Hand pain and neck shapes - what gives?

[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