|
|
Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | I'm looking to custom order a Custom Legend 12-string. In doing that, I just realized that I could possibly order a slothead.
What are specific pros & cons of slothead versus standard pegs?
(Let the games begin!) :D |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | Probably not a huge difference in sound, but a royal pain in the butt changing strings. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Slothead: More difficult to change strings,(especially a 12 string).
Slothead: Sharper break angle for strings,(better sound). |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 1900
| Aren't the slothead 12's wider at the nut? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2005
Posts: 331
Location: San Angelo, Texas | See, i TOLD you Andrew! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | Yes, you did...though I never mind stirring up conversation and controversy... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2005
Posts: 331
Location: San Angelo, Texas | and a great job you do of it, too! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | best comparison I can give...the 1658 (slothead) and the 1659 - other than the neck and placement of the bridge, identical Custom Legends (AAA, same brace, deep bowl)
both great voice, more of a "harpsichordic" voice on the slothead. some like it, some don't.
my three slothead 12's are the shiny bowl, GC acoustic, and the 1658.
I like it which is why my slothead 12's get played while the 1659 and the 6759 hang on the wall. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Around the first of the year I custom ordered a
12 fret 12 string slothead cutaway .
It is supposd to be finished sometime in May/June. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | So, overall, does the extra tension of the strings' angle over the nut on the slothead:
A. Increase sustain or overall resonance?
B. Wear your strings out faster?
C. Change how well it stays tuned?
D. Make you jump up and down like a chimpanzee?
E. All of the above. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | So, BTW, where's Tuppy?
I thought for sure he'd have SOMETHING to say on this one... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | The width of the nuts should be the same.
Changing strings on a slot are a pita.
Typically a slothead is 12 frets, flathead is 14.
Yes there is a sharper angle for better sound because of slightly higher tension. You want to believe it, go ahead, it's true. Now put on a blind fold and tell me you really can hear it.
This sharper angle will not wear out your strings faster or make them stay in tune better.
One of these will make you jump like a monkey but I forgot which one. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by cwk2:
One of these will make you jump like a monkey but I forgot which one. The Other One. :D |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2003
Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | I know the 12 fret neck makes a difference. But explain to me how the string angle or tension beyond the nut can make any real difference. Wouldn't the part of the string that vibrates between the nut and the bridge be at the same tension no matter what angle the string beyond those points are? Seems to me the reality is that slotheads tend to be on 12 fret necks and that is the plus. I think a slot head just looks cool.
Steve |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | It all makes a difference. The differences may be subtle, but they are there. An acute angle over the saddle or nut results in increased srtring tension, it's basic physics. A slotted headstock has the advantage that it acheives an acute break angle at the nut without the need for a sharply angled headstock, which lessens the chance of a neck break at the nut in the event of an accident. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I noticed the other day (only took me 30 years) that my Matrix has a more sharply angled headstock than my other O's. Maybe they designed that in with the urethane neck. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2004
Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | I read PT's explanation and while his statement regarding the break angle at the nut and normal force between the string and the nut are pretty obviously correct, I never could figure out why it would matter. I've heard theories that try to relate neck vibration to over all sound but the pertinent interface in that regard I would think is the body/neck joint.
About the only mechanism I can envision that might make a difference, due to string/nut realtionships, is the increased normal force creates a lager frictional force between nut and string that in turn prevents any energy due to string vibrations (some component of which will be realized as forces that try to slide the string in the slot) from be lost due to sliding movement in the slots cut into the nut.
That ought to nail the lid on this thread ;) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| It is a well known scientific fact that slotheads look a googol to the power of 8 cooler than flatheads. Break angles/sustain/string wear don't come into it. Slotheads are just the bee's knees. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | The "bee's knees"? Jeez, you brits don't know anything. The expression is the "cat's ass". Altho' you don't want to use that expression around Cliff... if there's no llama around, he'll start to get excited. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Especially this time of year. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | It would be nice to be able to order a 14 fret neck with the slotted headstock. The bridge would move up a bit and out of the 'sweet spot', but you get the cool headstock, and a more usable neck. Weren't the old 12 strings 12 frets for strenth purposes? As soon as the KAMAN bar came out, they moved to 14 frets, and switched to the flat headstock. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Why not just custom order a 12 fret slothead cutaway like I did. Then you have the cool factor, the better sound, and access to the upper frets! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | How exactly does one order up a custom? Some other sites I've visited have a "menu" of what the available choices are with a price list so you can talk ourself out of things pretty quickly. Is there a form or procedure or is it just a phone call? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 55
Location: Malvern, Pa. | StephenT28,
Is that a UTE cutaway? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | No Bobby,
It is actually a 12 string 12 fret slothead cutaway. I will try to post some pics. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Mitzdawg, call Al, give him your specs and then sit back and wait for the response. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | The 12 fret slothead cutaway would be very cool. I love my slotheads. My GC 12 is a 12 fretter. When I got it I realized just how much I actually play around or above the 12th fret. That killed my desire for a Ute last year when I actually had a guitar fund. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 255
| The longer the scale length the more tension it takes to reach the note you want??? FoR EXAMPLE attach a string to a radiator and pull that string to an e note,.. It will take a lot of tension.. Now pluck the string between the nut and tuners on your guitar>>??? They are pretty high!! Thats why the string tension on a strat is always higher than a les paul... A strat is 25 1/2 and the les paul is a short scale 24 3/4... Thats why the les paul has a higher break angle on the head stock.. It needs it.. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 255
| Follow up!! Bass guitars have a long scale... Naturally the octave is much lower but the tension is still very high.. It is made up with the size of the string... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 255
| Follow up! Piano!! The highest string on a piano is the shortest string!!!!!!! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 255
| food for thought!!!! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 94
Location: Tracy, CA | Very enlightening... thanks. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | Hence, a ukelele is high pitched and VERY short scale.
Luthier, is there a significant playing or sound difference that comes from the slothead, or is it mostly cosmetic at this point? |
|
| |
Slothead vs. Standard - need opinions