Best Thin Neck Acoustic Guitars | With Buying Guide
Having a thin-neck acoustic guitar right from the start can make a lot of difference in your playing. If you’re curious about how thin-neck acoustic guitars differ from regular ones and if it’s a good fit for you, just keep reading!
Mastering the guitar can be a long process that requires consistency and regular practice on your part. You do get to play songs for your buddies and impress your girlfriend in the process, but you have to consider the fact that if you want to take your playing to the next level, you should also have the best equipment suited for your playing.
There are a lot of bells and whistles that an electric guitarist needs but for somebody who only plays acoustic, you don’t really need much. You just need a decent acoustic guitar that’s set up well and looks and feels nice. This, however, can be a challenging process if you are somebody with small hands.
Thin-neck acoustic guitars are just guitars that have a neck of less than 1.9”. Having a thinner neck will also allow you to play faster, so if that’s something you would like to do, try looking into the guitars on this list.
I have also included a small list of thin-neck acoustic guitars so you can narrow down your purchase.
We Recommend | Jasmine S34C NEC
Our Verdict
Jasmine S34C NEC is an affordable acoustic guitar with a fantastic design and durable build with advanced X-bracing for durability. The beautiful Mahogany neck and rosewood frets along with the elegant satin finish add a touch of finesse to the comfortable instrument. It’s also a full-size instrument featuring a slim neck, so you don’t have to sacrifice the range over playability.
Best Thin Neck Acoustic Guitars
Let’s get on with the list, shall we?
We also talk a bit about thin-neck acoustic guitars and why you could be better off with this neck acoustic guitar at the end, so feel free to check out our guide if it’s something that sounds interesting to you.
1. Jasmine S34C NEC
Specs
- Single cutaway-design
- Nato body with Spruce top
- Mahogany neck with Rosewood frets
- Standard-size
- Smooth satin finish for easy playability
- Synthetic bone nut
- Advanced X bracing
What we think
The reason this guitar is at the top of this list is rather simple- it’s easily one of the best acoustic guitars I’ve ever had. And it was surprisingly cheap!
The Jasmine S34 is a standard-size acoustic guitar that features a rosewood fingerboard and has got a single cutaway for easy playability.
You’ve got a thin neck with a satin finish, quality sound with a good tone, and a fantastic instrument in your hands.
What I like most about the Jasmine acoustic guitar is the affordability- it’s just perfect whether you’re looking for a good-looking acoustic yourself or your kids.
The Jasmine S34 is also the instrument you should go for if you aren’t comfortable paying the high price of Takamine guitars.
So, what’s the catch? You will want to change the stock strings with a decent set (just like on any other guitar really) that doesn’t come with a case that is reasonable for the price (pretty much none do).
If you are looking for a scaled-down Jumbo that’s ideal for playing at gigs and on campfires, you don’t have to look any further. For the low price and the value it provides, it’s definitely a steal!
The Good
- Budget price
- Fantastic build
- Easy playability
- Beautiful rosewood frets
- Full-size
The Bad
- Need to swap stock string
2. Yamaha APXT2 Acoustic-electric
Specs
- Cuter cousin of the Yamaha APX500
- 43mm nut width and 580mm (22 13/16″) scale length
- Appealing violin sunburst finish
- Nato neck with rosewood fretboard
- Meranti back & sides with a Spruce top
- System 68 pickups
- Good for acoustic gigs
- Gig-bag included
What we think
Looking for an acoustic-electric guitar that’s not only portable and very playable but also affordable?
The Yamaha APXT2 acoustic-electric guitar is the smaller cousin of the popular Yamaha APX500 and sounds remarkably similar. You get a balanced tone and the ART-based pickup system sounds fantastic.
The best thing about this is- since it’s small, the sound projection is a bit less which can help you if you’ve got picky neighbors. It’s a 3/4 size- so if you are trying to learn the guitar and have previously played the ukulele, you will find the switch very easy.
The Yamaha APXT2 is ideal for players with small hands as well as for kids and taking with you while traveling outdoors. It doesn’t have a full enough tone to be used for recording but for practice and casual playing, it’s perfect.
