Hand pain and neck shapes - what gives?

[Lovegun]

I'm not too picky about neck shapes and thicknesses. To me it is a combination of the neck and the body shape that causes pain sometimes. It effects the playing posture and I've had to let some guitars go because of it.

[alex1fly]

I'm not too picky about neck shapes and thicknesses. To me it is a combination of the neck and the body shape that causes pain sometimes. It effects the playing posture and I've had to let some guitars go because of it.

I'm thinking this is it. I play guitar several hours a week, including another Telecaster, and this new Tele with a gigantic neck is the only guitar that's ever caused problems. I didn't play it yesterday, but did play my SE Custom for about an hour and already the pain is gone. So we'll see. A new/familiar neck on the new Tele will be a good experiment.

Funny, because I knew that gear shopping was hazardous to my financial and mental health... guess it's hazardous to my physical health as well!

[Aceman]

Everything works together.

This

[Jack_TriPpEr]

From my experience, even small differences in neck shape could cause playing discomfort. For example, I currenrly own four Ibanez ART models where the neck specs are supposed to be the same, with only the top wood or finish color supposed to be the only difference between them. But each one has slight differences in how thick the C shape of the neck is. The one with the thickest neck does make my fretting hand ache after playing it for awhile. Sadly, I think I'm going to sell it because of that.

[Lovegun]

I'm thinking this is it. I play guitar several hours a week, including another Telecaster, and this new Tele with a gigantic neck is the only guitar that's ever caused problems. I didn't play it yesterday, but did play my SE Custom for about an hour and already the pain is gone. So we'll see. A new/familiar neck on the new Tele will be a good experiment.

Funny, because I knew that gear shopping was hazardous to my financial and mental health... guess it's hazardous to my physical health as well!

Good that you*re sorting this out. It's frustrating sometimes how small differences can have a huge impact on hand tension when playing. I had a thumb injury when I was 11 and wrestled with my younger brother. His ankle hit my left thumb and it dislocated my thumb from the second joint. At the moment it pointed backwards and they didn't treat it right at the hospital. So as a result I can't play barre chords with my thumb and some guitars cause me pain because how I have to position my thumb. The problem area for me in some guitars is from the seventh fret upwards especially the area around the neck joint.

[nexion218]

Anothet thing to consider: is it really hurting like an injury or are you'r muscles just simply sore because of the unfamiliar movement. For example I am a lazy fokk and don't exercise, so if I started doing situps my abs would be all sore, but not necessarily injured. So with time you might be able to incrementally work up the strength in your hand to feel comfortable playing it. It might be worth videotaping yourself playing this guitar and another one and look for differences -if theres any - in your technique when playing the two guitars. You might just be able to pinpoint the culprit and correct it.

That being said, if it is really pain, not soreness, do not force it. Forcing those strained tendons and muscles can get you long months of rehab in no time! Simply not worth it. Go see a professional in time!

[ehdwuld]

when I first got my Ibanez the wizard II neck made the palm of my hand ache
the base of the thumb pad
it was just so thin

once I adjusted to it, it became my favorite neck shape

[alex1fly]

Put in a half hour or so on the new guitar last night. Took it really easy, really soft, and took y'alls advice by observing what was going on. I usually play a combination of thumb over, side thumb, and thumb on the back, and switching around is somewhat unconscious, and it's not a problem. On the new guitar though, I found that I was doing a LOT of side thumb, and a LOT of thumb over which turned into side thumb as I moved around the fretboard. Like my hand was just drawn towards filling my palm with the big 'ol neck. And then my thumb would get "stuck" as I reached for other positions, contorting it all weird. So it seems that bigger neck + roughish frets + 25.5" scale = weird thumb contortion = pain. We'll see what happens, seems like I could either get to know the neck and put some love into it (fret polish, maybe scotchbrite the back), throw it in an alternate tuning so I'm not trying to fly around the fretboard, or just use a different neck.

[beaubrummels]

If you wrap your thumb around and fill your palm with the neck it can cause problems. You can test this without a guitar. Hold your hand out and wiggle your fingers. Then pull back on your thumb and try to wiggle your fingers. Feel the difference?

[alex1fly]

If you wrap your thumb around and fill your palm with the neck it can cause problems. You can test this without a guitar. Hold your hand out and wiggle your fingers. Then pull back on your thumb and try to wiggle your fingers. Feel the difference?

Oh yeah. Feels terrible, lol