Ergonomic Options
Body Depth
You can, within limits, change the depth of the body (distance between front and back plates). A small person might like a slightly shallower body. Or you might want a deeper guitar to increase the volume and bass response.
Scale Length
You can choose a “long scale” (25.34 inches) or a “short scale” (24.9 inches). The scale describes the nominal distance between the nut and the saddle. (There’s a little adjustment to compensate for the different string diameters.) The shorter the scale, the less tension there is on the strings. A shorter scale has a tad less distance between frets and that can help smaller hands stretch over frets. And less tension means the strings are easier to press down and notes are easier to bend and snap. However, less tension means that the strings vibrate in a wider path that can cause them to buzz against the frets when plucked or strummed aggressively. An aggressive attack can also cause the sound to become muddied.
I personally love my short-scale 000 for my style of blues—lots of bending, snapping and string muting where a little buzz isn’t a bad thing. Our friend the bluegrass player will surely prefer a long scale which will make his picked notes ring out with more clarity, even with an aggressive attack.
String Spacing
This is determined by the width of the fretboard at the nut. It also affects the spacing of the strings as they splay toward the bridge. Manufactured guitars typically have a nut width of 1-11/16 inches or 1-3/4 inches. Doesn’t seem like much of a difference but it is quite noticeable. Lead players and flatpickers who tend to play one note at a time often prefer the narrower width while fingerstyle players often like a little more space for fingerpicking. But this is far from writ in stone. Many small-fingered fingerstylists prefer a narrower string spacing while big-handed lead players might like a little more room. I can design the neck for whatever string spacing suits you best.
Neck Radius
Most necks on steel string guitars have a subtle radius across their width—you might not even realize it but it impacts playability. In general, a smaller (more curved) radius makes it easier to play chords—especially barre chords--while a flatter, (bigger radius) fretboard is better for single-string playing and bends. Of course, most players play chords and single strings. I think Martin found the best radius for most players when they settled on 16 feet. But I can make your guitar neck with any radius you prefer or no radius at all.
Neck Shape
The thickness and shape of the neck is truly a subjective matter of personal preference. Ideally you can visit my shop before I carve the neck to try some of my guitars and, if possible bring along a guitar with a neck shape you love so I can measure it. It would be even more ideal if you could be here while I fine-tune the neck shape that suits you best. If you can’t visit and have a commercially available guitar with a neck you love, I can try to find that model in a guitar store or we can talk about the size of your hand and what general shape you might prefer.