Are you a guitarist with big hands? Struggled to find a guitar that’s a good fit?
Well we are here to help!
Guitarists with large hands often run into the same problems, particularly if they are playing the wrong size guitar.
Large hands often mean large fingers, which aren’t always an ideal tool for the complexities of holding thin guitar strings.
It isn’t the end of the world, as guitarists like Jimi Hendrix have shown – large handed players can still rock!
This article looks at some of the best wide neck electric guitars for players with big hands. No need to worry about those fat fingers any more!
I tested 7 products and found Fender Player Stratocaster to be the best guitar for big hands.
This guitar is perfect for players with thick fingers or big hands.
Not only are these wide neck electrics super comfortable for sausage fingers, they are generally amazing guitars. From build quality to tone, every element of the Fender Player Stratocaster feels refined and well engineered.
I love electric guitars. They have always been one of my favorite instruments.
I’ve played electric guitars for years and years. The main reason being they are a lot of fun to play with! If you’re like me, your hands are not the picture perfect shape and size for playing guitar. I don’t let it stop me though. Finding the right guitar is essential. When you find the right one, it feels like part of your body, and presents no obstacles to musical expression.
We picked the Fender Player Stratocaster as our favorite wide neck guitar for several reasons!
The wide, smooth neck makes this guitar perfect for fat fingers and wide hands. There is plenty of room for maneuvering on the fretboard. The neck shape is also very comfortable and enables quick action. The pickups are high quality and have a fantastic sound. Very clear, rich, full, and articulate. These are really infallible guitars in every sense of the world. Durable to survive the life of a rockstar, but sensitive enough for detailed and exquisite expression.
Keep reading for more information on the best wide neck electric guitar styles in 2021!
Alternatively, fancy reading about the best electric guitars? Check out our post!
Best electric guitar for big hands in our tests
- PRS SE Custom 24
- Epiphone SG Special
- Ibanez GRG
- Gretsch Streamliner
- Epiphone Les Paul Special
- Ibanez GAX30
- Fender Player Stratocaster
Top 7 wide neck electric guitars for big hands reviewed in detail.
1. PRS SE Custom 24
Product info
The PRS 24 has always been known as a great guitar, thanks to its smooth feel and incredible sound. This PRS SE Custom 24 is also perfect for people with large hands with its large neck width and wide, thin neck shape.
These instruments feel premium from the get-go. All PRS instruments are made to a precise high quality, and this guitar feels as well-engineered as the best.
Featuring a smooth fretboard and a well-contoured body, this guitar has a superior feel and feels extra satisfying to play. The Wide neck is ideal for fat fingers and feels so great you won’t want to put it down.
The PRS SE range of guitars features a precision-tuned, 24-fret, 25.5″ scale length neck, and a body with a deep double-cutaway and a thin waist. The contouring of the body and cutaways make it easy to reach higher frets, which helps with techniques like sweep picking and double-tapping.
Not only does this look like one of the best guitars, but it also sounds like one! This reliable guitar has a professional sound quality, with a warm, rich sound. The coil-tapping pickups make this versatile guitar even more flexible. The bridge pickup was a little brighter and more cutting than the neck pickup, as expected. The chambered Mahogany body construction allows for richer tones and improved resonance.
The bridge design improves the guitar’s resonance and sustain. Some versions of the PRS 24 come with a built-in tremolo arm, others don’t. So you can take your pick based on your preferences. I personally enjoy a tremolo arm, but others don’t – for the tuning stability.
Overall the PRS SE Custom 24 is a great choice for large-handed guitarists. This guitar is great both clean or distorted and is perfect for making country, rock, metal, or blues. This guitar would be safe in the hands of intermediate-pro guitarists and guitar legends!
Pros and Cons
- Smooth feel and well-contoured body.
- Professional sound and build quality.
- Incredibly fast neck, wide and comfortable.
- Coil tapping pickups.
- Excellent sustain.
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2. Epiphone SG Special
Product info
The Epiphone SG is the quintessential rock guitar. If you’re looking for an electric guitar that is versatile, comfortable, and easy to play, then look no further than the Epiphone SG Special.
The SG was an improvement on the original Epiphone Les Paul custom model. The SG featured a lighter body, double cutaway, and a different neck. The SG is for guitarists who don’t want to compromise in any area of their game.
If you’re a big-handed guitar player, the Epiphone SG Special is the perfect guitar for you.
This beast is designed for effortless playing. Even with short and fat fingers.
