The guitar is the most popular instrument in the world and has been part of a lot of genres including rock, blues, jazz and classical.
A study says that with short fat fingers, you are not likely to be a good guitarist. This might be true but it doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. In fact, some guitarists have short fingers.
It is important that you have the right guitar practice method and choose the right electric guitar for your fingers.
Here are some of the best electric guitars for fat and short fingers. Hope you find a suitable one to play with.
Best Electric Guitars for Short Fat Fingers
1. Squier Classic Vibe ’50s Stratocaster
The Squier Classic Vibe ’50s Stratocaster is a must-have for any guitarist who loves the classic sound. The neck on this bass guitar is slim and has a vintage tint. The instrument also features a comfortable playing feel with slim “C”-shaped neck profile which is friendly for short fat fingers.
With classic looks and a deep, rich tone, these tuners provide tuning stability and smooth action. The durable nickel-plated hardware gives the instrument a throwback style.
2. Ibanez RGA42FM
Ibanez is well-known for making high-quality metal guitars & the RGA is the model this reputation was built on. It features a classic design with a sleek, wide neck. Players with short and fat fingers can easily practice with this guitar.
This guitar has a guitar body made of flamed maple, a thin Wizard III maple neck and jatoba fretboard. The RGA42 Guitar has a smooth, inviting neck and fretboard, very comfortable to play.
With features dual Quantum Neck and Bridge pickups, this electric guitar can play anything from blues to punk and can easily be used by beginner musicians.
3. Fender Squier Affinity Telecaster with Frontman 10G Amplifier
The Squier Affinity Series Telecaster acoustic electric guitar is perfect for beginners that want the look and sound of a Fender as well as something easier to play.
This guitar is loaded with amazing features that make it easy for musicians to play and sound great. The “C”-shaped neck profile, intonation adjustment & tuning gears are all excellent additions.
The craftsmanship is superior too. This guitar comes with dual single-coil Tele pickups with 3-way switching so it can be used for multiple genres of music.
Included amplifier is perfect because it has an aux input so you can plug in your phone and play along to songs / backing tracks on your computer or headphones. This way, even if you’re learning guitar or singing by yourself, you can still have a good time.
This guitar is designed for players who want to achieve a classic, vintage vibe.
4. Gretsch G5425 Electromatic Jet Club
Gretsch G5425 guitar is a good one for short fat fingers and is made of high-quality materials. This electric guitar has a curved maple top and chambered basswood body. It also has a bolt-on maple neck and an anchored Adjustomatic bridge, stop tailpiece, and dual-coil pickups
This guitar is more likely to be conducive to your fingers, as the strings are closer in contact–a good thing if you’re still new. With a 12″ radius, playing chords will be a little easier too.
This guitar offers a high quality sound that the brand is known for. It could be adjusted to better suit the player with changes like new pickups and different strings.
5. Ibanez Artcore AS73 Semi-Hollow
The Ibanez AS73 is a fantastic electric guitar that will give you the tone and sound you are looking for. It has humbucking pickups which give focused lows and growling highs. It also has a slim neck that makes it easy-to-play with a walnut fingerboard.
It has a 22-fret set mahogany neck, Double-cutaway, and Bound rosewood fretboard. It delivers crisp tone and sweet sustain for your favorite playing style. It is noted for being a well-made instrument with great sound quality.
For a wide range of musical styles, the Ibanez Artcore AS73 is perfect for practice or performing.
6. Squier by Fender Classic Vibe 60’s Mustang Electric Guitar
This guitar is built with popular materials such as Poplar, Maple, and Indian Laurel. It still has the classic Mustang shape, 24” scale length and 22 frets. This guitar ensures that small hands won’t cramp up with its size, shape, and fingerboard radius. It’s great for people who have short fat fingers.
Fender keeps some of their most iconic pickup configurations that they redesigned a while ago. These include the vintage-style tuners, 2-slider switches, and Master Tone and Master Volume controls.
