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Location: Muenster/Germany | Here´s another stupid question:
Can anyone tell me about the advantages of a slothead guitar, despite of the optics? If you have to change strings (esp. on a 12string) it´s a mess, I always have at least one finger bleeding.
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Location: Jet City | I've always been under the assumption it was to increase the break angle over the nut |
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Location: Muenster/Germany | But why then is the headstock angle of standard Ovation guitars so flat, if you compare with any traditional (steelstring) guitar.
Maybe the greater break angle is only necessary for gut or nylon strings. Lots of (expensive) steelstring guitars even have horrible flat angles on the bridge, Ov´s thankfully don´t.
Ok the building of a slotted headstock is more elaborate than a solid headstock, but that alone does not explain the high prices of these instruments (esp. Adamii). |
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Location: undisclosed | At the PNW gathering I played a slothead Adamas then the standard headstock Adamas side by side and actually prefer the standard headstock. I think it had better tone and volume up the range. That said I like the slothead on my 1115 and wouldn't trade it for a standard but it's a appearance thing. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | This has been discussed at length over the years (check the archives) but the I think the short story is, as pointed out, the break angle is greater (creating more drive on the top and therefore changing it's tone - for better or worse is probably subjective). I believe there also might be a difference in scale on most of the slots but I could be wrong there. Beyond that it's probably largely aesthetics and so that you can enjoy bleeding fingers. Whether all of that is worth more money is up to the beholder I guess. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Cavalier - 2016-01-14 11:11 AM
At the PNW gathering I played a slothead Adamas then the standard headstock Adamas side by side and actually prefer the standard headstock. I think it had better tone and volume up the range. That said I like the slothead on my 1115 and wouldn't trade it for a standard but it's a appearance thing.
One of those slotheads might have been mine or the other Mark's (elginacres) original slothead. Mine hasn't been played much and his has been played tons. His just sounds like a guitar that has really loosened up, even though I think he uses lighter gauge strings and has really low action. I have a friend that has two paddle head Adamas guitars and he likes them better than the slotheads. He attributes it to the mass of the bridge. My ears aren't good enough to tell the difference in most cases, but I can tell a difference between my OFC 1 and my #47RI, which are both slotheads and copies of the same guitar. I've even put the same strings on both and can still tell the difference. The only differences between those guitars, except for the color and everyone knows that the red ones sound better, is the preamp in the OFC and less playing time. My Ute is also a slothead Adamas and it seems to have more bass than the other two. It has a 12 fret to the body neck, but it also has a shallower bowl. My Folklore has too many differences from its closest brother, the K1111RI.
My uninformed guess is that the break angle doesn't make as much difference as the amount of time that each has been played. I gave up the comparisons and just enjoy the variety. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I used to think that things like "break angles" made a difference in my own playing.
The I saw / heard Matt Smith play a low end EliteT. He made it sound amazing.
Now I know it's much more about personal technique and not about strings, pics, or even what the top is made out of.
Matt demonstrated how just a slight variance in the angle in which the pic hits the strings will make a world of difference. Much more than anything that has to do with the break angle at the nut.
I learned something that day but I also lost a lot of my built in excuses.
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That said, I still firmly believe that those fancy new golf clubs will automatically take 10 strokes off game. 
Edited by Slipkid 2016-01-14 3:08 PM
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Location: undisclosed | I think it was elginacres,' someone was handing them to me at the time while I pondered. Playing them in does make a difference and it is all pretty subjective. Impossible to go wrong with either for a good guitar. I think a reissue was there too? Lots of fun, like a vintage wine tasting for guitarists. |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Mark in Boise - 2016-01-14 2:38 PM
... The only differences between those guitars, except for the color and everyone knows that the red ones sound better,
A man after me own heart!!  |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Slipkid - 2016-01-14 3:06 PM
...
That said, I still firmly believe that those fancy new golf clubs will automatically take 10 strokes off game.
LOL!!!!!!!!!! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Slotheads change the characteristics when Tuning the guitar...
Once is is all tuned-up, a minor twist will do the trick.
But really... Slotheads just look Cool. 
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Brad, I'm past thinking that golf clubs could improve my game, but I am convinced that living next to a golf course would do it. Unfortunately, we couldn't figure how to do that within our needs and budget. I played more golf last year than I had any prior year of my life and my handicap went up about 7 strokes. At least when I practice guitar more I get better. |
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Location: Sydney, Australia | DetlefMichel - 2016-01-15 2:14 AM But why then is the headstock angle of standard Ovation guitars so flat, if you compare with any traditional (steelstring) guitar. From memory (someone chime in if this is wrong) the headstock angle was greater on earlier Ovations, but they made it more shallow after a number became decapitated in horrible accidents. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I can tune a slothead marginally quicker. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Sometimes seemingly impractical things are just way cooler ... 5 speed stick, vinyl LP records, spring reverbs, etc. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I just counted and I have more slothead acoustics than paddle heads. I must like them. |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | This new one will be my first!
I will have to go out to YouTube and learn how to restring them! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | The original pegheads were 14 degrees. They broke easier so the angle was changed to 7. I think the 14 sounds better. The Adamas is 10 as a way to get in between. The slotheads are an even sharper angle but we're designed to be sure that at least one finger would get stabbed. |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Beal - 2016-01-16 10:32 PM
... The slotheads are an even sharper angle but we're designed to be sure that at least one finger would get stabbed.
Lovely.... What am I getting myself into???? |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Sorry, Double post. I haven't done that for a while...
Edited by Nancy 2016-01-17 1:45 PM
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Slothead ?