It’s annoying. You buy a beautiful, sunburst Stratocaster or a heavy-duty Les Paul, and suddenly you realize the instrument was designed for someone six inches taller than you. The neck feels like a mile long. Your shoulder starts to ache after twenty minutes of practice. Most people think they just need to "tough it out" or wait for their hands to grow, but that's total nonsense. Honestly, the right electric guitar accessory for short players isn't just one item—it's a specific setup that changes the geometry of how you hold the wood and wire.
If you’re on the shorter side, the world of guitar gear can feel like it’s built exclusively for giants. Standard straps are often too long even at their shortest setting. Large dreadnought acoustic cases are like carrying a coffin. But for electric players, the struggle is usually about reach and balance.
Why Your Current Strap is Killing Your Technique
Most straps you find at Guitar Center or Sweetwater are designed for the "average" height, which usually means someone around 5'10". If you're 5'2" or 5'4", a standard strap often leaves the guitar hanging way too low. You end up looking like a 90s pop-punk bassist, which is cool for photos but a nightmare for your wrist. When the guitar sits too low, your fretting hand has to bend at an extreme angle to reach the lower frets. This is how carpal tunnel starts.
You need a short-scale strap. Companies like Levy’s and Mono make "short" versions of their popular padded straps. A shorter strap allows you to pull the body of the guitar up toward your chest. This puts the neck at a 45-degree angle, making the reach to the first fret feel natural rather than like a yoga stretch.
Look at someone like Angus Young from AC/DC. He’s 5'2". If you watch him closely, his guitar isn't swinging around his knees. It’s tucked up relatively high. That’s not an accident. It’s a calculated move to ensure his relatively small hands can fly across the fretboard without straining. He uses a narrow, shorter leather strap that keeps the instrument locked into his center of gravity.
The Secret of the Contoured Heel
We need to talk about the physical body of the guitar. If you are already committed to a guitar you own, you can’t change the wood. But if you’re looking for an electric guitar accessory for short hands or shorter reaches, you should consider a "bolt-on neck shim" or a specific type of bridge adjustment.
However, the real "accessory" here is often a hardware swap. Replacing a standard neck plate with a contoured neck heel (if your guitar body allows it) can give you an extra half-inch of reach on the high frets. This sounds small. It feels massive. When your palm isn't hitting a square block of maple, your fingers can actually curve naturally over the 15th fret and beyond.
Why Nut Width Matters More Than Scale Length
People obsess over scale length. They say short players must play a 24-inch scale guitar like a Fender Mustang or a Jaguar. While a shorter scale helps, the nut width is often the bigger culprit. A wide nut (like on many Ibanez Wizard necks) forces your fingers to splay out.
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If you have smaller hands, a "narrow nut" replacement is a game-changer. This isn't something you just clip on; it’s a hardware upgrade. Switching from a 43mm nut to a 41mm nut feels like moving from a wide-neck classical guitar to a sleek racing machine.
Footstools Aren't Just for Classical Players
Seriously. Get a footstool.
Even when playing an electric guitar, sitting down can be a struggle if your feet don't firmly plant on the ground while the guitar sits on your thigh. If you’re short, a standard chair might be just a bit too high, causing the guitar to slide away from you. A foldable metal footstool—the kind classical guitarists use—allows you to elevate your "fretting-side" leg.
This tilts the guitar up. Suddenly, the headstock is near your ear. The distance your arm has to travel to hit a F-major barre chord is cut by 30%. It’s basically physics. By changing the fulcrum of the instrument, you’re making the neck "shorter" in terms of perceived reach.
The Padded Strap and Weight Distribution
Short-statured players often have narrower shoulders. A heavy Gibson Les Paul (usually weighing 9 to 11 pounds) can literally compress your nerves. You don't just need a short strap; you need a wide, neoprene padded strap.
- A 3-inch wide strap distributes the weight across more surface area.
- It stops the "diving" effect where the headstock pulls the guitar toward the floor.
- It keeps the guitar stable so you aren't using your fretting hand to "hold up" the neck.
If you spend your energy holding the guitar up, you aren't spending it playing. That’s the core of the problem. You want the guitar to stay put.
The "Short" Fix: Short-Scale Conversions
If you are struggling with a standard Fender Stratocaster or a Telecaster, there is an "accessory" known as a conversion neck. Companies like Warmoth sell these. You can take a standard guitar and swap the neck for a 24.75-inch scale neck (the Gibson standard) or even shorter.
This is a deep-level modification, but for someone who loves their guitar body but finds the frets too far apart, it’s a literal lifesaver. It keeps the strings at a lower tension, making bends easier for smaller hands.
Honestly, I’ve seen so many students give up because they think they "can't reach the chords." Usually, they're just fighting a guitar that is physically too big for their frame. You wouldn't wear shoes three sizes too big and wonder why you're tripping; don't do the same with your instrument.
Cables and Wireless Systems
This is a weird one, but it matters. Heavy, coiled "vintage" cables are heavy. They pull on the endpin of the guitar. For a smaller player, that extra pound of weight pulling the right side of the guitar down can ruin your balance.
Switching to a lightweight wireless system (like the Boss WL-20 or a Line 6 Relay) removes that physical drag. It sounds like a small detail. It’s not. When you remove the tether of a heavy cable, the guitar feels lighter and more maneuverable. You can move your body more freely, which helps with the "performance" aspect of playing without feeling bogged down by gear.
Actionable Steps for a Better Fit
Stop fighting your gear. If you feel like your electric guitar is a physical burden, follow these steps immediately to recalibrate your setup.
First, measure your strap. If it’s a standard 40-to-60 inch strap and you have it at the tightest setting but the guitar is still below your belly button, go buy a "Shorty" strap immediately. Look for brands that offer a 35-inch minimum length.
Second, check your "fret reach" posture. Sit in a chair and put your left foot (if you're right-handed) on a stack of books or a footstool. Notice how the neck of the guitar jumps up toward your face. If this feels better, buy a professional adjustable footstool for twenty bucks.
Third, consider your string gauge. Short players with smaller hands often benefit from dropping down one gauge size. If you’re playing 10s, try 9s. If you’re playing 9s, try 8s (like Billy Gibbons or Yngwie Malmsteen). Lighter strings require less "crushing force" from your fingers, which compensates for the mechanical disadvantage of having shorter fingers.
Finally, evaluate your guitar's body size. If you are petite, a large hollow-body ES-335 is going to feel like a dining room table. You might be better served by a "parlor" sized electric or a small-body solid wood guitar like a Gibson SG or a PRS McCarty 594 Singlecut, which have slightly shorter scales and more compact dimensions. Adjusting your gear to fit your body is not "cheating"—it’s what every professional does to ensure they can play for forty years without an injury.