Frett hand positions

Hey, I've been playing guitar for a while and I'm having a problem using my pinky on the low A and E strings. I use the frett hand position that Slash uses (because he's my guitar idol and also because he's the only guitarist I've ever examined on vidio). I have the neck kind of sitting between my thumb and index finger so my thumb sticks out torwards me. This seems to work well for Slash, but he must have longer fingers than me. I've also tried bending my thumb at the first knuckle and proping it up on the back of the neck. This helps me reach the lower strings, but it makes it hard to slide up and down the neck and it hurts the hell out of my thumb after jamming for a while :) . If some one can help, please post something!

The optimal position for the thumb is in the middle of the neck in aprox. the center of the fingers:

n n n n <-- Fingers
------- <-- Fretboard
...U <-- Thumb

(hope that lil illustration worked)

so much for the theory..

i personally have my thumb there:

n n n n
---------
U

when i solo in hte higher frets i have it too reaching over the fretoard like you said, but when i´m on the low strings i got it in the center of the neck. works kinda automatical for me. *shrugs*

I think I get what your saying. In your animation your thumb is on the side of the frett board and not underneath right?

my animation (it doesnt move dude - its an ILLUSTRATION *LOL*)

however - its basically the view you got when you have your guitar in normal laying position and you look at the fretboard so that you see its side

Its wasnt moving? Must have been those drugs I took :) lol
ok, thanks man. later

When I play bar chords, well mostly on the root 6 chords, my thumb points away from me, or to the headstock of the guitar. I find I can't break this bad-habit, my thumb and wrist area kills after a little jamming in this position.

it's possible to fret virtually any note, or any chord or whatever it is on the guitar neck correctly as long as your hand is in a relaxed position. no matter what position your hand maybe in, it should feel no discomfort. do whatever feels comfortable to you, works for me :)