You also get a gigbag so you don’t have to shop around for one that fits the Yamaha APXT2 3/4 acoustic-electric.
The Good
- Smaller scale length; easier for players with smaller hands
- Good value on a budget
- Beautiful sunburst finish and rosewood frets
- Good sound
- Free gigbag
The Bad
- Not a full-size instrument
Thin Neck Acoustic Guitars
The name makes it quite obvious- these are just acoustic guitars with thin necks. So, what’s exciting?
As you may already know, acoustic guitars have two main parts- the long neck that has the fretboard and a hollow resonating chamber that amplifies the sound produced by the strings. The fretboard or the guitar fingerboard has a series of metal frets (usually made out of brass) and the material is usually rosewood or maple, or ebony. The space between individual metal frets is also called a fret, so that might have led to some confusion too.
You don’t need to care about the fingerboard material much except when you are cleaning, because certain types of cleaning agents can damage certain wood types.
Since you are going to be making chord shapes and fretting notes on the fretboard with your left hand while your palm is in contact with the neck, it’s super important for the neck to be comfortable for your hands to glide smoothly. Most guitars measure about 1.9” inches near the bolt which is standard.
Why Do Some Prefer Thin-Neck Acoustics?
To shed some light on the benefits that owning a thin-neck acoustic guitar could have, instead- I would like to share some of the problems that you might face if you don’t get a thin-neck acoustic guitar.
It’s harder to fret strings on normal guitars
I’ve been playing guitars for a long time now, and while it does not hurt my fingers these days, it used to be pretty painful when I first started. The pain didn’t last long but I was unable to form a proper barre for a long time. Looking back, had I gotten a thin-neck acoustic guitar, it would have helped me tremendously when learning the barre chords as well as mastering chord shapes.
Have fun shredding on a standard guitar neck!
While standard guitar necks are the way to go if you are a beginner, you won’t get much out of them if you are trying to improve your speed on the instrument. A thin-neck guitar is not only more comfortable to hold but also helps you fret the notes with a proper technique which is essential for increasing the shredding speed on the guitar.
Putting off practice is easier on a guitar that’s hard to play
If you have got a guitar that feels shitty to you, it’s instantly easier to put off practice as you will be feeling unmotivated most of the time.
Getting a decent thin neck acoustic can do wonders for your morale and that bit of motivation will help you become more consistent with practice and learning new things on the instrument.
Final Thoughts
We took a look at the best thin-neck acoustic guitars of 2022. Not only are these guitars great value for your money, but they are also quite slim and comfortable to play
Thin-neck acoustic-electric guitars also make a fantastic gift if you are thinking of getting a guitar for kids in the near future. If you’re thinking about learning some bass songs, you can check out our list of the easiest bass songs to learn – you can play them on guitar as well!
If you want to make your own chords, you should check out Guitar Chords Workshop – it’s the book I wish I had when starting out. It’s an affiliate link, but hey, just look at what the book wants to teach you and you could learn that online as well. You don’t need to have a book – you just need the skills to be able to play an Eb min9 if you feel like it.
If you’re wondering, here’s how you’d play an Eb min9!
I hope this post has helped you in some way. We are always looking forward to hearing from you, so feel free to reach out to us. Also, check out the 3nps major scale patterns if you’d like to improve your fretboard mastery.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a thin-neck acoustic guitar?
Thin-neck acoustic guitars are those guitars that have a nut width of less than 1.9”. It’s nothing new as most players who play on stage prefer slim necks to stumpy necks due to the ease of playability and coolness factor.
Why should I get a thin-neck acoustic guitar over a standard acoustic guitar?
The most common reason why players prefer thin-neck acoustic guitars to standard acoustics is because of the ease of playability. This naturally translates to faster fretting speed and you will progress much faster.
Are thin-neck acoustic guitars good for beginners?
For a beginner, it doesn’t really matter that much. I would suggest you get a guitar that‘s got decent action and is easy to fret. While a thin-neck acoustic guitar could help you get used to barre chords, it’s not a necessity, and you can do just fine learning on a standard as well.