Instead of Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang pickups, you have Fender Designed Alnico Single-Coil pickups.
7. Gretsch G2622T Streamliner Center Block Gunmetal
Gretsch has a long-standing legacy of making exceptional guitars with the best quality. Throughout their history, they’ve been pushing the boundaries of guitar technology and updating the standards.
The Gretsch Streamliner embodies all those principles and is certainly a stunning instrument that any guitarist would be proud to own.
This is one of the best electric guitars for big hands and fat fingers. It feels lightweight, easy to use, and it’s narrower than other guitars. The neck is a little bit wider than other guitars and the strings are easy to hold on to.
Gretsch G2622T Streamliner Center Block Gunmetal with Bigsby & Broad’Tron pickups perfect for rock and jazz players. Although they’re electric, they sound like acoustic guitars when used with particular tones.
Guide to Buying a Guitar for Short Fat Fingers
In a nutshell, the following are some major points to consider when buying a guitar for short fat fingers.
Size and shape of the guitar body
If you want to buy a guitar for your short fat fingers, your main considerations will be how long it’s body is and how wide it is at its widest point. The longer it’s body is and thinner it is, the more comfortable you’ll find playing the guitar.
The wider it is at its widest point and taller it has been built with thinner frets, you’ll find playing this model a little easier than others.
Short fat fingers are generally smaller than average, so avoid guitars that are bigger than about 22″. You should also avoid guitars that are very large in diameter.
Scale length
In order to buy the best guitar for short fat fingers, it is important to consider the scale length of the guitar. The scale length of a guitar refers to the distance between bridge and nut (the two ends of a string).
There are two ways you can buy a scale length guitar. One is to buy an electric acoustic-electric hybrid which has an electric pickup built into one end and an acoustic pickup in the other.
Another way is to purchase a non-electric acoustic-electric hybrid that has both pickups on one side at opposite ends of the body.
The Neck Shape
There are many different neck profiles and they can be anything from C, D, to U. Generally large handed professional players like playing on a U or D neck. It’s all preference-based. Try other profiles and choose whichever ones you prefer best!
How To Make Playing Guitar Easier with Short Fat Fingers?
First, make sure you are playing on a flat surface, such as a table or a stand. If you are playing while standing, place the guitar on a stand or have it raised off the ground so that it is at eye level.
It is also important to maintain proper posture while playing; use a guitar strap will help keep your hands in a more ergonomic position against the strings, and avoid unnecessary strain
You should focus on making the strings on your guitar easier to hold with your fingers.
Thin strings are more prone to slipping out of your fingers. To counter this, you can dampen the string with a thin layer of rosin. This helps your fingers grip the string more easily. You can also choose a less slippery string material.
Another way to make playing guitar with short fat fingers easier is to practice intervals. By playing the same note multiple times in succession, you will become more familiar with the fingering of the chords and scales you play.
FAQs
Can someone with fat fingers play guitar?
People with fat fingers can play guitar if they learn to play it with the right technique. They just have to get used to playing with a thinner, more flexible pick.
Is it harder to play guitar with big hands?
Big hands on a guitar might be more difficult to play than smaller hands. This is because larger hands may lack the dexterity to make certain hand movements, such as finger picking.
Not to mention that larger fingers can also make it harder for a guitarist to reach some of the higher frets of the guitar neck.
Nevertheless, with practice, these difficulties can be overcome and anyone can learn how to play an instrument with big hands.
Are wide neck guitars easier to play?
Wider necks provide better access to strings and frets without having to stretch your hands too much. However, some argue that on smaller and shorter-necked instruments, using a wide-necked guitar can actually hinder you because of its greater body
Conclusion
If you have short and fat fingers, there are still electric guitars out there that will work well for you. You just need to do a little research to find the right one. And don’t be afraid to ask for help from a guitar expert or store associate. With a little effort, you’ll be playing your favorite songs in no time.
