You can’t flip through a guitar magazine without noticing lots of ads for the St. Vincent model Ernie Ball guitar. The guitar, which was designed by St. Vincent (AKA Annie Clark), has a striking and unusual body shape. That should come as no surprise to those familiar with St. Vincent’s work, as she routinely ties the visuals of her videos and stage shows with the dynamics of her music in intriguing ways.
Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent
Sterling by Music Man St. Vincent
When this model was first announced, an article from Vogue’s Runway section made the rounds in my social media feeds. The headline was, “St. Vincent’s Latest Guitar Collaboration With ‘Room for Breasts.’”
I was struck by two things:
1) A guitar was getting attention from Vogue’s runway section, and
2) The guitar was designed with breasts in mind.
Owning my male privilege for a moment, I never really thought about breasts as a complicating factor when it came to finding a comfortable guitar. I was aware that many women I knew had issues with the way seat belts fit their bodies, but I had never considered that guitar straps might pose a similar problem.
I didn’t want this to be a pointless intellectual exercise in which a dude speculates on what women are thinking, so I spoke to some great female guitarists in my circle. I wanted to see if they thought “lady guitars” were a solution to a real problem or just a gimmick. Here’s what I found out.
Thanks to Kim Bird, Gretchen Klempa, Linny Kenney, Chelsea Paolini, and Hunter Stamas for participating in the research panel for this article. For more information about them and their current projects, stick around after the conclusion of this article.
Guitar Body Design and Straps
The Vogue article begins by describing how Clark’s guitar was designed specifically to fit and flatter the female form, and notes how Clark herself posted that there was “room for a breast… or two.”
I asked the panel if there were any brands, models, or styles of guitars that were physically difficult for them to play.
“Being as short as I am,” said Hunter, who is 5’2”, “I have to tighten guitar/bass straps all the way, and it does crush your chest.” Gretchen echoed this, saying that her Telecaster has a crushing effect. The guitar has no contour at all, and she plays it pretty high.
Guitar straps are not positioned the same way on all guitar models, making some guitars more comfortable to play than others. “When I switched from a Fender Strat to a Gibson SG, it totally changed the way it felt to wear a guitar on a strap,” Chelsea said. “The strap on an SG straps to the back of the body of the guitar, over the breast, rather than the top of the body of the guitar. This relieves a lot of the pressure.”
The actual size and shape of the guitar can also be uncomfortable, regardless of where the straps hit. Chelsea appreciated that her SG was lighter than the Strat, making it more comfortable to play for a long time. Hunter said she loves the look of hollow-body guitars, but they’re just too bulky for her.
Classical guitars can pose problems as well, due to their wider necks. “It’s a wide neck for any hand, but definitely trickier for smaller hands,” says Linny. She noted that the reason for the wider necks is practical rather than sexist, since they allow space for finger-picking and classical-style vibrato.
Kim said that she prefers slimmer acoustic guitars. “I think a lot of slimmer body acoustic guitars can be more comfortable for women to play, because they don’t stick out as much when resting against your chest,” she said. “This could just be a matter of personal preference, but I had a slim round-back Ovation that was super comfortable to hold, and then when I didn’t have that guitar anymore and was borrowing a ‘regular’ style acoustic guitar, it just felt really odd, like the side of the guitar was jutting in uncomfortably. So I think slimmer guitars for bustier ladies works.”
To summarize, comfortable guitars for women often have these qualities:
- Slim body
- Narrow neck
- Lightweight
- Straps attached to the back of the guitar body rather than the top of the horn
Not coincidentally, this describes the St. Vincent guitar pretty well.
The St. Vincent Guitar
Annie Clark has said that she struggles to play classic guitars like 60s Strats and 70s Les Pauls because they are just too heavy. (Vintage custom Les Pauls weigh as much as 13 pounds!) She worked with Ernie Ball to design a minimalist guitar that’s comfortable to play and sounds great. It weighs about seven pounds.
The St. Vincent guitar has a distinctive angular shape, which is partly intended to flatter a woman’s waist. The shape of the guitar makes the strap locations a bit quirky. At first glance they may seem similar to the strap knobs on a Strat, but the lack of a top horn completely changes where the strap crosses the body on the neck side of the guitar.
When Guitar World gave the St. Vincent guitar its Platinum Award in March 2016, It’s telling that the male reviewer (Chris Gill) said nothing about this being a guitar for ladies. Instead, he just gushed about how awesome it was:
“While the St. Vincent’s bold design is the sort of thing that guitarists will either love or hate from the get go, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this guitar when you pick it up and play it… The Music Man St. Vincent model may look outrageously unorthodox, but it is an intelligently designed guitar that is wonderfully comfortable to play and tonally versatile.”
When I first approached her about this post, Linny pushed back on the notion that women needed special guitars created for them. I explained that the idea was inspired by the St. Vincent guitar, which was designed to be not only more comfortable for women to play, but also more flattering.
Linny responded, “I mean, I love fashion and I’m all about women wearing things that are flattering, so… I guess! As long as it sounds good!” I should add that Linny is also a visual artist and makes beautiful leather accessories. She definitely knows what she’s talking about when it comes to style!
For Kim, St. Vincent’s credibility as a musician made the guitar more appealing. “St. Vincent is great,” says Kim. “I think [the guitar] is a great idea, and the fact that it was designed by a woman who also rocks pretty hard is a huge plus. It’s more ergonomic and not some Hello Kitty crap.”
Chelsea is playing the Mustang (left) lower than she ordinarily would, because this is my guitar and the leather strap is annoying to adjust.
Our Review of the St. Vincent
As I did my research for this post, I got so intrigued by the St. Vincent guitar that just reading about it wasn’t enough. So
I ordered one, and I invited the local panelists over to get their feedback. (Full disclosure: I actually purchased the Sterling version, which is about $600 rather than $2,000+.)
