I've been playing guitar since 1987. Back then I knew nothing about string gauges, neck radius and their effect on playing. I didn't know anything about tube vs. solid state amps and my fascination was with making music. The gear was secondary. Sure, I knew what "good" instruments were but I didn't have the insight and research I've accumulated the past twenty years. That brings me to the point of this post.
My first acoustic had action that was akin to the telephone lines sagging from the poles in winter. Equally challenging was the mastering of chord shapes, nevermind barre chords. I learned on that axe and it served me well. The strings were probably .013-.056 like most standard acoustic strings. The action was about 1/2 inch off the board. Again, I didn't know better and just learned on the guitar.
Move ahead one year and I get my 1988 Fender Stratocaster Plus, an American made guitar that had "cutting edge" technology on a classic format. The Strat plus had locking tuners, the first version of the Wilkinson roller nut, a trem setter, and Lace Sensor pickups. These were all innovations at the time and still work. The only upgrade I've done since then was to put the second version of the LSR roller nut (which works better IMO) and re-wire the rear tone knob to blend the front/rear pups. The original wiring had the rear tone as a TBX tone control which now is the middle on my axe and the other tone is wired to blend the front/rear when twisted.
This guitar played (and still does) like a dream. The action was close enough to play chords without developing carpal tunnel but high enough to not fret out when playing. I've had every gauge string on there since my youth. I've had the action raised and lowered and have settled on a happy medium. The point is I didn't really notice any major difference between that and my ASAT Classic. I should have.
The neck's radii are different on each. The Strat's 9.5" and the ASAT's 7.5". My PRS has a radius of 10" and the Epiphone Alleykat is very Martin-esque for an electric at 12" (most acoustics are 16" or more). To reiterate I've been oblivious to these things since I was a kid and now as I type with a split fingernail on my left hand middle digit I can't help but think the combination of 3 hours of rehearsals on D'addario XL 10s and tonight's hour on the 12 string finger eater remind me that while we as musicians sweat the small stuff on our gear maybe in the long run we're better off just doing what feels right and recognizing our body's limits.
Sadly, I'm probably going to play my electric now - the G&L Legacy (9 inch radius) b/c it has light electric strings (.09-.042) and I really love the feel of that maple neck in my hands.
Truly, breathe and play what you feel.
If it works for you go for it.