The double-cutaway design makes it easier to get to the upper frets without inhibition from the horns.
The Epiphone SG features more frets (24) than most guitars, with a wide rosewood fretboard and “baseball bat” neck profile.
This design makes the SG perfect for large hands. The wide fretboard feels comfortable for large-handed guitar players, and increases the string spacing.
It also helps large-handed players find the correct finger positioning.
The extra frets give you more notes to play with which can expand your playing style.
These guitars also have a beastly sound. The humbucker neck and bridge pickups produce heavy sounds with excellent sustain and minimal noise. They have a thick, chunky, percussive sound that is rocked by many rhythms and lead guitarist icons.
These guitars love distortion. They are more prone to feedback because of their light mahogany neck and body, but this is often viewed as a feature, rather than a flaw, in the heavy guitar community.
The SG Special is perfect for any large-handed guitarist. These wide-neck guitars are the ultimate heavy metal machine for those with fat fingers. We recommend the Epiphone SG for intermediate guitarists and the Gibson version for the professionals!
Pros and Cons
- Wide fretboard, double cutaway allow for essay upper fret access.
- More frets than most guitars.
- Incredibly lightweight.
- Heavy humbucker pickups.
- Affordable (or get an expensive Gibson SG).
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3. Ibanez GRG
Product info
The Ibanez GRG is an electric guitar that’s perfect for large-handed lead guitarists. The natural wood finishes are stunning too!
The refined, slim body uses an exaggerated super-strat shape, with extra pointed horns and a contoured double cutaway. The cutaway felt comfortable, and won’t be too narrow for wide hands.
The GTG uses an extra-large fretboard, to create a wide string spacing. This guitar also features more frets than most other guitars, making it ideal for shredding and those who play metal. The wide necks used by the GRG range make it easier for large handed players to play chords and hold notes. The wider string spacing gives the guitar a less claustrophobic feel than styles from other guitar brands.
It features high-gain active EMG pickups for more expressive sound. The EMG pickups are active, meaning they need to be powered by an internal 9v battery. The benefits are an increased dynamic range and louder output.
The GRG’s control circuit is a bit underwhelming, with only one knob each for tone and vole. But this is compensated by the guitar’s excellent overall tone and sustain.
This guitar has a minimalist appearance and style, but when you pick it up you can instantly tell it is a quality instrument. It also comes with a lot of the features more expensive guitars have but without the price tag.
Overall we recommend this guitar for beginner-intermediate players with an interest in heavier styles of music. The design of the guitar is more styled for genres like metal and punk, particularly because of the pickups. This guitar may not be the best choice for less heavy styles of music.
Pros and Cons
- High-gain active EMG pickups.
- Affordable.
- Extra-large fretboard, wide and increased count.
- Extended cutaway to reach high frets.
- Lacking a tremolo system.
- Underwhelming electronic control circuit.
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4. Gretsch Streamliner
Product info
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, the Gretsch Streamliner guitar is a lovely instrument to play
Pairing a classic vintage look with modern components, the Streamliner is a timeless guitar that would make an excellent addition to any guitarist’s setup or collection. Gretsch has been making some of the finest guitars in the world since 1883. The Streamliner is one of their most stylish guitars yet!
The shape and size of this guitar make it ideal for larger players. The hollow body is thin but broad. The neck is wide and spacious with comfortable string spacing and makes guitar playing easy, even with fat fingers. The nut width is also larger than most models, so it’s perfect for fat fingers.
The hollow body combined with the retro-styled pickups gives this guitar a fantastic, unique sound. The Broad’Tron BT-2S pickups sound as cool as they look, and have a signature tone and response, tuned perfectly to the body resonance.
The guitar sounds greatly unplugged too, almost sounding like an acoustic guitar. Because of the hollow body, this guitar is more sensitive to feedback, so it won’t be ideal for all styles of music. Using heavy distorted tones may make this guitar feedback. So it’s best to use it for lighter genres like Jazz and Blue. Although it can take some overdrive and crunch, so it doesn’t have to be completely clean.
It comes with an iconic Bigsby floating tremolo that provides a huge range of pitch bending, without putting the guitar out of tune. The overall tuning stability of this guitar is decent, although because of the hollow body it is more prone to atmospheric changes such as heat and humidity. It’s best to keep this guitar in a quality hard case when it’s not being played.
The Gretsch Streamliner is great for jazz and blues and perfect for live shows and open mics.