Gretchen confirmed that, even at the height she wears her guitar, the St. Vincent’s shape was physically more comfortable than her Telecaster. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for a full test drive, but it was good to know that we were on the right track.
Chelsea was able to spend a bit more time with the instrument. To hear Chelsea take it out for a spin, be sure to check out this video.
After playing the guitar for about ten minutes, Chelsea’s assessment was that the St. Vincent “plays really well, sounds good, and it’s comfortable.” She also noted that the guitar takes overdrive really well. When asked for her thoughts on the neck, she noted that, “It’s definitely really smooth, so speed is easy on it.”
When it comes to comfort, Chelsea felt that the weight of the guitar was nicely distributed across the strap and it did not put any pressure on any specific part of her body. She also noted that the body shape of the guitar “rides the curves” of her body, adding to the comfort factor.
Since she no longer has her Strat, she strapped on my Mustang to compare the strap placement on a typical Fender style body with the St. Vincent. It’s pretty clear that the St. Vincent wins, especially at the height that Chelsea usually plays her guitar.
I also asked the panel for their thoughts on inspirational female guitarists, any sexism they face as female players, and their advice for girls looking to start playing guitar.
Favorite Female Guitarists
When I asked the panel for some of their favorite female guitarists, Annie Clark was on the list. Here were the other standouts:
- Joni Mitchell (two votes)
- Bonnie Raitt (two votes)
- Ani Difranco (two votes)
- Susan Tedeschi
- Courtney Love
- Gillian Welch
- Feist
- Kaki King
So if you’re looking for some inspiration, check out those legendary badasses.
Benefits of Lighter, Intuitive Gear for Everyone
Lighter, intuitive gear makes life easier for everyone — not just women. It’s like universal design in urban planning: Sure, gentle slopes make pathways accessible for people who use wheelchairs, but they also make travel much easier for little kids, the elderly, people pushing strollers… It’s a win-win!
Linny didn’t think lighter-weight gear was just for women. “I’m sure men wouldn’t mind a lighter amp that sounded just as good, too!” she said. “I know my dad far prefers his electronic drum kit over his big rock kit these days. He just doesn’t want to lug it around.”
Kim agreed. “I wish gear makers would realize that female players just want stuff that works and is straightforward to use,” she said. “This probably goes for dudes, too. I don’t want to have to spend three hours sitting with my computer trying to figure out how to make my new pedal work.”
Sexism in Music
I asked the panel whether they have encountered sexism when shopping for gear. For example, did shop clerks ever ignore them and assume any dude they were with was the guitar player? I got an interesting variety of responses.
Linny said she had not had this experience, although I should note that she lives near one of the most amazing little independent music stores I’ve ever been to. “There are a lot of incredible female musicians out there, and I think most people working in music stores are actually musicians and recognize that,” she says. “The place where women are going to feel the annoyance of stupid men is at gigs.”
Kim said she hasn’t had much trouble shopping, although she doesn’t spend a lot of time browsing music stores. “I think a lot of it just depends on the attitude you bring into the store,” she said. “Like, if I’m going there for something specific, I bring that knowledge with me and can ask questions or look at gear that I know is in my ballpark. That way I’m not duped into something I don’t need or want. But I think that’s just general shopping smarts, and probably something guys should be doing, too.”
Unfortunately, Chelsea and Hunter have encountered this kind of sexism a lot. “Pretty much everyone everywhere assumes my boyfriend is the guitar player in any given situation (at a store, a show, etc.),” said Chelsea. “These days I try to ignore any negative assumptions about my skill or knowledge until I can prove otherwise (which can be exhausting and make you feel like a dancing monkey).” Hunter agreed, saying that it happens “all the time.”
Advice for Girls and Women Considering Playing Guitar
I asked the panel what advice they would give to a girl or a woman interested in playing guitar. Their answers are great, so I’ll just quote them here:
- “Don’t think of yourself as a female guitarist. You’re a guitarist. It’s not a sub-category.” –Chelsea Paolini
- “Do it! Practice! It’s all about the practice… Getting into playing guitar is nothing more than just picking one up and putting your fingers where they’re supposed to go and just working on that over and over again.” –Linny Kenney
- “Get a good teacher. Learn theory. Be smarter than the guys you’re playing with. And don’t be afraid to play like a girl, because girls are awesome.” –Kim Bird
- “Do it, and play so loud and confidently when you get your strumming patterns down because it is the most empowering feeling in the world.” –Hunter
Final Thought
I’ll just leave you with this thought from Hunter: “The future is female, and I’m so glad to be a part of that musically with my band.”
About the Panel
Kim Bird has a Master’s degree in music and a degree in double bass performance. She is a full-time professional musician and bass instructor, and plays in various ensembles near her home in Denver. While her primary instrument these days is bass, she’s also a top-notch guitarist. She also contributed her expertise to the post Should You Learn Guitar or Bass First.
Gretchen Klempa is the frontwoman of the band Gretchen and the Pickpockets. She also performs solo shows in Boston and the surrounding area. Known for her powerful voice and strong sense of style, she also knows her way around a Telecaster.
Linny Kenney earned her B.A. in Music and studied opera singing in NYC and Germany. She sings and plays guitar in the band Not Your Mother, and is also a renowned leather artist. Check out her amazing guitar straps!
Chelsea Paolini performs as a solo artist and as the frontwoman of the New Hampshire based band People Skills. In this band, Chelsea fuses the rock/pop stylings of her previous bands with the psychedelic elements of the jam band scene.
Hunter Stamas recently returned to New England after touring across the United States and Canada in support of her latest LP, Listen to Hunter. Her band, Hunter, is defined by their energetic live performances and unique songwriting style.