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(NOTE: The spoken voice of this video is Japanese but English caption is available)
Is it easy for you to fret 6th string bass note with your thumb by wrapping over the neck? No, it's not easy for me at all. I guess there are two reasons. One is due to the shape of my thumb, and another reason is my DIY acoustic guitar neck is thick (or fat?). So when I am practicing a new song with a TAB score, I sometimes encounter a moment:
"Oh, this part of the TAB score is assuming thumb fretting..."
then my choices are:
a) Try to use other finger to play that note
b) Arrange that part differently and edit the TAB
c) Give up playing that song
In most cases, I chose c), give up.
But I recently found an article that says 1944 Martin 000-28 neck is ideal for thumb fretting of 6th string. Actually 3 of my DIY acoustic guitars are based on Martin OM size guitar body, so I decided to carve one of those Martin OM copies to the shape of 1944 Martin 000-28, known as Modified Low Oval neck shape.
I used StewMac's neck template (see below) to check the shape of the neck during carving, and I used a scraper to shave the finished neck.
How the feeling of the neck changed?
Was I able to fret 6th string with my thumb?
Please see the video!
StewMac Acoustic Guitar Neck Templates:
www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools...
Guitar information:
Make: My 4th DIY acoustic guitar
Size: OM
Soundboard: Sitka Spruce
Back and Side: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood
Bridge: Ebony
Binding: Ebony with Maple
Tail piece: Maple
Nut and Saddle: Bone