Overall this is a great retro-style electric guitar for the modern musician. It’s mostly a great all-rounder, not great for heavy stuff, but great for large hands!
Pros and Cons
- Includes a classic Bigsby floating tremolo – perfect for pitch bending
- Unique, retro-style Broad’Tron BT-2S pickups, sound and look fantastic
- Hollow bodied – great tone but prone to feedback.
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5. Epiphone Les Paul Special
Product info
Everyone wants to rock like their guitar heroes, but finding your preferred instrument can be hard. The Epiphone Les Paul Special, however, is one guitar everybody loves.
This solid-body electric guitar has a mahogany body, set mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard with an extended 24.75″ scale length. This Epiphone guitar is perfect for intermediate and beginner players. If you have the budget for a more professional model, we recommend a Gibson Les Paul instead.
This Epiphone Les Paul uses dual humbucking pickups, chrome hardware, and a tune-O-Matic bridge with a stop bar tailpiece. All the hardware pieces feel the high quality for the price. This isn’t a super premium guitar, but the quality is decent nonetheless. This guitar uses a mahogany fretboard which has a solid feeling and is great for articulation.
It’s also the perfect size for large-handed guitarists with its wider neck and extra frets (22). With full-range humbucker pickups. It has the wide neck you’re looking for, with extra frets and a cutaway to help you reach higher notes. The neck shape of this guitar is similar to some u shaped necks I’ve seen, so it fits comfortably with large hands.
The solid mahogany body with its sleek silver finish not only looks great on stage but also sounds fantastic too. The body is heavier than the SG, but still relatively light compared to other guitars. The tuning stability is also solid. There’s some hiss on the pickups that I should mention, but that’s pretty much it.
Thanks to the humbuckers, this guitar is great for rock and other heavy genres. This guitar pairs perfectly with a saturated amplifier and some distortion pedals!
Les Paul Special is one of the best-selling Epiphone models, and for good reason. If you have large hands and want a good electric guitar, the Epiphone Les Paul Special is a great choice. These beginner guitars have excellent quality and are fun to play!
Pros and Cons
- Wide, extended neck with extra frets
- Full range humbucker pickups
- Solid tuning stability.
- Some unwanted hiss on the pickups.
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6. Ibanez GAX30
Product info
This guitar is for those who have a large hand and a budget that they need to stick to.
The GAX30 is an affordable option with some tradeoffs.
One of the benefits of this guitar is the neck, which has fast, smooth action while still being comfortable to play while standing or sitting. It’s also good for those looking for some high fret action thanks to its double cutaway. It’s definitely wide enough for large-handed players thanks to the expanded nut width.
If you’re looking for a budget guitar with great features and a great sound, the Ibanez GAX30 is for you. With two punchy humbucker pickups and clean action, the GAX30 is perfect for those looking to rock out on a budget. It lacks a tremolo system and uses a low-quality bridge, but those are easily fixed with upgrades.
Ibanez GAX30 is a nice budget guitar for those with big hands. One of the most affordable guitars under $300, this guitar offers a lot for a low price. With a large body and easy fretboard, this guitar is perfect for those just starting out or fighting the urge to give up–built to last.
This guitar looks fantastic too, with a bright wild cherry body, and sleek rockstar silhouette. The durability of this guitar felt decent, and this will certainly last many years of heavy action.
Looking for a quality electric guitar that won’t break the bank? The Ibanez GAX30 is the guitar you’re looking for. With a budget-friendly price, this guitar is perfect for beginners but packs enough punch to satisfy experienced players. The size and neck design make it ideal for big-handed players.
Pros and Cons
- Budget-friendly price
- Two punchy humbucker pickups
- Refined neck with fast, smooth action
- Lacking tremolo system
- Below-average bridge quality
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7. Fender Player Stratocaster
Product info
The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most iconic guitars, with a versatile sound that can be heard in some of the most memorable songs.
This model is great for big-handed players, who will appreciate the large maple fretboard.
The Fender Strat is also known for its superior build quality and incredible sound. These are known to be at the pinnacle of guitar design. What more could you want? Due to its popularity and distinctive sound, it has often been referred to as “the” instrument for rock and roll.
The Fender Player Stratocaster is a guitar for those who want to play with a little more freedom and power. It’s a great instrument for players with larger hands and offers several features which make it possible to play.
The Fender Player Stratocaster is a beautifully crafted guitar that provides the best sound in the world. It’s made with alder for its body material, which provides a perfect balance of warmth and brightness, with maple for the neck, which resonates beautifully when played. The maple fingerboard is smooth, which is perfect for strong notes with a clear articulation.
