all-around fingerstyle guitar a prairie State sized instrument.  The Prairie State is a large guitar - 17" across the bottom, but shallow like an OM.  Even though it is large, it has a distinctly pinched waste which makes it comfortable.  I got my Franklin PS after playing Stefan Grossman's in the 80's.

As far as nut width, i think 1 3/4 is pretty much standard now.  My Franklin OM is 1.8".  I like 2 1/4 for string spacing at bridge.

My 2 cents

Glenn

Favorite is OM second favorite is SJ. Which one I use has more to do with where the instrument will be used, as in venue, than the fact that it will be used for finger style.

I have no problem performing my bastardized fingerpicking on a dreadnaught shape. I don't really think there is a shape more suited for fingerstyle. I think it your preference.

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

I have no problem performing my bastardized fingerpicking on a dreadnaught shape. I don't really think there is a shape more suited for fingerstyle. I think it your preference.

_________________
Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

Here is a quarter size guitar (Nashville strung) I made for my wife to use with our trio. No interferance here!

www.all-SHE-wrote.com

thanks everyone