Made with the best materials, the Fender Player Stratocaster design is crafted to maximize performance and playability. With a modern “C” shaped neck and steel saddles that provide more tuning stability, it will bring out your inner rock star. These guitars sound absolutely stunning, which shouldn’t be a surprise given their price. These are pro-graded instruments and are used on some of the biggest world stages.
Overall the Fender Stratocaster is a guitar that nobody can go wrong with. Fender just got it right with this design. They’re versatile, comfortable, and sound great! DIfferent strat designs use slightly different measurements, but we thought the Player range has the best guitars for larger hands.
Pros and Cons
- Renowned Fender build quality
- Superior sound & pickups
- Incredibly versatile tone choices.
- Expansive neck for large hands
- Fretboard only comes in maple
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A Pocket Guide to buying an electric guitar for big hands
What to look for when buying guitars for big hands.
If you have big hands, two important guitar measurements can help you find the right size. I recommend learning these measurements. Try out different guitars, and write down which sizes feel most comfortable for you. Then choose a guitar that fits within these sizes. This way you are certain to choose a guitar that is the right size for your hands, and plays
comfortably.
Below is an explanation of the key measurements. You should be able to find these on the manufacturer’s websites.
Nut Width
This measurement describes the width of the nut from top to bottom. The nut is a small bar at the top of the fretboard. This is the first point of contact for the guitar strings, and where they rest to hold tension from the tuning pegs.
Larger nut sizes result in a wider neck, thus more space between the strings. This makes it easier for large-handed players as their fat fingers won’t catch the wrong strings.
Scale Length
This describes the length from the nut to the bridge and affects the length of the fretboard. Longer scale lengths = longer fretboards. Which in turn creates wider frets with more space between them
Short-scale guitars should be avoided by large-handed guitarists. Longer scale lengths are better for big hands. The result of a short scale length is a condensed fretboard, which is fiddler to play and not suited to large hands.
FAQs
Is a Wide Neck Electric Guitar Easier to Play for Big Hands?
A thinner neck will feel more fiddly and compact than an electric guitar with a wider neck. A larger neck width gives electric guitars more space between the strings. This makes wide neck guitars easier to fret chords, play melodies, and pluck individual strings with the right hand.
One of the main advantages of wide-neck guitars is that they are easier to play with big hands.
Which guitars have the widest necks?
Here is a list of 15 wide-necked electric guitars and their nut width.
-Epiphone Les Paul Modern = 1.692”
-Gibson Les Paul Custom = 1.69”
-Gibson Les Paul Junior = 1.695”
-PRS SE Standard = 1.6875”
-Fender American Ultra Stratocaster = 1.685”
-Ibanez J Custom RG8570Z = 1.692”
-Ibanez Joe Satriani Signature JS1CR = 1.692”
-Jackson Pro Series (Mick Thomson Signature) = 1.6875”
-Rickenbacker 660 = 1.75”
This shows the Rickenbacker 660 is one of the largest necked guitars. Not only is this guitar a retro classic with a sweet tone, but its wide neck also makes it a great choice for players with wide hands.
Conclusion
Overall the best wide neck guitar for big hands was the Fender Player Stratocaster.
These are fantastic guitars whichever way you look at them. Whether your hands are big or small, you would love to get them on a Fender Stratocaster! Who wouldn’t?
First, these are great for large-handed players. Their comfortable maple necks are wide enough for big hands and have a smooth, accurate response. The cutaway is also a great addition for large-handed players.
Besides being great for big hands, this wide-neck electric guitar is a superior instrument for anyone who wants to play guitar. They have a super versatile sound, thanks to 3 single-coil pickups and their flexible tone circuitry. You can shape the tone in as much detail as you need.
They have the Fender seal of approval, which means these guitars are made only from the finest materials, in the hands of seasoned luthiers. These are a fine choice for both beginners and pros, although will probably be beyond the budget of a beginner. We recommend something like an Epiphone SG or Les Paul for big hands on a smaller budget!
Check out the Fender Player Stratocaster online here!
Does your little rocker need a new guitar too?
Have a look at our lineup of the best electric guitars for kids
Interested in the fingerstyle technique? Check out our post about the best electric guitars for fingerstyle.
Noah is an accomplished audio engineer with several years of experience producing music for major companies and independent artists. He enjoys sharing his vast knowledge of audio engineering topics to help musicians and music producers create great music.